10 Most Dangerous Vehicles To Drive
Over the course of the last few decades, vehicles have improved a great deal in the safety department. But then you have the people who still prefer to drive their twenty-year-old junker—which typically don’t rank the highest on the safety scale.
Let’s dive into some cars that have gained a bit of a reputation in the safety department—particularly for being not-so-safe.
Chevrolet Corvair (1960s)
The Chevy Corvair has a quirky rear-engine design that has actually created unstable handling, which has often resulted in unexpected rollovers.
Famous Critique: Ralph Nader’s book "Unsafe at Any Speed" highlighted its dangers.
Ford Pinto (1971-1980)
The Ford Pinto has been known to light up—literally—in rear-end bumps. The fuel tank would rupture and ignite causing an instant fire.
Ford ended up giving it a makeover with important safety changes.
Suzuki Samurai (1985-1995)
The Suzuki Samuria was a compact SUV that would often roll over when it made sharp turns.
Suzuki wasn’t too happy about all the bad reviews. They disputed the claims, but didn’t make any changes. Its reputation was forever affected.
Yugo GV (1985-1992)
The Yugo GV was a fragile vehicle. It certainly didn’t win any safety rewards. Its poor build quality created a ton of mechanical problems.
It even had memorable crash test performances—and not in a good way.
Ford Explorer (19902-early 2000s)
Spanish Coches, Wikimedia Commons
The early models of the Ford Explorer, especially the ones with Firestone tires, had difficulty handling and a high risk of rollover accidents.
Ford did a complete redesign and beefed up the safety features.
Hyundai Pony (1980s)
The Hyundai Pony simply did not have many of the basic safety features that were standard in other vehicles of its time.
This vehicle was never sold in the U.S. because of all of this.
Daewoo Matiz (1998-2007)
The Daewoo Matiz didn’t do very well on its crash tests. It had a poor score all around, but especially in front-end collisions.
Newer models showed huge improvements.
Pontiac Fiero (1984-1988)
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, Wikimedia Commons
The Pontiac Fiero had a high risk of engine fires, especially in the 1984 models.
Pontiac recalled the models affected and fixed the issues, but the car’s reputation suffered.
Smart Fortwo (2008-Present)
DieselFordMondeo,, Wikimedia Commons
The Smart Fortwo is a small compact vehicle. It may be cute, but size matters when its you vs. a big rig. The small size of the Smart car makes it particularly unsafe in collisions with larger vehicles.
The latest models, however, come with new safety perks.
Chery A15 (2003-2010)
KongFu Wang, Wikimedia Commons
The Chery A15 performed poorly on crash tests, in almost every aspect. It quickly got bad reviews, and was criticized globally for its lack of safety.
Alright, folks, we’re not trying to trash talk anyone’s vehicles. Just remember that safety should always be a priority. Safe travels, and may your next ride be both stylish and secure!
