Kevin Hart was riding in a death trap in the form of a tricked out 1970 Plymouth Barracuda ... so say car experts, who believe his ride lacked key safety features that would've spared him horrendous injuries as a result of his car crash.
Several owners of car customizing shops specializing in performance vehicles tell TMZ ... it's "highly unusual" for cars with 720 horsepower to be outfitted without a five-point harness and a roll cage.
Joe Rogan commissioned Rad Rides by Troy to build his Hemi-powered 1970 Barracuda -- the same type of car Kevin had -- and folks in the shop tell us Joe's whip did indeed have a five-point harness and roll cage, and the shop's staff was shocked Kevin's was not similarly outfitted.
We reached out to SpeedKore, the company that customized Kevin's Barracuda, to ask about the car's safety features or lack thereof ... but they had no comment.
TMZ broke the story ... Kevin suffered 3 spinal fractures when his car crashed through a fence on Mulholland Highway in the Malibu Hills. He had serious back surgery where doctors fused 3 sections of his spine. He's now starring down months of rehab.
Kevin's wreck shook Dr. Phil ... he showed us his classic, souped-up 1957 Chevy, which is equipped with lap belts but no safety harnesses, and he's now thinking about installing the harnesses and also plans to inquire about airbags.