5 Cars That Were Banned For Being Too Dangerous

Chevrolet Corvair — The Car Ralph Nader Killed

The Chevrolet Corvair had a swing-axle rear suspension that could cause sudden oversteer and rollovers at speed. Ralph Nader’s 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed didn’t just criticize the Corvair—it detonated its reputation. Congress held hearings, the federal government launched investigations, and the entire automotive industry was forced to rewrite its safety laws. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration later concluded the 1960–1963 Corvair wasn’t more dangerous than other cars of the era, but by then it was too late. The damage was done, and the Corvair was driven off the market.