Ford Aerostar Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 2,307 consumer complaints across the 14 model years of the Ford Aerostar (1986–2000) that have at least 5 complaints. 1993 has the most, with 374. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (610 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Aerostar years →
All Aerostar model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6 | 60,005 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1999 | 7 | 79,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 63 | 99,000 | 3 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1996 | 104 | 119,500 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1995 | 157 | 144,000 | 5 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 257 | 109,089 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 374 | 145,335 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 317 | 147,840 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 223 | 127,705 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 195 | 142,143 | 6 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 260 | 167,500 | 5 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 177 | 132,000 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 114 | — | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 53 | 300,000 | 7 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system610 29%
- Transmission and drivetrain385 19%
- Brakes279 13%
- Fuel system207 10%
- Engine cooling192 9.3%
- Air bags135 6.5%
- Vehicle speed control133 6.4%
- Seat belts129 6.2%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1993: “Brake lights constantly shorting out. I have to replace them 2 or more times per year. I use long-life bulbs, but they continually go out. I see many other Aerostar vehicles with similar situation. While this has not caused an accident yet, unless I constantly check the lights, I may be involved in an accident and/or ticket due to this defect.”
NHTSA complaint #10112157, filed 2005-02, 175,000 miles1989: “My Ford Aerostar caught fire last night for no apparent reason. My daughter had returned from school and parked it in the driveway. Approximately 2 hours later, a neighbor rang the door bell and frantically said your van is on fire . We called 911 and the fire department was there within 3 minutes to put it out.”
NHTSA complaint #10169816, filed 2006-10, 155,000 miles1996: “In a multiple car pile-up, with speeds between 35 and 50 MPH the driver's airbag in our van (vehicle number #3 of 4 involved) did not deploy. Our vehicle was damaged across the entire front and the entire back bumpers (grill, hatch...). My daughter was examined by a physician and missed some work. If the airbag had deployed she should have received some protection.”
NHTSA complaint #10091293, filed 2004-09, 140,000 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology