Drivers face confusion in US vehicle recall over airbag defect

New York

WHEN millions of Americans woke up on Wednesday morning to go to work, many asked themselves a simple question: Is my car safe to drive?

A day earlier, Takata, the Japanese maker of airbags, agreed to double to 34 million the number of vehicles in the US that needed to be recalled. The vehicles may contain airbags that can explode violently when they deploy, sending pieces of metal flying into the cabin. Six deaths have been linked to the problem.

But carmakers on Wednesday were still sorting out which cars needed to be included in the expanded recall, leaving many consumers with more questions than answers.

John Young, of San Jose, California, is not sure whether his 2003 Honda Accord is affected. Although certain 2003 Accords have been listed under previous Takata-related recalls, when he typed his vehicle identification number into the government's website, safercar.gov, n…