Did you know that fall is the deadliest time of year to drive? That makes it a great time of year to avoid the deadliest cars in history. Some of the most dangerous vehicles ever built may surprise you as they’re fairly recent options. 

Seven deadliest cars in history 

1. The Ford Bronco II 

Sorry, Ford Bronco fans. While the Jeep Wrangler has a reputation for being easy to flip and extremely dangerous, the Ford Bronco II is the deadlier SUV. This model was in production from 1983 to 1990. 

The risks are associated with its design. It has a high center of gravity with a narrow track, leading to a high risk of rollovers. 

Ford engineers expressed concerns over the high rollover risk compared to rivals during the testing phase. Some tests were abandoned due to being seen as simply too dangerous. 

This SUV has a fatality rate of 3.87 deaths per 10,000 vehicles between 1986 and 1990. Ford never released a recall to remedy the issue and faced multiple lawsuits. 

2. The Ford Explorer 

Did you know that the Ford Explorer debuted in 1990 to replace the Ford Bronco II? It was in production from 1990 – 2002, but wasn’t much safer. Its risks are associated with being built on the frame of the Ranger truck, which weighed about 600 lbs. 

This SUV also has a high rollover risk due to a narrow track and high center of gravity. Engineers recommended widening the track prior to its release, but that idea was rejected. 

Plus, the Explorer has defective Firestone tires that experienced tread separation and blowouts. Tire failures at high speeds increased the rollover risk. This Explorer generation has been linked to over 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the United States. 

3. The Toyota Yaris 

The Toyota Yaris is a more recent SUV with a deadly reputation. It was discontinued in the United States in 2020. However, the generation that ran from 2005 to 2010 will live on in infamy. 

It’s linked to a ton of different dangerous problems. For example, it’s linked to unintended acceleration. Many accidents were caused by its tendency to suddenly speed up without warning. 

Also, the driver’s seat would unexpectedly move, distracting drivers, and wiring faults caused the airbags to incorrectly deploy. Sometimes, the seatbelt pads caught on fire during accidents as well. 

The Yaris is linked to about 89 deaths due to the acceleration issue alone. Toyota issued massive recalls to correct these flaws, but still faced multiple lawsuits. 

4. Suzuki Samurai 

Wouldn’t it be epic to own a Suzuki Samurai? Well, only if you’re aware of the risks. This unique SUV was in the United States from 1986 – 1995 and took a heavy toll on drivers and passengers. 

This Samurai generation was lightweight with a narrow track, meaning it was easy to rollover. Plus, it lacks modern safety features such as airbags and anti-lock brakes. It also had reports of the death wobble at higher speeds. 

Consumer Reports claimed that rollover tests were manipulated and the criteria were changed to provide fraudulent results. Suzuki won this case, but the Samurai is still linked to about 213 deaths and a staggering 8,200 injuries. 

5. The Chevrolet Cobalt 

Next on the list of the deadliest cars is an actual car and not a compact SUV. This Chevrolet Cobalt was in production from 2005 – 2008. It has a design flaw related to the ignition switch. 

It could accidentally move from the on position to accessory or off due to being weighed down by a heavy keychain or accidentally hit with your knee. If this happened while in traffic, it would disable the power steering, power brakes, and airbags. 

This would suddenly make the car much harder to control, more difficult to stop, and then the airbags wouldn’t deploy if you crashed. According to Vox, the faulty ignition switch is linked to 124 deaths. But it’s believed that the true number of deaths is much higher. 

6. The Audi 5000

The Audi 500 was a luxury car that was responsible for multiple deaths between 1978 and 1986. Its parent company, Volkswagen, faced a ton of heat for its numerous issues. 

It had reports of sudden unintended acceleration that led to accidents. However, the defect was attempted to be covered up with an investigation that suggested drivers accidentally hit the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal. 

But this was allegedly misrepresented due to doctored video footage. Also, a loss of braking was paired with the acceleration problem. Volkswagen also issued a recall for faulty floor mats that may have caused the problem. This car is linked to roughly 660 deaths and 1,380 accidents.

7. The Ford Pinto 

Last but not least on the list of deadliest cars is the classic Ford Pinto. It was famous upon its debut in 1971 for being cheap, compact, and efficient. Unfortunately, it was literally hot with a tendency to suddenly burst into flames. 

It had a design flaw that placed the gas tank too close to the rear axle bumper. In the event of a rear end collision, it would easily get punctured and catch on fire or explode. On top of that, high-impact collisions often caused the doors to jam, locking passengers inside. 

Allegedly, the Pinto was rushed to market with cost-cutting measures. Lawsuits claimed Ford knew about the defects but decided to  put profits ahead of safety. 

Some sources claim that there were over 900 burn-related deaths caused by the Pinto. Others claim that the official number is actually 27.