Toyota on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to customer safety by urging vehicle owners to take immediate action to address the Takata airbag recall.

The company apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured affected drivers that every effort was being made to resolve the issue promptly.

Toyota clarified that while the recall service remains free of charge for all vehicles imported through Europe, a €149.94 administrative fee applies for ‘grey imports’ due to the additional complexities in processing their recalls.

The company had been criticised for charging for a service that was meant to be free.

Owners of all affected vehicles are encouraged to schedule airbag replacement appointments as soon as possible, but the process differs depending on the vehicle’s origin.

For vehicles with European-type approval (EC-WVTA), from Cyprus, the UK, and other European countries owners should follow the steps outlined in the dedicated online portal. https://forms.toyota.com.cy/recalls/eu-form-en 

For non-European vehicles, owners of cars imported from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and other non-European regions should visit a separate link https://www.toyota.com.cy/forms/recall-enquiry  for further instructions.

Toyota has also set up a dedicated support line at 22 285700 for any questions regarding the recall. Due to high demand, the company said response times may be delayed but it reassured customers that all inquiries will be addressed as quickly as possible.

Of affected vehicles in Cyprus, 4,800 were imported by Toyota, in addition to 9,570 vehicles from Europe by third parties, primarily from the UK, all of which are covered at no cost. However, 15,130 grey import vehicles from third countries like Japan, Thailand and Australia require exceptional manufacturer coverage, leading to the administrative costs.

Over the last ten years, Toyota said it has successfully replaced over 19,200 airbags in Cyprus, demonstrating its commitment to customer safety.

The company repeated the airbag replacement itself is free, with costs covered by Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA and Toyota Cyprus. Toyota urges all affected owners to take immediate action and schedule airbag replacement without delay to ensure their safety on the road.