Through the production run of the model, it became a focus of a major scandal when it was discovered that the car's design allowed its fuel tank to be easily damaged in the event of a rear end collision which often resulted in deadly fires and explosions. Furthermore, it was discovered that Ford was aware of this design flaw, but they refused to pay the minimal expense of a redesign. Instead, it was decided it would be cheaper to pay off possible lawsuits for resulting deaths. This discovery of Ford's apparent disregard for human lives in favour of profits led to major lawsuits and inconclusive criminal charges.
In 2002, the Ford Crown Victoria was found to have a similar fuel tank explosion problem.
The OHC Pinto is also a name for an engine used in many automobiles. In the UK it was introduced in 1970 in the Mk/3 Ford Cortina. It has been used in Ford Escort, Ford Cortina, Ford Sierra, Ford Granada and the Ford Transit van. It was available in 1.3, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litre capacity. Due to emission requirements it was phased out towards the end on the 1980s to be replaced with the CVH and DOHC.Engine