Takata Corp., a Japanese company that makes airbags, has just set a pretty terrible record. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a recall of 33.8 million US vehicles due to faulty air bags. That number is good enough to break Tylenol's record for the largest US product recall. Back in 1982 31 million bottles were recalled due to fear of cyanide pills being mixed inside. The reason for the Takata recall is equally as chilling.

The issue stems from the air bags blowing with too much force. This causes the metal canister they are sealed in to explode and act like a grenade, sending shrapnel into the cabin. So far the airbags have been linked to six deaths and 100 injuries worldwide. A complete list of the cars being recalled is still being compiled by the NHTSA. A bunch of notable manufacturers have already issued limited recalls, including Honda, BMW and Chevy. Expect the number of manufacturers and models involved to jump when the complete list is released.