It’s been a record-setting year for automakers, but not in agood way. As of mid-October, a record 56 million vehicles had beenthe subject of a recall this year for everything from faultyignition switches to issues with hood latches, according to theDetroit Free Press. Within the past few weeks, another 11 millionwere recalled for having airbags manufactured by Japanese supplierTakata, and the numbers could go even higher as the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigates thefull extent of the impact on auto makers.

On Tuesday, the NHTSA said it would expand the recall that hadoriginally included only two states and two territories frequentlyassociated with high humidity. While an updated list has yet to befinalized, the recalls are expected to include vehicles made byFord, Honda, Chrysler, Mazda and BMW. According to the New YorkTimes, since 2008 more than 14 million vehicles have been recalledworldwide because of issues with the Takata airbags.

To put this into perspective, 15.6 million vehicles were sold in2013. That means three-and-a-half times as many cars were recalledthis year as were sold in the previous one. According to the NHTSA,the last time this many cars were recalled in a single year was in1999, when 55.6 million were recalled.

Motor Trend has compiled the number of recalls this year by makeand identified six who had 30 or more recalls. Chevrolet and Dodgehave each had 61 recalls so far this year; Ford (47); GMC (42); andNissan and Toyota have had 30 each. The cars with the fewestrecalls were: Alfa Romeo, Eagle and Scion (5); American Motors,Geo, Maserati and Lamborghini (4); Daewoo, Hummer, Peugeot, Ram(3); Daihatsu, Fiat, Tesla, Triumph and Yugo (2); and AM General,Fisker, Merkur, MG, Mini, Smart, SRT and Sterling (1).

The number of deaths from these recalls is also climbing. Todate, 33 deaths have been attributed to the General Motors’ faultyignition switch. Faulty airbags from Japanese manufacturer Takatajust claimed their fifth life.

Here’s a look at some of the recalls and the vehiclesinvolved.

General Motors

It’s been a particularly hard year for the automaker who hasrecalled almost 27 million vehicles in 77 recalls according toAutomotive News. The single largest recall for the manufacturerinvolved 7.6 million vehicles on June 30^th because ofissues with the ignition switch. The key can be bumped out of theignition while the car is running, causing it to shut offunexpectedly, disabling the steering, brakes and safetyfeatures.

Models identified as having ignition issues included theOldsmobile Intrigue and Alero; Pontiac Grand Am and Grand Prix;Chevrolet Malibu, Impala and Monte Carlo; Cadillac Deville, CTS andSRX; Saturn Vue; and the Buick Regal, Lacrosse and Lucerne. Carowners are advised to remove any extra keys from their keychainuntil the defect is repaired to prevent the car from shuttingoff.

Ray DeGiorgio, the engineer identified as being responsible forthe faulty ignition switch was fired in June. An investigationconducted by a former federal prosecutor found DeGiorgio knew in2002 that the ignition switch had problems but approved it anyway.He later authorized a change to the part but did not change thepart number, which made it more difficult for investigators touncover what had transpired with the faulty part.

GM has set up a fund to compensate victims and their families.To date, 202 claims for deaths and 1,646 injury claims have beenfiled. The administrator has approved payment for 32 death claimsand 35 injury claims.

Chrysler & Jeep

According to Motor Trend, Chrysler has had 18 recalls and Jeep13, affecting 566,000 vehicles. Seven of those recalls took placefrom October 14-30.

According to the NHTSA website, 291,703 Jeep Grand Cherokeesfrom 2008 were recalled because the ignition key can stick betweenpositions causing the engine to turn off.

Another recall involves 126,772 2014 Dodge Durango and JeepGrand Cherokee models. The airbag modules for the OccupantRestraint Control can short-circuit, disabling the front and sideairbags, as well as the seatbelt pretensioners. A third recallinvolves a software issue in the 2014 Grand Cherokees that candisable the Electronic Stability Control, impacting 132,223vehicles.

Over 300,000 Jeep Wranglers from 2011-2013 were recalled becausea potential electrical short in the heated power mirrors canincrease the risk of fire.

Chrysler has also recalled 786,000 cars to fix faultyalternators and 895,000 Durango and Grand Cherokee vehicles forvanity mirrors that could catch on fire.

Toyota

Toyota has had a busy year with 30 recalls affecting over 4.2million cars including the Prius, RAV4, Tacoma, Corolla, Camry,Avalon, Sequoia, Tundra, Highlander, Sienna and several of itsLexus models. The recalls include faulty airbags, electricalissues, software problems, anti-lock brakes and tail light issues.

Toyota owners have been advised not to let any passengers sit inthe front passenger seat and to have their airbags replacedimmediately. See the next page for more on the airbag recalls.

Airbag Recall

Japanese manufacturer Takata is at the heart of a massive recall involving faulty airbags that can explode andrelease metal shards inside the car. More than 17 million cars havebeen recalled globally, including at least 11 million in the U.S., but that number could continue to rise.Because of the size of the recall, manufacturers do not have thereplacement parts in stock.

Honda, BMW, Mazda and Toyota began issuing recalls earlier thisyear, but the number of auto manufacturers affected has grownexponentially. At the heart of the problem is a new propellant usedto inflate the airbags. The compound is so strong that it can causethe airbags to violently explode. Six fatalities have now beenattributed to the defective airbags. Consumer Reports has preparedthis video to provideconsumers with information on the recalls and how to protectthemselves until their cars can be repaired.

Owners can see if there are any recalls for their vehicles onthe NHTSA website byentering the vehicle identification number (VIN) found on thedriver’s side dashboard.