The Biggest Scandals in Automotive History

The Ford Pinto recall

The Pinto was Ford’s attempt at reclaiming the economy market from cheaper import competitors. But in their haste to provide a cheap domestic runabout, Ford willfully ignored a glaring design flaw. The rear-mounted fuel tank had a habit of shifting forward and impaling itself on a bolt during rear-end collisions or being outright crushed between the bumper and the rear cross beam of the frame, releasing the gas onto the accident scene. Ford knew about the problem and the fire hazard posed by the design of their 71 through 76 Pinto models, though the cost of an $11 fix per car was too much overhead for Ford, so they let it go. Eventually, after meetings and an investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration forced Ford to recall the affected Pinto models as well as the 1975 and ‘76 model Mercury Bobcats.

It isn’t only car manufacturers that eschew safety, however, as we’ll see next.

Takata airbags

Airbags have been staples of car safety since the early ‘90s, so it is concerning that airbag manufacturer Takata recalled 37 million vehicles from across the 2001 to 2015 model years because the inflators were malfunctioning. The inflation devices have been shown to ignite with explosive results, and should the inflator housing be ruptured; the safety device could turn into a claymore and send metal shrapnel throughout the interior. The recall isn’t isolated to a single manufacturer either, as 19 manufacturers have issued recall notices. Environmental moisture, heat, and age are all being attributed as causes of the recall that affects, and priority has been given to vehicles from higher risk areas. While the NHTSA issued the initial recall in November of 2014, it took Takata nearly six months to acknowledge the flaw and issue their recall. To make matters worse, almost half a million vehicles that were repaired during the initial recall were recalled again, as the replacements were prone to the same fatal issue.

Our next scandal had explosive repercussions as well.