Energy Country Ford Lincoln

Why Did Ford Pintos Really Blow Up?

Some people here in Port Arthur, TX believe it while others claim that it is an urban tale, so here at Energy Country Ford Lincoln, we did a little research to find out if stories in the 1970s about exploding Ford Pintos are actually true. Was the Pinto story all blown out of proportion and just a lot of hype, or did Ford Pintos actually blow up and if so, what caused it to happen?

Starting back in 1972, reports of explosions in low-speed collisions involving Pintos struck from behind began coming into the National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration. Accident investigations in many of these cases discovered that no one was seriously injured in any of the accidents, but a handful died subsequently when several of these cars exploded into fire. Some victims were trapped inside the cars when the body of the vehicle started buckling and its doors started jamming shut tight.

Based on historical documents, Ford first performed rear end collision testing on the Pinto way back December 1970, months after it was currently in production. At first, a total of 11 crashes were conducted, and in 8 instances, the gas tanks ruptured and burst into flames.

Obviously, Ford was alarmed by the results of the crash testing, so they started looking around quickly for some viable solutions. The preferred method designed by Ford involved an additional steel plate connected to the rear of the vehicle located directly behind the bumper, and isolating the tank from direct contact during any type of impact. When tested, it effectively warded off a blow at 30 mph, while helping to keep the tank completely intact. No company cost analysis was performed by Ford at the time, but experts felt that this part could have cost up to $11 per Pinto to install.

Ford's engineers discovered that the majority of all tank ruptures were caused by two major factors: 1.) The filler neck broke off and allowed fuel to pour out, where it could be easily be ignited, and 2.) The tank was often penetrated by contact with the differential mounting bolts and right shock absorber after a rear end collision.

Ultimately, a total of 27 people were killed in rear-end crashes involving Pintos. In one of these cases it went to trial, where a California jury awarded a child who had been seriously burned and disfigured with a total of $126 million. The driver of the vehicle had died from her injuries a few days after the accident, but it also led to more safety enhancements to future Ford models in the future.

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Sources: Wikipedia, Forbes and American Driver