In 1982 Mark Thatcher, son of the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and his co-driver went missing for three days whilst taking part in the rally. They had become separated from a convoy of vehicles whilst stopping to make repairs. They were eventually spotted by an Algerian army search plane.

In 1986, the organiser of the rally, Thierry Sabine, died in a helicopter crash. It was one of the worst years in the history of the rally.

In 1988, the DAF truck, which went faster then the fastest cars of the day, crashed, killing one of the drivers. DAF retired.