Takata: The Longest Recall

When National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Mark Rosekind announced on May 4 that the size of the largest auto recall in U.S. history was about to double, he also revealed that this safety action hits close to home. Like tens of millions of American cars, his is equipped with a potentially deadly Takata air bag, one that won’t be fixed anytime soon because parts aren’t available. The vehicle is parked in his driveway. “I tell my wife and kids the same thing we’re telling everyone else: For all the frustration, make sure you’re safe,” he says.

Frustration may be an understatement. Millions of owners of 17 different car brands are likely to be in the same boat as the industry’s top regulator: learning their personal vehicles could actually kill them should an unstable air bag inflator explode in their faces, then told to wait their turn—perhaps for years—until replacement parts are available.