The risk is so high that Takata airbags will explode and cause injury, Honda is putting drivers in rental cars if its drivers have to wait for a fix. Other car makers are not putting drivers in rental cars.
"It's a little ritual," Scott Roewer said as he washed his car. "Each month when I do it I get more and more angry."
Angry that his 2011 Mustang, which he bought since a Mustang was the first car he drove, sits in the driveway because it's part of the largest recall in US history.
"I don't want anything to happen to me or anyone in it," Roewer explained.
The Mustang has a Takata airbag.
"Back in the mid 80s we were safe without airbags. Now all of a sudden we have to have them to save our life and these are killing people," Roewer explained.
Rower isn't willing to take that chance with his family.
"My concern is for those people who can't afford to park their car and they send their teenage son or daughter behind the wheel who doesn't come home because of a car accident," Roewer said.
It's happened in other makes and models including Honda. The injuries horrific. The deaths climbing. The wait to get a fix is dragging on nine months and counting for Roewer.
"I don't see an end in sight," explained Roewer.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's not safer to disable the Takata airbag. In a written statement NHTSA said, "It is far more likely that, if you are involved in a crash, your air bag will perform properly and protect you than it will rupture and cause harm. An air bag that is purposely disabled has a 100-percent chance of failing to provide any protection in a crash."
Luckily for Roewer, he can wait out the wait with a driveway full of cars.
He worries about others who can't do that.
Ford says it's prioritizing the parts based on risk. There's a high risk in Florida due to the heat and humidity. The age of the car matters too. The older it is, the more dangerous it is. Some cars in the Ford recall are ten-years-old. Roewer's Mustang is just a few years old, but still losing value each day it sits.
"The downside too is the trade-in ability. I could trade it in, but they are going to give me $5-8,000 less on a recall notice that has no repair," Roewer said.
Ford expects to have parts later this year.
In a statement, a Ford communications manager said, "We are working with a number of suppliers to expedite parts as quickly as possibly and ensuring customers in all regions have access to parts."
To see if your car is on the recall list, look on the door jamb or below the windshield for the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Punch that in to Safercar.gov.
Click here for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FAQ on the recall.
Click here to see the priority groups for recalled cars
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