The 10 Most Disastrous Automotive Recalls In History

Even the best car companies make mistakes, but those mistakes can be deadly.

Published 2 months ago in Wow

Not every car can be perfect, and sometimes even the best automakers are forced to issue recalls for models with systematic defects. But when those defects are deadly, (and secretly known by the company all along), now there is a serious problem.

Here are 10 of the most disastrous recalls and defects in automotive history.

1
Ford Transmissions
Transmissions on Ford vehicles between 1966 and 1980 could occasionally malfunction, resulting in sudden movement. Causing over 700 accidents and 23 deaths, it was revealed that Ford knew about the defect and chose not to fix it in the name of cost cutting. They also struck a deal with the government to avoid a 23 million vehicle recall.

2
GM Ignitions
In the mid 2010s, GM was forced to recall 2.6 million vehicles when it was revealed that a faulty ignition could cause vehicles to shut off while driving. That meant a locked steering wheel and no brakes. Over 300 people died, and many more were injured in small cars specifically.

3
Volkswagen Dieselgate
Volkswagen was part of one of the biggest motoring scandals in history, when it was revealed that they were doctoring their fuel emission test numbers. They were forced to recall 11 million vehicles to disable “defeat devices.” The scandal cost VW a combined $40 billion.
4
Ford Pinto “Explosions”
The Ford Pinto had one of the most infamous defects in automotive history, as poor fuel tank design resulted in explosive fires after even minor rear-end collisions. But when it was leaked that Ford knew about the default, and explicitly calculated that lawsuit payouts would cost less than fixing the issue, public outcry forced a recall of 1.5 million vehicles. The fuel tanks killed over 100 people.

5
Toyota “Unintended Acceleration”
Toyota recalled almost 9 million cars when it was revealed that a sticky gas pedal could result in sudden unintended acceleration. Originally thought to be a bad floor mat design, an initial recall failed to address the issue. This default killed 16 people.
6
Ford Bronco Rollovers
When Ford was designing the Bronco, it didn’t take them long to realize that a quick flick of the wheel would easily roll the car over. But instead of fixing the problem, they sold the car anyway, and almost 18,000 people wound up involved in rollover related crashes.
7
Toyota Switches
Window switches on late 2000s Toyotas had the tendency to spontaneously combust, leading to a 2.7 million vehicle recall.

8
GM Engine Mounts
Using old motor mounts in their designs, GM cars in the late ‘60s could experience a loss of control when motor mounts broke. GM recalled over 6.5 million cars, but came up with a cheap fix that didn’t directly address the problem.
9
GM Exhaust
Also in the late ‘60s, GM was forced to recall 4.9 million cars due to faulty carburetors. Not only could this lead to stuck throttles, but it could cause a carbon monoxide leak in the cabin, which poisoned four people on its own.
10
Takata Airbags
Perhaps the most dangerous recall of them all, this recall wasn’t the fault of any auto manufacturer, rather an airbag supplier. Takata airbags were recalled in the mid 2000s across tens of millions of vehicles from dozens of automakers, because excessive heat could cause them to explode, instead of deploying safely during accidents. This meant that instead of cushioning an impact, the airbags shot deadly shrapnel at their victims. At least 35 people have been killed by the airbags.