Why do you suspect there was a recall for a common problem? And why did you ignore a problem with a safety system for so long? The time and mileage of the defect is stored in the Air Bag Computer, and in the event of a crash, it is real easy to determine that the air bags didn't deploy because you ignored the warning. That becomes important during lawsuits and insurance investigations. Also, there will be a diagnostic fault code stored in that computer. Having that code read will identify the circuit that needs further diagnosis.

If you bought the car new, you will get a notice in the mail informing you of a safety or emissions-related recall. If the manufacturer doesn't know you own an affected car, you can call the dealership to find out which recalls are in effect and whether they apply to your model and year.

Probably the most common cause for the warning light to turn on is a broken clock spring under the steering wheel. As it continues to break, other circuits going through it will also stop working. Most commonly those are the horn and cruise control, but can also include steering wheel-mounted radio switches.