Faults:

Radiator leaked.

Power steering leaked.

Oil pan gasket leaked.

Lower ball joint wore out.

Muffler rusted. The catalytic converter is rusting out as well.

High oil consumption as the miles accumulated.

Transmission slips slightly at times. It was low on fluid because of a leak at the output end.

Shock absorbers. They are inexpensive to replace.

There was a safety recall related to electrical fires.

Fixed power steering leak with an additive.

Rear wiper linkage needs WD 40 on occasion.

Headlights are getting yellow and cloudy. I polished them with rubbing compound and got them clear again.

Ignition coil pack, cables and plugs were replaced to fix a rough idling and rough running engine.

General Comments:

I like the engine torque, the roomy interior and the relatively good fuel economy. It can hold a bicycle without having to remove a wheel.

The boys, 10 and 12 years old, started complaining about uncomfortable middle bench.

If standard maintenance is applied the vehicle is very reliable.

I wish it had better climate controls for the rear heat and air conditioning unit. The heat is to hot at the lowest setting and the air conditioning is to cold in the lowest setting. The blower for the rear unit is too loud.

There is a lot of wind noise particular in cross wind conditions.

The spark plugs are expensive to replace, but the original stainless steel muffler lasted very long.

I traded the vehicle in at 165000 miles for a 2003 Ford Windstar with quad captain seating. This vehicle offers much more creature comfort, riding comfort and performance. However, it may be more expensive, I am afraid.

Faults:

Headlights flickered due to electrical short around 240,000km.

Starter gone at 275,000.

Transmission literally ripped apart at 280,000, thus ending the vehicle's life.

One support holding up the rear door broke - replaced with a stick.

Also needed suspension work, and was rusting badly.

General Comments:

The Aerostar was a very good vehicle. It had plenty of power, lots of room, even with the rear seats in. With the seats out, you could fit almost anything in there.

Built on a truck frame, it was fairly durable, but met its demise towing a trailer full of furniture, along with six people (4 of them university students) with all their gear, up a long hill. For its age, it performed pretty good. Unfortunately, the resale value of the van was less than the repair costs... goodbye Aerostar.

Faults:

Body is rusting out, particularly along the rear half of the running boards.

Weather stripping along top of the sliding passenger door keeps falling out.

Running lights flash on and off unpredictably. We suspect a short somewhere.

General Comments:

This has been a very reliable van. It's a good example of the phrase 'built Ford tough.' It's based on a truck chassis and frame, which adds toughness and reliability.

However, it does drink gas. I'm lucky to get about 23 mpg on the highway.

The ride, though, is nice and fairly smooth, and there is sufficient power and towing ability for any use.

Overall, an excellent van showing no signs of quitting anytime soon.