This is terrifying.

[UpInArms]

4. I remember the ford pinto

… don’t hit me, I just filled my tank

The Real Reason Ford Pintos Used To Explode

The Ford Motor Company rushed the subcompact-sized Pinto through production, according to The American Museum of Tort Law. Even though Ford was aware of possible explosions involving the fuel tank, the company was keen to get the model on the road, and cheaply. It would prove to be a fatal decision: Before long, reports of passengers being killed or maimed when the fuel tank exploded — after minor, low-speed collisions — started flooding in. When the dust had settled, Ford had paid out tens of millions in damages and recalled 1.5 million of the vehicles, as The New York Times reported in 1978.

The reason for the model's propensity to burst into flames when rear-ended rested in a design flaw of the exhaust system, according to Auto Repair Review. Specifically, even a low-speed collision could cause a rupture in the filler neck, allowing fuel to spill out and be exposed. Further, the vehicle was designed in such a way that exposed metal would then be able to produce sparks, igniting a fire that would cause the fuel tank to explode.