For those of us old enough to remember, the infamous exploding Ford Pinto scandal of the 1970’s did much to make the American public scared of any gas tank explosion and a little more wary of automakers. The reason that it was so scandalous was not entirely the design flaw, but that Ford knew about it and chose not to go through the whole expense of fixing it. In all, 27 people died as a result of rear-end collision and explosion while driving the Pinto.
Most believe that those days are long gone, that gas tanks are less likely to puncture and are placed in safer areas within the car. That’s true of most vehicles, but surprisingly not all. In fact one is a very common vehicle that you probably see driving every day: the Ford Crown Victoria, including the popular law enforcement model, the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI).
The Crown Victoria has not undergone any major structural redesigns since 1979. And like many vehicles of its time including the Pinto, the gas tank is mounted behind the rear axle within the “crumple zone.” To make matters worse, there is a small but sharp hex bolt on the rear axle, which can puncture the gas tank in high-speed collisions. This can cause a leak, fire, and/or explosion after impact.
Ford claims that the vehicle is safe, and quotes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigations that found “excellent crash performance” of the CVPI in California. In 2002, Ford bowed to pressure and installed gas tank shields into all new CVPIs, and offered free retrofit kits for vehicles already on the road. These kits were also available to owners of the civilian Crown Victoria but not for free, even though the design flaws are exactly the same.
Ford reported that its tests of the new shield held up with no punctures at speeds of up to 75 mph. However the city of Dallas was skeptical of these results and did their own testing. The shield failed in one way or another all three tests.
It seems like the Pinto all over again: design flaws, gas tank explosions, and misinformation from the manufacturer.
Regardless of any and all testing procedures, automakers are responsible to the consumer to make their vehicles as safe as possible, and to fix known problems in the name of safety. If you have been injured in a rear-end collision or any accident that resulted in gas tank fire or explosion, contact the auto experts at the Law Offices of David I. Fuchs. We have almost two decades of experience in auto accident litigation. We will help you get the compensation you deserve to cover medical bills, lost time from work, and needless pain and suffering.