Ford Explorer
As one of the first popular SUV models, the Explorer from the early ’90s was a typical example of the concept. Big, powerful, luxurious, and capable, it could carry its passengers with ease 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 Car and Driver).
The Explorer wasn’t stable at 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, the 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 got even worse, evolving into a major scandal with Ford and Firestone as the main culprits.