1994 Ford Aerostar Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a wide spread of problems on a high-mileage vehicle: electrical and ignition faults (several tied to open recalls on the ignition switch and underhood fuel-pump wiring), repeated transfer case and transmission failures on all-wheel-drive vans, and airbag warnings that owners link to a broken clock spring in the steering column. Most complaints come in well past 90,000 miles, so many are age- and wear-related, but the electrical and transfer case items also appear in vehicles with far fewer miles.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Ignition switch and underhood wiring electrical faults

   • 51 complaints (20%)
   • median 105,000 mi at 13.1 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2013

   Owners describe smoke from the steering column, dash lights cutting in and out, the engine continuing to run after the key is removed, and underhood or dash-area fires, some after the van had been parked. Several complaints involve recall 99V029000 (ignition switch) or 99V028000 (fuel pump wiring harness), with owners saying parts were unavailable or that new symptoms appeared after the recall work was done. Reported across a wide mileage range, from vans with no mileage listed to ones near 100,000 miles, often after the van sat or was first started.

   Recall 99V028000Recall 99V029000

   What to check: Ask whether both recall repairs (ignition switch 99V029000 and fuel pump wiring 99V028000) were completed and keep the paperwork. Check for a burnt smell or melted wiring under the dash and around the steering column, and confirm the key actually shuts the engine off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Van had been driven for approximately two hours or so, around the local city communities. Van had been parked for approximately five minutes, when neighbors notified me of fire. Intense fire was coming from driver's side/windshield/ignition/front seat area, eventually consuming entire interior of van. Norfolk fire department responded within five minutes, or so, station only about 150 yards from my residence. Fire was extinguished within five minutes or so, but the van was completely consumed by fire and totally destroyed by then. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10534938, filed 2013-08, 93,000 miles

   “Three days after I have the vans wireing done because of a recall, my horn stopped working and the air bag light started flashing and my brake lights started staying on. I called jim wilson Ford who did the repairs I was told by the head man at the dealership that it was not there falt and I would have to pay to have it fixed. Everything worked fine until they did the recall work.”

   NHTSA complaint #10061851, filed 2004-03
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and no deploy in a crash

   • 42 complaints (16%)
   • median 120,000 mi at 10.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2017

   Owners report a flashing or steadily lit airbag light, often alongside a non-working horn and cruise control, with dealers describing a broken clock spring or wiring in the steering column. Other complaints describe frontal impacts where the airbags did not deploy. Reported from roughly 70,000 to 147,000 miles, in some cases shortly after other electrical or recall work.

   What to check: Turn the key and watch the airbag lamp through its self-test; a steady or flashing light means the system is flagged. Check whether the horn and cruise control work, since owners often report all three failing together, and ask if the clock spring was replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer's vehicle was involved in a head on collision while going through an inner section between 25-30 MPH. Upon impact, driver's side air bag failed to deploy. Driver sustained chest injuries from the seat belt. Manufacturer wanted to send a factory representative to investigate the cause of the failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10087578, filed 2004-08, 137,000 miles

   “Date is approximate. 1994 Ford Aerostar rear ended at stop light hard enough to break 7x19 cable holding spare tire, and send vehicle into car in front of it with enough force to break radiator and AC radiator. Air bag did not deploy. Approximatly 3 months after back from repairs, the airbag light started blinking occasionly. This continued getting worse until it blinked constantly, also the horn was intermittentaly operational. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10008076, filed 2003-02, 72,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transfer case failure and fluid leaks (AWD)

   • 29 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 4.0 yrs old
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2003

   On all-wheel-drive vans, owners describe transfer case fluid leaks, cracking cases, driveline noise, loss of drive, and in some accounts fire after fluid contacted hot exhaust. Complaints reference recall 97V204000; some owners say the case was replaced more than once, that only part of the unit was replaced, or that leaks returned later. Mostly described on vans in the 55,000-120,000 mile range, often during long drives, hot weather, or towing and mountain grades.

