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 1988 Ford Aerostar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 43 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 43, in the owner's own words
TRUCK EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. AS A RESULT THE TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHIN TWO HOURS AFTER BEING PARKED. THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD. ALL THE UNDER HOOD ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE MELTED. THE HEAT ALSO CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD.*AK
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO BE INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *SCC *NLM
2 FIRES AT ALTERNATOR LAST ONE TOTALLED VEHICLE FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE 6 HOURS AFTER BEING PARKED. STATE FIRE MARSHALL DETERMINED THAT IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED FIRE. HOME AND VEHICLE WERE TOTALY LOST. 3 CHILDREN HAD TO JUMP THROUGH WINDOW TO ESCAPE THE FIRE, ONE SLICED TENDONS ON WRIST. IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL 96V071000 ON 30 SEP 1997. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SHERRIE HANSEN, ATTORNEY.*AK
VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO FAILURE OF THE IGNITION MODULE. *MJS
NO SUMMARY
DISTRIBUTOR FAILED ON FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEED , AT NIGHT, GOING UPHILL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC 100 MILES FROM NEAREST REPAIR FACILITY. IT WAS NECESSARY TO ROLL VEHICLE BACKWARDS, DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC TO GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN HIT AND INJURED FROM THE TRAFFIC. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR THAT CAUSED FAILURE BUT RECENTLY I HEARD ABOUT THE LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD FOR KNOWING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND NOT RECALLING OR NOTIFYING OWNERS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FAILURE DUE TO PLACEMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS DUE TO ENGINE HEAT. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THIS FAILURE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES YET FORD DID NOT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO WARN IT'S CUSTOMERS. I HAVE FOUR FORD VEHICLES AT THIS TIME. THREE OF THEM ARE LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD. I MAY NOT BUY ANY MORE FORD VEHICLES IF THIS IS THEIR ATTITUDE THAT THEY WON'T RECALL OR AT THE MINIMUM AT LEAST WARN OWNERS OF THESE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE REPAIRS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. FORD WILL LOSE A LOT MORE MONEY BY NOT SELLING MYSELF , MY WIFE AND MY FOUR ADULT CHILDREN ANY MORE FORD VEHICLES , MUCH MORE THAN THE $449.85 REPAIRS, TOWING AND HOTEL COSTS I LOST WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. *AK
FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WHEN VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED. NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD & ASH TRAY. CHECKED UNDER HOOD & VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. PUT FLAMES OUT. VEHICLE TOWED HOME. FIRE HAD ORIGINATED AROUND THE ALTERNATOR. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. THE SECOND TIME WAS 3/21/99. *AK
WIRING HARNESS WIRES SHORTED BECAUSE WIRING INSULATION SHRUNK RESULTING IN IT BURNING OUT THE FUEL PUMP IN THE FUEL TANK.
I WOULD BE DRIVING THE VAN DOWN THE ROAD AT A SPEED OF 30-40MPH AND THE ENGINE WOULD GO DEAD WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER RAN THE COMPUTER CODES AND FOUND NOTHING, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. AFTER THREE FUEL PUMPS, ....ECT, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS NOT REPLACED WAS THE ONBOARD COMPUTER. I GOT A SECOND HAND COMPUTER FOR THE VAN AND WENT TO INSTALL IT. WHEN I UNPLUGGED THE OLD COMPUTER I FOUND THE PROBLEM, THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND AGE CAUSE D THE PLASTIC COATING ON THE WIRING HARNESS TO SHRINK. WHEN THE VAN HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD THE COMPUTER WOULD SHORT OUT, LEAVING NO CODES AND A DEAD ENGINE. I EMAILED FORD, THEY LEFT NO COMMETON THIS. THANK YOU. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF. VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING, AND THE IGNITION IS EXPERIENCING SOME INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT PROBLEMS. *AK
WHEN PUTTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH, KEY KEEPS GETTING STUCK WHEN TRYING TO CUT OFF VEHICLE AND TAKING KEY OUT, VEHICLE WON'T TURN OFF. COSNUMER HAS TO PLAY WITH THE IGINTION SWITCH IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER BEGAN TO SEE AND SMELL SMOKE. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE, PROCEEDED TO LIFT THE HOOD AND SAW HIGH FLAMES. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IT WOULD SHIFT OUT OF GEAR AT STOPS. THEN DELAY GOING INTO GEAR AND FINALLY LUNGE INTO GEAR VIOLENTLY. SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. *AK
WHILE DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH SMELLED SOMETHING SMOTHERING. STOPPED AND LIFTED HOOD AND FIRE HAD COME OUT, AND WIRES WERE MELTED TOGETHER. *AK
ELECTRICAL: DRIVING HOME APPROXIMATELY 20MPH WHEN NOTICED THE SMELL OF SMOKE. PULLLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. BY THE TIME GOT OUT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. *AK
OWNER STATES THAT AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND PARKING IT VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, OWNER NOTES THAT THE HOOD BLEW OFF VEHICLE WHEN IT EXPLODED. FIRE DEPARTMENT STATES THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE ALTERNATOR CABLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE AROUND THE ALTERNATOR. *AK
ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHERE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTS WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. *AK
DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED FIRE.
THE OVERHEAD LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULN'T GO OFF, HAD TO TAKE THE FUSE OUT TO CUT OFF THE LIGHT , THE RADIO STOPPED WORKING . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
ALTERNATOR FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE.
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE.
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.
ALTERNATOR CAUGHT FIRE. *SD
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 .