Thousands of vehicles on the roads of Cyprus could be installed with defective Takata brand airbags, according to data submitted to the Parliament’s Commerce Committee.
It is estimated that twelve thousand cars, imported as new and meeting European standards, have the defective airbags.
However, there is no information on the number of used vehicles circulating with defective airbags.
The issue came back to the Commission, after the death of 19-year-old Styliani Giorgallis, from Avgorou, in a road accident.
The Police consider it a serious possibility that the airbag in her vehicle was responsible for the young woman’s death.
Furthermore, in January 2023, 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos also lost his life from pellets and ammonia fired from a Takata airbag. The case is still with the Legal Service.
The airbag inflators in question have ammonium nitrate that can deteriorate over time in high heat and high humidity. In the event of a crash, the airbag can deploy with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister that sends shrapnel into the cabin