On Wednesday, five witnesses were summoned to provide testimony before a three-person panel tasked with reviewing the recall procedures for vehicles—especially those with defective Takata airbags—that were brought into the country from the European Union and other nations.
The witnesses are part of the car importers' association (Semio), serving as either proprietors or executives at dealership outlets that distribute vehicles across Cyprus, such as those for BMW and Isuzu.
Following the initial public hearing where a Semio spokesperson accused authorities and sellers of pre-owned vehicles imported from third countries over issues related to the defective Takata airbags, the committee requested that these five individuals come forward with their perspectives.
The initial witness to take the stand was a spokesperson for BMW importer Charalambos Pilakoutas Ltd.
The witness stated that the recall was first initiated due to issues with the system's coding rather than a problematic airbag.
The recall occurred in 2008, with all such actions being finished at that time, he stated, additionally mentioning that recalls related to BMW airbags extended until 2017.
He mentioned that an additional airbag recall notice was issued in 2019; nonetheless, inspections carried out in 2022 showed no issues.
The committee chair, Michalakis Christodoulou, stated that Kyriakos Oxinos died in 2022 when his BMW crashed because of a defective airbag. He then questioned under what classification this car fell.
The witness mentioned it as a yellow alert indicating an instant recall.
He further mentioned that other cars included in the recall fell into the immediate immobilization category as well.
"We didn't notify the public or make a statement," the witness stated, although they added that letters had indeed been dispatched.
However, the witness mentioned that a letter was dispatched regarding the recall to the Oxinos family, and during the period from 2011 until 2023, nobody reached out to the firm.
“He mentioned that they called two times, but nobody answered,” he stated.
The witness told the committee that multiple recalls had taken place for different reasons, not solely for airbag concerns, and that the road transport department (TOM) was notified about all these recalls following the 2017 directive.
Concerning the incident from 2017 where an individual sustained severe injuries, the witness stated that there was initially no knowledge regarding the particular car being recalled, leading to legal action against BMW. They further mentioned that the recall notice was issued subsequently.
From the 14,000 BMW vehicles impacted, repairs have been made for 8,000 units; nonetheless, people do not consistently heed the notifications, according to the testimony.
"We continued to send letters, but the individuals failed to collect them," he mentioned additionally.
The next witness to take the stand was Yiannis Loutsios, CEO of Loutsios Group, which handles the importation of KIA and Isuzu vehicles.
He mentioned that the imported vehicles did not have Takata airbags installed and that all other recall processes were being carried out punctually.
Concerning the TOM memo from 2017, Loutsios stated that TOM received notifications about every recall.
He mentioned that even though the recalls were divided based on their severity levels, the company regarded each one as hazardous.
"We dispatched numerous letters. A significant number went uncollected as people assumed they were penalty notices," Loutsios explained.
Christodoulou stated that over his 30-year tenure as a judge, he had never encountered anything related to recalls. In response, Loutsios remarked that the dealerships were aware of this information. "You knew, but the public did not," Christodoulou retorted.
The third witness to appear before the committee was Savvas Koumis, who represents CTC Automotive. The panel asked him for a comprehensive list of every recall issued by their company.
In response to queries, Koumis stated that issues emerged concerning what were known as 'grey cars,' which referred to used vehicles brought in from elsewhere.
"Even though we attempt to locate the customers, we lack their history. It’s important to mention that many of these vehicles are not considered safe," he noted.
Koumis mentioned that some owners "declined to show up for the recall."
Alexis Anninos, who served as the president of Semio for four years, stated on behalf of CIC that the manufacturers provided the distributors with an 18-month period to finish the recall process.
Concerning second-hand car imports, Anninos mentioned that certain importers failed to inspect the vehicles properly and that relevant information was inaccessible.
He mentioned that the initial recall for Mercedes-Benz occurred in September 2019, whereas the first broad notification was issued in March 2017 by Jeep.
The witness stated that they were unaware of when Takata airbags ceased production, as the firm shut down operations in 2018.
Anninos pointed out that prior to January 2025, when the legislation was passed, no inspections took place.
"There are vehicles that were registered in 2023, 2024, and even 2025 with recalls that have been outstanding since 2021," he mentioned.
Anninos stated, "In 1993, we initiated the first recall in Cyprus."
The final witness to take the stand was Spyros Pavlides, representing Geo. Pavlides Automotive. He mentioned that the initial notification pertained to Subaru models in 2017 and was communicated to TOM, succeeded by a recall involving Mazda vehicles as well.
He additionally mentioned that the firm might have been the initial one to execute a recall in Cyprus back in 1993. Pavlides clarified that the issue pertained specifically to the gray vehicles, necessitating notification of the manufacturer, which turned out to be an extremely drawn-out process.
He mentioned that there were two instances where the airbags failed to deploy; however, he stated that "it wasn’t anything major." The witness explained, "Our data indicated that this issue likely impacted Mediterranean nations because of the high temperatures.”
Pavlides recommended preventive actions, which involved backing TOM.
The chairperson of the committee encouraged the relatives of those who were killed or harmed to share their testimonies, mentioning that he preferred not to call them officially as a sign of reverence for their suffering.
The following meeting is scheduled for April 17.
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