Ford was the automaker accused of hiding safety defects in its Pinto car during the 1970s Ford Pinto scandal.
The Ford Pinto was introduced for the 1971 model year as a small, inexpensive car designed to compete with imported vehicles. Its fuel-tank placement and rear structure made some cars vulnerable to fuel leaks and fires in rear-end collisions. The issue became a major public controversy after reports of deaths, injuries, lawsuits, and recalls.
A 1977 article in Mother Jones helped popularize claims that Ford had performed a cost-benefit analysis comparing safety improvements with anticipated legal costs. The precise interpretation of that document has been debated, but the scandal became a lasting example in discussions of corporate ethics and product safety.
Ford recalled Pinto models in 1978 to address fuel-system risks. The case is sometimes simplified as a single design decision, but the wider controversy involved engineering, testing, regulatory standards, litigation, and corporate responsibility.