Ford Explorer
As one of the first top-rated SUV models, the Explorer from the early ’90s was a typical example of the concept. Big, powerful, luxurious, and capable, it could easily carry its passengers over any terrain. At least, it looked like it could. Despite the popularity, the alarming reports of instability and tendencies to roll over plagued the market and the car public (via Wiki).
The Explorer wasn’t stable during sharp turns and high speeds, causing numerous crashes, deaths, and injuries. Slowly, the story unfolded and Ford admitted that it had concerns regarding stability and road holding. Still, tire manufacturer Firestone ensured Ford’s engineers that the problems would be solved by deflating the tires below the recommended limit. Ford did that but the situation worsened, becoming a major scandal with Ford and Firestone as the main culprits. The aftermath of this scandal was a massive recall of Ford Explorers. There was also a sharp decline in the stock prices of both companies. It resulted in significant penalties and lawsuits and a loss of reputation. Interestingly, you didn’t need to drive fast for the Explorer to try to kill you. It could attempt to do it at low speeds if you tried to turn.