   Recall 97V204000

   What to check: Confirm whether recall 97V204000 was performed and what was actually replaced. Check for fluid weeping at the transfer case and transmission seals, look for cracks in the case, and test drive at highway speed listening for whine or vibration.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This Aerostar van has been an extremely good vehicle until we recently started having problems with the front transfer case. We received a recall in 1998 for the transfer case, although all that was replaced was the rear case. About 1 year later we started having leakage from the front transfer case. We returned the truck to the dealer and they stated that this was not part of the recall, but we would have to have this crack repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #717622, filed 2000-01

   “My clients, the frederick family (father, mother and 3-yr-old daughter) sustained third degree burns when their 1994 Ford Aerostar van spontaneously caught fire while travelling on I-40 near needles, california. Fire was the result of the transfer case output shaft bushing displacement, thereby failing the drive shaft which struck the pavement, then richocheted into the fuel tank and pierced the tank, allowing raw fuel to escape and ignite, probably from the catalytic converter or sparks from the drive shaft striking the pavement. …”

   NHTSA complaint #744382, filed 2001-04
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Overheating, coolant loss and head gasket or engine damage

   • 13 complaints (5%)
   • typically at 5.7 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2001

   Complaints describe overheating while driving, coolant loss, ticking noises before shutdown, and mechanics reporting head gasket failure, a cracked block, or antifreeze entering the engine. Some owners paid for a rebuilt engine; others found the repair outside warranty coverage. Mileage is often not stated in these complaints; the reports span vans of varying age and appear at normal driving speeds rather than under a specific condition.

   What to check: Check the coolant level and condition and look for milky oil or residue under the radiator cap. Ask about any history of overheating or engine replacement, and watch the temperature gauge on a long test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our automatic head lights have worked off and on .off more than on.we never had any problems and loved our minivan untill yesterday it started making a funny noise ,and we found out that the crankshaft was broken.when a you own a newer model vehicle you expect ,and it brakes down for the first time you expect an alternater/starter and ,battery,etc,but not a broken crankshaft.”

   NHTSA complaint #706777, filed 1999-05

   “Exhuast fumes are leaking into the passenger compartment and cause the passengers to become sick. Tt the odometer malfunctions. Oil lights and engine light continue to come on because the vehicle burns 1-2 quarts of oil every week. Brakes stick and there was bricks rubbing kind of sound when the steering wheel turns. The horn failed. The weather stripping around the slide door keep coming off.”

   NHTSA complaint #973463, filed 1995-10
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell inside the cabin from the fuel system

   • 28 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 5.1 yrs old
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2009

   Owners describe a gasoline smell inside the van that worsened over time, with dizziness, nausea, and headaches reported in some cases. One owner had the fuel pump gasket replaced; others suspected injector or injector gasket leaks. Mileage is not stated in most of these complaints; the smell is typically described as building up gradually rather than appearing suddenly.

   Recall 99V028000

   What to check: Smell for fuel around the filler neck and under the hood after a drive, and check the fuel pump/sender area for staining. Ask whether the fuel pump wiring recall 99V028000 was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle was sold without safety inspection being performed. Unburnt fuel fumes are going into passenger compartment causing dizziness, nasea, and disorientation & headaches. Mechanic tells me car is moving bomb as electrical components could cause a fire or explosion within passenger compartment. Possible fuel injector failure or fuel injector gasket failure. I am scared to death to operate vehicle!”

   NHTSA complaint #764871, filed 2002-07

   “Elctrical system wiring harness made all the dash lights shut off, then back on. But, most of the time they stayed off. Dealer said only one injector was bad. But, when consumer took vehicle to dealer, they replaced all of them.”

   NHTSA complaint #850896, filed 1999-10

Buying note. This is a high-mileage older van, so expect wear items; the strongest things to verify before buying are completion of the ignition switch, fuel pump wiring, and transfer case recalls, plus whether the airbag warning light and cooling system are currently healthy. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the electrical system, transfer case seals, and cooling system is worth the cost on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.