The last thing that anyone wants when buying a product is a defect. For most products, small defects usually won't make as big of a difference. A loose handle on a fridge might be annoying but probably won't result in any injuries. A loose steering wheel on a car, on the other hand, is dangerous and potentially catastrophic.

Recalls for cars are likely one of the most essential types of recalls to help ensure that people are driving safe vehicles. We hope that most of the time car manufacturers will spot and fix these defects before their cars get onto the road but that doesn't always happen. When a dangerous car is on the road, it's essential that it's recalled as soon as possible.

For drivers interested in seeing some of the most horrifying reasons that cars have been recalled, they need to look no further than this article.

10 1991-2001 Ford Explorer (Rollover Accidents)

Via: Car and Driver

In the early 2000s, SUVs were becoming more-and-more popular in the US. However, a lot of these older SUVs had significant issues with rollover accidents. Among the most infamous vehicles would be the Ford Explorer. To save money, Ford designed the 1991 Explorer on the undercarriage of a Ford Ranger. Although this business decision saved Ford money, it led to a higher center of gravity and a higher likelihood of a rollover accident in their vehicles.

motorauthority.com

In addition, the Firestone tires used by the Explorer experienced tread separation or the process in which the tread would peel completely off, at high speeds. This combination led to a number of catastrophic rollover accidents resulting in 271 deaths, over 800 injuries, and the recall and replacement of 23 million tires. Since 2002, Ford has lowered their SUVs, made them wider, and introduced electronic-stability-control to help prevent rollover accidents.

9 2007 Chevy Cobalt (Safety Features Disabled)

Red Chevy Cobalt SS parked in an airport
via TopSpeed

Few features would be worse to lose prior to an accident than the safety features, but this was a flaw of the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. Chevy ended up having to recall 98,000 Cobalts because of this defect. Later 1.3 million would be recalled when additional defects were found.

The initial round of Cobalts was recalled for failing to meet the federal safety standards for automobiles. The 1.3 million were recalled due to the faulty ignition switch which would deactivate the safety systems when the car reached a particular speed.

8 Ford Pinto (Caught Fire During Accidents)

mecum.com

The Ford Pinto is infamous for its tendency to catch fire during rear-collision accidents. When designing the Pinto, Ford quickly rushed the car into production, aiming to make a car that was no more than 2,000 pounds and place styling above safety. Smaller cars in Europe and Japan usually placed the gas tank over the rear axle, to help mitigate the likelihood of it being struck in a rear-end collision.

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However, due to the styling of the Pinto, Ford placed the gas tank behind the axle, leaving only 9 or 10 inches of "crush space". After several tests with the Pinto, Ford determined that adding additional safety measures for the fuel tank would cost an additional $15.30 dollars. The courts didn't find this a compelling argument and forced Ford to pay $127.8 million in damages.

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy A Used Ford

7 1979 Chevrolet Malibu (Caught Fire During Accidents)

Via Classic Cars

The 1979 Chevrolet Malibu is infamous for leading to the "largest award ever in a personal injury lawsuit" for its tendency to explode during rear-end collisions. GM paid $4.9 billion dollars to six people who were burned in car accidents involving the Malibu. GM determined that they could save $8.59 per vehicle if they placed the gas tank 11 inches from the rear bumper.

Via Wikimedia Commons

In terms of likely fuel-tank fire lawsuits, GM determined they would only cost about $2.40 per vehicle. Not surprisingly, jurors did not find GM's decision to endanger drivers and passengers for a few extra dollars a compelling argument, especially considering that the earlier model had a bumper 20 inches from the gas tank.

6 Audi 5000 (Acceleration Unexpectedly

The 1978-1983 Audi 5000 cars were recalled due to numerous reports of sudden acceleration. In 1983, a total of 26 accidents and 48 injuries were attributed to inadvertent acceleration. The sudden acceleration would occur when the driver would shift the car out of "Park".

Audi 5000
via: Fickr

Different models of the car were recalled as the problem of sudden acceleration and a number of potential causes were attributed to the sudden acceleration from driver error to the location of the floor mats to mechanical issues.

RELATED: 10 Times Great Carmakers Made Horrible Cars

5 1960 Chevrolet Corvair (Instability)

via: virgilio.it

If there is any car that is associated with recalls, it is the 1960-1964 Chevrolet Corvair. General Motors was resistant to make any changes to the Corvair when Ralph Nader first documented them in Unsafe At Any Speed. According to Nader, GM even went as far to try to find dirt on him in order to try to shut him up about flaws with the Corvair.

bright red Monza in street
via Pinterest

The rear engine and swing axle design of the Corvair led to a situation where the rear wheel grip would lose control and lead to unstable conditions. This situation would likely lead to the driver losing control and crashing the car. The attention that Nader drew to the Corvair led to the creation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

RELATED: These Are The Worst Cars From The 1960s... But People Still Want Them

4 Fiat-Chrysler (Infotainment Hacking)

Fiat Chrysler's UConnect Update Causes Massive Issues
via Fiat Chrysler

Infotainment systems are a great feature of modern cars. They can make tedious rides enjoyable and phone calls safer. However, with new technology comes potential issues, which is what Fiat-Chrysler experienced. A class-action lawsuit was leveled against the company after it was found that its Jeeps and other trucks were susceptible to hacking.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
via Atlanta Autos

Wired Magazine showed that it was possible for hackers to activate air-conditioning, the radio, windshield wipers, and cut the transmission while the car was speeding down a highway.

3 1995 Honda Motor Company (Jammed Seat belts)

ipgparts.com

In 1995 Honda experienced an issue with their seat-belts. The main issue with the Honda seat belts was that the release buttons would become cracked. After this happened, the driver would either be stuck, until they could cut the seat belt off or not use a seat belt at all.

Honda Civic eg
via YouTube

For drivers about to get into an accident, neither situation is ideal. Not surprisingly, this wasn't a feature that was allowed and Honda ended up fixing this design flaw.

2 1996 Ford Ranger (Caught Fire In "Park")

Via: Bing

The 1996 Ford Ranger had a tendency to catch on fire but not during an accident. Instead, the Ranger would catch on fire due to an issue with the ignition system. When drivers would put the car in "Park", on rare occasions, the car would burst into flames. This situation led to several homes being burned down and 8 million cars being recalled.

1997 Ford Ranger
Via carthrottle.com

There were several other Ford vehicles that were defective due to this issue in 1996 but the Ranger was probably the most prominent.

1 1970-1980 Ford Vehicles ("Park-To-Reverse")

A yellow 1970 Ford Torino Cobra on the road
Via hemmings.com

When drivers set their car in park, the last thing they want is for it to start moving. Between the 1970s and 1980s, several Ford vehicles had a defect that allowed this to happen. Specifically, when placed in "Park" the transmission would slip accidentally into reverse. The NHTSA received 23,000 complaints about this issue.

Initially, Ford refused to recall the faulty transmissions and instead sent warning labels to 23 million owners of Fords, notifying them about this issue. In total, 6,000 accidents, 1,1710 injuries, and 98 fatalities were attributed to this defect.

NEXT: 10 Serious Ford Problems You May Not Know About