Ford Pinto Recall

In the 1970s, the Ford Pinto was found to have a fatal design flaw where its rear-mounted gas tank could explode in low-speed rear-end collisions due to inadequate shielding. Internal Ford memos revealed the company calculated it would be cheaper to settle lawsuits than redesign the car, but after public outcry and media exposure, they issued a recall of 1.5 million vehicles in 1978, one of the largest automotive recalls in U.S. history.

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