The grace period for replacing defective Takata airbags in Cyprus has ended, with the Ministry of Transport beginning to suspend roadworthiness certificates (MOT) for thousands of vehicles whose owners failed to comply with the mandatory recall.

From Friday, October 3, 2025, the first wave of suspensions is being rolled out, covering vehicles whose owners were notified back in February and were given an eight-month deadline to replace the faulty airbags. The Department of Road Transport (DRT) confirmed that around 16,900 vehicles — roughly 20 percent of the original 81,000 affected — remain outstanding.

Toyota and Honda show the largest numbers of non-compliance, with about 5,000 and 2,000 vehicles respectively still awaiting replacement. The government spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, appealed once again to car owners to take immediate action, stressing that safety cannot be postponed.

Owners of vehicles with suspended MOTs will receive a text notification. Driving without a valid MOT carries an on-the-spot fine of €150 for cars and €300 for trucks.

The suspension will not affect those who have already booked appointments for the recall, provided the replacement is carried out by the scheduled date and no later than October 31. Authorities clarified that no further extensions will be granted to owners who have not even arranged service appointments.

The decision to set an eight-month compliance period — rather than the standard 18 months provided for recalls — was taken due to the serious safety risks posed by Takata airbags. In some cases, manufacturers had even instructed immediate immobilization of vehicles.

The DRT has urged affected owners to check their recall deadlines through the Ministry of Transport’s official website. Special consideration is also being given to vehicles used by disabled drivers, with the department working directly with companies and workshops to ensure priority servicing.