Thousands Of Drivers In Cyprus Can’t Pay Road Tax Because Of Faulty Takata Airbags

The other day in Cyprus, an online portal began operating for renewing road tax for 2026. Owners of about 750 thousand vehicles can use the option to renew registration; however, around 11 thousand cars already will not be able to complete the process. The reason is linked to the failure to replace defective Takata airbags, which have been officially recognized as dangerous.

Cars without airbag replacement are deemed immobilized

An employee of the Road Transport Department Cyprus, Konstantinos Koupis, reported that more than 100 thousand cars in total were summoned to replace faulty airbags. Despite the fact that most owners have already complied, several thousand vehicles still remain with the issue unresolved and have no right to renew road tax.

According to his data, about 7 thousand actively used cars are still awaiting airbag replacement out of a total of 81 thousand that were announced in February 2025. The eight-month grace period has ended, and such vehicles are now officially considered taken out of service. The situation is complicated by the fact that some owners cannot be traced.

Recall campaign continues

As Koupis emphasized, implementation of the airbag replacement program has reached about 90%, but the process remains dynamic. New vehicles covered by the recall continue to be added to the system. After February 2025, the list was supplemented by almost another 20 thousand cars, and about 4 thousand of them still have not undergone the mandatory replacement procedure.

Up-to-date information confirms that Cyprus authorities are tightening oversight of the vehicle fleet’s technical safety, especially against the backdrop of pan-European pressure and legal proceedings related to Takata product defects in various EU countries.

Renewal deadlines and possible fines

The online portal for renewing road tax opened on January 7 and will be available until midnight on March 11, with no plans for any extension. Car owners can choose to pay for the whole year or quarterly, provided they have a valid vehicle inspection and insurance policy.

Those who fail to renew road tax by the deadline will have to pay an additional fee. The authorities emphasize that responsibility for timely airbag replacement and tax renewal rests entirely with vehicle owners, and using cars deemed immobilized may result in serious penalties.

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