Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1987 Ford Aerostar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 34 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 34, in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. PULLED OVER AND LIFTED UP HOOD. NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL WIRING. BEFORE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS IN FLAMES. FRONT OF VEHICLE/ INSIDE AND OUTSIDE WAS TOTALED.*AK
VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE OFF WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED FIRE STARTED ON LEFT HAND SIDE OF ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
VAN CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
VEHICLE KEEPS STALLING INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. *AK
WE HAVE HAD THE CONTROL MODULE REPLACED A MINIMUM OF 5 TIME (RECEIPTS ON HAND), EACH TIME THE VAN STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR CRASHES AND MUCH FUSTRATION ONLY THE ALERTNESS THAT THE VAN STALLS PREVENTED ANY BODILY HARM. SEVERAL FORD DEALERSHIPS DENY ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CONTROL MODULE ON THIS VAN AND NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *AK
TAPE PLAYER FAILED. *MJS
WHEN VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ,AND THE HOOD WAS OPENED, CONSUMER NOTICED SPARKS AND LOTS OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RECALL 88VO91000. *AK
HAD SERVICE DONE ON VEHICLE & REPLACED THE OLD BATTERY. WAS DRIVING WHEN SMOKE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. PULLED OVER & PARKED. LIFTED HOOD & NOTICED FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED & PUT FLAMES OUT. HAD INDICATED IT WAS ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR THE ALTERNATOR. THE INSURANCE INSPECTOR CHECKED VEHICLE OUT & INDICATED WIRES TO ALTERNATOR BURNED & TOTALED OUT VEHICLE. *AK
ACCELERATOR MAKES SQUEAKING SOUND & WOULD STICK . ALSO, HAD TO HAVE SEAT BELTS REPLACED DUE TO A MALFUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE EMISSION LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON/THE COMPUTER CHIP SHORTED OUT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
PARKED VEHICLE AT HOME AND SMELLED SMOKE, CONSUMER STATED THAT IT WAS A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE RADIATOR HOSE BURST AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE WIRES WERE DAMAGED. HAD VEHCLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, BUT IT WAS TOO MUCH DAMAGE FOR THE MECHANIC TO REPAIR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED STEERING COLUMN TO CATCH FIRE SPREADING TO THE DASHBOARD. *AK *SLC
WHILE PARKED, THE ALTERNATOR WIRE PLUG CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN . PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, FIRE WOULD OCCUR IN ALTERNATOR AREA. HAD TAKEN TO DEALER; MECHANIC NOTICED WIRES HAD BEEN REPLACED DUE TO WARNING STICKER FOUND. BUT VEHICLE EXPERIENCING OTHER PROBLEMS. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN (THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE OFF POSITION). *AK
ELECTRICAL WIRING FIRE.
VHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. OWNER STATES IT MELTED SIDE OF THE HOUSE. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND THEN WENT UP IN FLAMES DUE TO THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. *AK
ELECTRICAL FIRE SUSPECTED TO HAVE STARTED WITH IGNITION SWITCH. *AK
PARKED VEHICLE FUNNY ODOR AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. *AK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE AND SMELLED AN ODOR, SHE THOUGHT HER BRAKES WERE HOT, CONSUMER THEN PULLED TO THE CURB, WHILE CONSUMER WAS CALLING FOR A TOW TRUCK THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER BUT THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP.*JB
ELECTRICAL FIRE, SOURCE UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED TO HAVE STARTED FROM IGNITION SWITCH. *AK
DROVE VEHICLE, SMELLED SMOKE, ARRIVED HOME, LIGHT ON SNOW SPARKLING ELECTRICITY, SOON AFTERWARDS FLAMES ENGULFED ENTIRE FRONT OF VEHICLE. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD
WHILE DRIVING VAN DOWN STREET IT ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED TO SMOKE, THEN CAME THE FIRE-THERE WAS NO WARNING. ALL THE WIRING BURNED. NO INJURIES. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .