The Ford Pinto was a subcompact car produced by Ford Motor Company from 1971 to 1980. The car was notorious for its design flaw that made it prone to fuel tank ruptures and fires in rear-end collisions.
In 1972, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) conducted a series of crash tests on the Pinto. The tests showed that the Pinto's fuel tank could be easily ruptured in a rear-end collision, and that the fuel could then ignite and cause a fire.
CAS estimated that the Pinto's design defect would cause 180 deaths and 180 serious injuries over the car's lifetime. Ford knew about the defect, but decided not to recall the Pinto because it would have cost the company too much money.
In 1978, a jury found Ford liable for the death of a woman who was killed in a Pinto fire. The jury awarded the woman's family $125 million in damages.
The Pinto case is often cited as an example of corporate negligence. Ford's decision not to recall the Pinto despite knowing about the defect led to the deaths and injuries of innocent people.
In the long run, it was not cost effective for Ford to allow the Pinto to remain on the market. The company paid out millions of dollars in damages, and its reputation was damaged.
