I love my FORD AEROSTAR
We had to replace the transmission when we got the van.
Other than basic routine maintence. I like the van a lot. It is very fast and very reliable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th August, 2005
A nice van that does have some problems
My air conditioner and heater have never worked since I've owned this van.
The gas gage doesn't work.
The van leaks transmission fluid and brake fluid.
There is a oil leak.
At 88,000 miles we replaced the exhaust.
Previous owner replaced transmission at 50,000 miles.
Just found out we have a busted fuel line.
I like the look of the van.
The seats are comfortable.
It picks up speed quickly.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 29th March, 2004
A very good decision if you have the patience/money to spend on a few repairs
Not a whole lot has gone wrong. Most of the money spent was because the mechanics at the dealership wouldn't fix it correctly.
The ignition switch went bad a while after I got the van. It would stall and stop in cold weather. This was fixed after we yelled at the mechanics.
The passenger side window motor has quit. The driver side window is going out. It's not important enough to fix.
The fuel guage doesn't work. It didn't work when we got it. (It was used when we bought it)
The Air Conditioner hose has a leak somewhere in it. Mechanics have yet to fix it.
I love my van. It holds seven people altogether and is very strong. With no changes to the engine save the ignition switch and the air conditioning, it easily outdoes many trucks. It has a lot of pickup and room. We can haul a large sheet of plywood without any difficulties. It doesn't have a trailer hitch or a luggage rack because we've never needed one. Between our Jeep Grand Cherokee, out Toyota Camry, and the Aerostar, the Aerostar has the best seats.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th August, 2003
A comfortable family mode of transportation
Driver's side window will not operate.
Passenger side window will only operate with the driver's side switch.
Speed control does not work.
Horn does not work.
Both side window leak.
Floor shifter sticks occasionally.
Power steering pump howls.
A/C needs recharged.
With all these little quirks, the Aerostar Van is by far the best Mini Van ever made. The Van is very quick and drives quite well. Very roomy inside. I only wish that the back seats would fold down backwards like my 1991 Aerostar did (they fold forward). Ford did a good job on the paint of there vehical's in the 80's unlike GM and Mopar. Ford blew it when they stopped making the Aerostar, it is by far a better van then the Windstar. You can't beat that full frame rear wheel drive feeling.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th May, 2003
Runs better than any other van from the 80's
Driver side seat belt latch failed. Needs to be replaced.
Passenger side power-window motor went out; tried to replace, never thought about electrical contacts until later when the new motor that was purchased was lost. Board continues to hold up passenger window.
Replaced master cylinder about 20,000 miles ago, already going out again. Break fluid is starting to leak.
Replaced Radiator, Heater Core, Water Pump over 20,000 miles starting at 110,000mi.
Rebuilt Alternator.
Air conditioning went out around 120,000mi. Haven't gotten around to converting from R12 and recharging due to expense of cooling system repairs.
Replaced ignition twice -- first replacement worked for two days. ~120,000mi.
Currently the gas sensor is not working. Plan on replacing sending unit to fix this problem.
Exhaust manifold leaks. Exhaust manifold gaskets are cheesy and need to be replaced.
My vehicle performs like a champ ever since I replaced the spark-plugs (which was an incredible hassle due to cramped engine space), distributor cap, rotor, and plug wires.
In addition, I bonded an aluminum Civic aftermarket intake pipe and air-filter (by SPECTRE) which gave a great beneficial impact on performance.
Given all the van's faults are mostly the driver's (failing to keep up with maintenance), the car still runs extremely well for a 14 year old car with 180,000 miles.
As soon as minor repairs (seat belt, power window, master cylinder, brake rotors/pads) are fixed/replaced, an engine rebuild/replacement is in the future as the transmission is in excellent condition.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd April, 2003
14th Aug 2004, 09:01
I agree with the gas gage problem. The tiny orange arm inside the plastic casing will not move within the lines after filling up or driving. I was surprised to hear that someone else experienced the same issue. My 89 Aerostar has had its fuel gauge inoperable for at least 60,000 miles. Now at 160, 00 miles leaking oil fluids. The engine had problems in manufacturing and was replaced by a dealership in my town at 55,000 miles. Instead I use the mile tracker and fill up often. I have a 5-speed transmission and it's shifting pattern was changed after experiencing some concerns. It will slip in and out of gears while the clutch pedal is at resting position. The spark plugs are very difficult to change, yet possible. The passenger side plugs can be reached by taking off the tire reaching up into the wheel well. I changed the others from beneath the van and also gauging their distance through the panel doorway in the center below the radio.