A common problem in nonlinear static Abaqus analyses is the presence of instabilities leading to non-convergence. Instabilities are often subtle and easily missed, leaving the analyst largely unaware of why the simulation failed and what to correct to get to a converged solution. So, it is perhaps not surprising that Abaqus users often default to running simulations using automatic stabilization associated with the step definition (also known as static stabilization) to troubleshoot problematic models. However, automatic stabilization is not intended to be used as a one-size-fits-all tool to solve instabilities. In fact, when used inappropriately, it can produce unrealistic results that could lead to costly product failures.