Ford Explorer
As one of the first popular SUVs, the Explorer from the early ’90s was the typical example of the concept. Big, powerful, luxurious, and capable, it could carry its passengers with ease over any terrain. Or at least it looked like it could. Despite the popularity, the alarming reports of instability and the tendency to roll over plagued the market and car public. The Explorer wasn’t stable at sharp turns and high speeds, causing numerous crashes, deaths, and injuries (via Tire Failures).
Slowly, the story unfolded, and Ford admitted to their concerns regarding stability and road holding. But, Firestone, the tire manufacturer, ensured the Ford engineers that the problems could be solved by defeating the tires below the recommended limit. Ford did that, but the situation got even worse, evolving into a major scandal with Ford and Firestone as the main culprits.