While unfortunate, recalls are typical in the automotive world. Alas, when it comes to vehicle engineering, humans aren’t always going to get it right. Of course, some recalls are more significant than others. Here are three of the most dangerous recalls in car history. To add insult to injury, if we fast-forward to today, we’re still dealing with similar transparency and safety issues.

General Motors’ faulty ignition switches

General Motors faced severe backlash in 2014 when it was revealed that faulty ignition switches in several models could unexpectedly shut off the engine. The resulting lack of power would suddenly disable the power steering, brakes, and airbags. This defect, present in cars for over a decade, caused at least 124 deaths.

Dubbed a scandal, the timeline goes from 2001 to 2014. It winds through the government bailout of the company. The scandal went on until GM finally recalled millions upon millions of vehicles after Mary Barra took over as GM’s first female CEO in early 2014. Investigations exposed that GM had reportedly avoided addressing the flaw due to the scope and expense of remedying the problem.

Toyota’s unintended acceleration

In 2009 and 2010, millions of Toyota vehicles were recalled due to unintended acceleration. This defect, linked to floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals, led to numerous accidents and fatalities. A famous 911 dispatch audio clip of a family stuck in their Toyota at 120 mph reflects the horrifying realities of these types of defects.

The recall of over 9 million cars became one of the largest in automotive history. Toyota’s crisis management involved improving its safety protocols, rebuilding trust through “transparency” (read more on these first two concepts below), and enhancing quality controls.

Ford Pinto’s explosive rear-end collisions

How could we not include the Ford Pinto? It earned infamy in the ’70s for a deadly design flaw. Ford positioned the gas tank in a way that made it prone to rupture in rear-end collisions. In turn, minor fender benders morphed into deadly explosions. Despite early warnings, Ford didn’t initiate a recall until public pressure and lawsuits mounted. By then, lives were lost, and the Pinto’s reputation was beyond repair. Between 1970 and 1976, the NHTSA counted 27 preventable deaths from Pinto fires.

A leap forward?

While each of these dangerous recalls was ultimately addressed, design flaws and delayed transparency haven’t stopped.

This year, Tesla issued an unintended acceleration recall under the Cybertruck for its pedal cover slipping off and getting wedged at full throttle.

Additionally, the NHTSA has opened yet another Tesla investigation, this time for its 2023 Autopilot recall remedy. The first Autopilot investigation report cited that Tesla was aware of Autopilot-related car accidents (some fatal) but did not take immediate action, like updating Autopilot to ensure drivers paid closer attention. Later, Tesla’s official Autopilot recall remedy was optional and could even be reversed. The NHTSA is questioning whether its remedy was good enough as incidents have continued.

This week, we reported that Toyota stopped selling three models in Japan due to falsified crash data. What’s more, last week, 100,000 Toyota Tundra trucks were recalled due to engine failure caused by debris left in the engine block during production.

As autonomous vehicle technology continues to be tested and improved on “live audiences,” recalls will continue as long as any version of cars are around. In the meantime, be sure to check the NHTSA’s website to see if any cars in your household have any active dangerous recalls.