Note even that article isn't saying the Pinto didn't have a defect; just that its American competitors were equally as compromised. The 70s were a real nadir for American auto manufacturing, as the Big 3 (Ford, Chrysler, GM) had been caught flat-footed by competition from Japanese imports. In much the same way as you still see today in any industry, they set aggressive goals to cargo-cult what they saw as their competitors' advantages (weight, fuel economy, price) without understanding the real consumer perception issues (quality, longevity, driving experience) that they faced.