Schedule A Free Consultation

(800) 529-1441

personal injury lawyer near me
Menu Menu Bar

The 10 Most Dangerous Cars Of All Time (Infographic)

Automobiles have always been one of the fastest growing commodities since its creation in the mid-1900s. These days, it’s not even uncommon for all households to have at least one car. Unfortunately, they’re not always safe enough to be driven.

If you’re wondering about the most dangerous cars out there, here is a detailed list on the 10 most dangerous cars ever built.

I met with Harry Brown personally and he sat with me for 20 minutes at our initial consultation to explain everything. He even called after my surgery to see how I was doing. I met with him several more times after that and was kept informed about my case throughout. I highly recommend Harry Brown as an attorney.

STEVEN SWEENY, SAVANNAH 
The 10 Most Dangerous Cars Of All Time

 

Ford Pinto

Perhaps the most infamously dangerous American car to this day, the Ford Pinto is a prime example of an under-designed car rushed to the market.

The Pinto was manufactured throughout the 70s as an answer to the surge of the Japanese and European imports. At the time, smaller vehicles like Pinto were popular in the market. It also helps that this car requires less fuel.

Unfortunately, there were significant design flaws that led to its recall in 1978. The first one was that the transmission was prone to moving into gear without the driver knowing.

But perhaps the most well-known problem is its tendency to burst into flames upon a slight rear impact. Since the fuel tank of the vehicle is located near the bumper, the probability of an explosion from one hit from the back is extremely high. 

As more people get killed from the car’s inadequately protected gas tank, it drew a lot of public attention to car safety.

Chevrolet Corvair

A car featured in Ralph Nader’s book “Unsafe at Any Speed,” the Chevrolet Corvair has a longstanding reputation in the history of vehicles.

The Corvair was created by Chevrolet to compete with car brands like Porsche. Its unique design, such as an air-cooled and rear-mounted engine can make it stand out.

However, most drivers were not prepared for the different driving style it requires. The Corvair had a reputation for being reckless as no anti-roll bar had been added to the front of the vehicle while the steering column could be easily pushed towards the driver upon impact.

Its rear-mounted engine was also said to sometimes released toxic fumes into the car’s cabin. In addition to the dangers, the negative press received from Nader lead to the discontinuing of the Corvair in 1969.

Related Article

Drunk Driving Accidents: Building a Strong Case to Hold Intoxicated Drivers Liable

Yugo GV

The only possible benefit to purchasing the Yugo GV in the 80s was its low price tag. The GV which stands for “Great Value” was billed as America’s cheapest new car, but what came along with the low cost was a vehicle that matched the price tag.

There was no specific problem with the car that leads to any particular flurry of accidents. Instead, the cheap materials and the poor design made it too dangerous to drive in general.

As the Yugo GV offers no protection in a frontal crash, has very few built-in safety devices, and has an engine that rattled and eventually crumbled apart, drivers were likely to become seriously injured if they were ever involved in a crash.

In addition to its shortcomings in safety, around 126,000 Yugo Gvs were recalled after their carburetor fuel failed to meet air pollution standard.

Ford Bronco II

When the market was clamoring for a compact SUB, Ford’s answer was to create Bronco II. This car was designed to be agile and rugged. In spite of its popularity, it was also regrettably chronic with roll-overs.

Ford made a misstep with the SUV.  Its high body made maneuvering curved roads a dangerous thing. A tight turn at high speeds has been believed to have been directly responsible for a large number of deaths.

Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer was built similarly to the Bronco II, but larger. The 1990s explorer was top-heavy and built on a truck chassis that was never designed for the weight and dimensions of a medium-sized SUV.

But despite the roll-over issue, the Ford didn’t go back to the drawing board, and the problem still persisted.

Even when some changes have been made in an attempt to ensure that it would not roll over frequently, the core issues of the body design were ignored which only opened the door for even more chronic issues.

Besides facing many of the same issues that plagued the earlier Bronco II, further accidents were caused by the low pressure on their tires that led to tires losing their tread and causing crashes through a loss of grip.

Dozens of people died in these cars throughout the 1990s. Thankfully, two decades later, Ford seems to have bucked the trend.

Pontiac Fiero

As a two-seater, the Pontiac Fiero served the needs of many car buyers who are looking for smaller and more efficient.

In due fairness, this vehicle had one of the highest safety ratings from crash tests. However, it still developed an infamous reputation for being unsafe. This happened because of its tendency to burst into flames without warning.

Fires could start for several reasons. Among them were the faulty wiring that resulted from poor design choices and its coolant features.

Coolant lines that were located in unsuitable places in the engine and incorrect guidance on how much oil to put in the car caused chronic under-filling and oil leakage. This is where those fires commonly started.

While the Fiero was only sold from 1983 to 1988, it still managed to cause serious havoc. It led 260 reported cases of the engine bursting to flames. Luckily, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) only received six reports for injuries.

Recommended Post: Leading causes of car accidents

Ready to Talk to a Lawyer Who Has Your Back?

Schedule a Free Consult

DeLorean DM-12

The DeLorean has a distinct design in the history of American cars. It became best known for its appearance in the Back to the Future films, but it also built a reputation for being an incredibly dangerous vehicle.

The design feature that made this vehicle unique became the cause of its major safety issue. Its notable winged-doors lack the safety mechanisms to release the doors after a crash which meant that this would put the drivers in a dangerous position.

These doors would be jammed, which would make it impossible to open from the inside. Also, the windows weren’t large enough to offer a passageway to safety either. In the event of a rollover, passengers would be trapped inside until the rescue crews arrived in the scene.

It may have been an iconic car once, but it’s been solidified in the list of the most dangerous cars of all time.

Audi 5000

In most people’s minds, Audis are paragons of safety and refinement. In the ’80s, however, the Audi 5000 caused a huge reputation problem for the German car manufacturer.

This vehicle had a notable faulty engine. Apparently, the defective nature of the car that sent many drivers to their early graves came from the engine. The engine had a tendency to unpredictably accelerate and heaved forward on its own even while in idle.

It happened even worse when the drivers were driving on an average speed on the highway. The transmission tantrums may surprise and shock drivers into panicking and accidentally pressing the accelerator.

The company addressed the issue by arguing that the engine was not faulty enough to cause any crashes on the road by itself but finally owned up later one. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers perished in accidents before it happened.

Kia Rio

The smallest and cheapest cars money can buy, the Kia Rio hasn’t always been the greatest when it comes to safety. This car is known to be one of the most dangerous vehicles in the U.S. since the 21st century began.

A car safety report by IIHS showed a couple of meek points for the Kia Rio’s 2012 to 2014 model including the head and leg areas that are susceptible to lethal damage when struck from the rear.

Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet is a car that has been very popular throughout history. This sports car attracts the young male demographic who likes speed.

However, along with the car’s power and aerodynamic design, the combination of aggressive drivers and narrow tires led to numerous car crash accidents even to these days.

Even the most well-designed cars can get to an accident.

If you or your loved one have been injured in a car accident, contact The Brown Firm Auto Accident Lawyers today at (912) 200-9755 or visit our website at www.www.harrybrownlaw.com to learn more about our service or receive a free legal consultation.

Our Recent Personal Injury Articles

View All Articles
Contact The Brown Firm

Get the Answers and Compensation You Deserve

You’ll notice the difference when you contact The Brown Firm! Our local dedicated attorneys want to help you recover and rebuild.

Schedule your free consultation by calling (800) 529-1441 or completing our simple online form.

Schedule Your Free Consultation

If you or a loved one were injured and need help, our skilled personal injury lawyers will be at your side every step of the way.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.