Well, the hackable Jeep is a bit of an outlier I guess, if only because even though it did lead to a recall, it was more of a spectacle story than an outright risk. Though, it did highlight an issue that is going to become more and more prevalent in cars as computers really start to take a central roll.

However, I think that the Takata airbag issue is just as serious as GM's ignition switches and VW's dirty exhaust if only because the recall is so massive.

The crazy thing about cars is a lot of people don't have any brand loyalty. They'll jump from brand to brand on a whim. To make matters worse though, when we're burned by a certain car maker we're a lot less likely to buy from them ever again. How many times in your conversations with every day folks have you heard someone say "I had an car from Company X and my experience was awful. I'm never buying from them again and I tell everyone I know to avoid them." Hell, here in this thread alone, there's a strong circle jerk against VW (who deserve it, fuck VW). One of my coworkers took part in RAM's buyback program (video auto play warning) and felt not only shafted on the issues of the truck itself, but Fiat-Chrysler. Know what he said? "Fuck RAM. I will never buy another one of their trucks again." Similarly, one of my friend's dad is having problems with his Ford Focus. Last I heard, he and the dealership are still at odds, so his Focus sits on his front lawn with a wooden giant lemon cutout that says "My Focus is a Lemon and [Ford Dealership's Name] is run by crooks!"

People and their cars man. Testy. Let me tell you.