The Department of Transportation is launching a review of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, due to the sloppy manner with which the latter agency handled an automotive recall in recent weeks and months. The NHTSA was responsible for urging the recall of millions of vehicles with faulty airbags. The airbags, installed by Japanese auto supplier, Takata, are supposedly vulnerable to humidity in such a way that causes them to explode. Accidents involving the airbags have resulted in at least three deaths and more than 100 injuries.

According to a report from ABC News, DOT is simply not happy with the way the NHTSA has gotten the word out about safety advisories – not just in this automotive recall, but in past recalls as well. Indeed, the NHTSA has known about the Takata airbag issue for ages. Recall notices have been sent out repeatedly for the past two years, and the NHTSA has been investigating Takata since June.

Despite the NHTSA’s long knowledge of the Takata defect, deaths as a result of the issue have continued. Earlier this month, a woman in Florida was killed mysteriously in a case that investigators originally looked at as a homicide. Since then, though, theories have emerged that the woman’s death may have been caused by an exploding airbag. That would make her the fourth victim of the Takata defect.

The delayed response and lack of proper advisory notices are among the issues DOT will be looking at when it investigates the NHTSA. In addition, the Department of Transportation will also take a look at an incident this week where the NHTSA published incorrect information about the recall.

On Monday, the agency posted a recall notice on its website that listed various makes and models and urged auto owners to get their vehicles checked for faulty airbags. The notice falsely noted that about 4.7 million auto owners could be affected by the issue. A new notice published on Tuesday raised that number to 7.8 million. In addition, it seems that the NHTSA’s Monday notice listed the wrong makes and models.

Finally, the NHTSA’s original recall urged only auto owners living in humid parts of the country to seek airbag checks or replacements. Some legislators want a more sweeping recall, since humidity does exist in all parts of the country, and since any auto owners from more mild areas could still travel to humid hotspots like Florida.

So what will the DOT investigation do, exactly? Is the review being done to find a scapegoat for the slow recall? Or will it inspire some new legislation that will create better processes for recalls in the future? Only time will tell.