Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 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
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ANOTHER MOTORIST YELLED AT THE CONSUMER THAT THE VAN WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE COMING FORM THE MIDDLE TO THE REAR. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VAN. CONSUMER SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND FIRE WENT OUT. A TECHNICIAN EXAMINED THE VAN AND STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 99V094000 WAS ISSUED. *AK
12 YEAR OLD LISTENING TO RADIO MOVED SHIFTER FROM PASSENGER SIDE. VAN MOVED CAUSING EXTENSIVE LEG INJURY TO A PERSON WHO WAS SITTING BEHIND VEHICLE. *AK
IN DAMP OR WET CONDITIONS REAR BRAKES WILL LOCK UP. TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, INSISTED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. UP OR DOWN SHIFTS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS IS VERY ROUGH AND SLOPPY. ALSO, WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD THE TRANSMISSION REFUSES TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR FORWARD AT TIMES. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT 68,000 BY THE DEALER AND WITHIN A FEW MONTHS THE SAME PROBLEMS STARTED UP AGAIN. *YH
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE/TRANSFER CASE BLEW OUT AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
A/C WAS INOPERATIVE WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM DEALER. DEALER REPAIRED A/C AS CONDITION OF PURCHASE. A/C FAILED AGAIN ABOUT A MONTH AFTER REPAIR AND HAS BEEN INOPERATIVE SINCE. REAR DIFFERENTIAL STARTED MAKING A LOW WHINING NOISE THAT BECAME A LOUD WHINING NOISE AFTER A COUPLE DAYS. ENDED UP REPLACING WHOLE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY AND DIFFERENTIAL FROM SALVAGE YARD MYSELF BECAUSE IT WAS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT THE REPAIR PLACE WANTED. TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING DURING ACCELERATION. AFTER A COUPLE DAYS IT QUIT MOVING THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY, AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION WITH ONE FROM A SALVAGE YARD SINCE, ONCE AGAIN, IT WAS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO GO. THE HEATER CORE RECENTLY BEGAN TO LEAK INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND STEAM UP THE WINDOWS. THE HEATER CORE HAS BEEN CAPPED OFF AND NOT YET REPLACED. FINALLY, JUST TWO DAYS AGO THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD REVEALED THERE WAS NO WATER IN THE RADIATOR. UPON RESERVICING THE RADIATOR AND STARTING THE ENGINE WATER WAS NOTICED POURING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. I CAN ONLY PRESUME EITHER THE HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED OR THE CYLINDER WALL IS CRACKED PERMITTING THE COOLANT WATER TO ENTER THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNDRIVEABLE AND PARKED WHILE MY WIFE AND I TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO AFFORD TO FIX YET ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS PIECE OF TRASH FORD AEROSTAR.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 75MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN DRIVESHAFT BENT, CAUSING THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING AND THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE WASN'T ON RECALL.*AK
VIBRATION PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE. OTHER OWNERS REPORTED VIBRATION PROBLEMS AND DRIVELINES WERE NOTED AS DEFECTIVE. NONE OF THE CORRECTIONS BY FORD SERVICE CORRECTED THE PROBLEMS IN MY AEROSTAR. RECENT VISITS TO FORD RESULTED IN A SELF DIAGNOSED TRANSFER CASE OUTPUT SHAFT PLAY, CONFIRMED BY MECHANICS AS POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR INCREASINGLY NOTICABLE DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATIONS. CHECK BY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE REVEALED SAFETY RECALLS (97S83 & 99S13) FOR 1992-1997 FOR AWD AEROSTARS. THE DEALER, FORD AREA REP AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSE TO PERFORM RECOMMENDED SERVICE ACTION FOR MY AEROSTAR AT THEIR EXPENSE CLAIMING THAT THE RECALLS WERE BY VIN # AND MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. FORD HAS ISSUED OVER 170 RECALLS AND SERVICE BULLETINS ON MY VEHICLE BUT ONLY ONE WAS SENT TO ME AND I HAD THE WORK DONE. FORD SHOULD INCLUDE MY VEHICLE IN THE RECALL AND REPLACE ALL DRIVELINE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DUE TO THEIR FAILURE TO CORRECTLY PERFORM RECALLED REPAIRS. *AK
THE FRONT SEAL FROM THE TRANSMISSION HAD STARTED LEAKING DOWN ON THE EXHAUST CAUSING ENGINE TO CATCH FIRE. *YC
CONSUMER DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND WAS GOING FORWARD, AND COULD NOT ENGAGE TO PARK DUE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AK
THE SNAP RINGS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BROKE, CAUSING THE PARTS IN THE TRANSMISSION TO BREAK AND MAY CAUSE AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL REPLACED TRANSMISSION TWICE. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SEVERLY VIBRATE,AND WHEN PULLED OVER THERE WAS OIL ALL OVER. TOWED VEHICLE TO FORD DEALER. DEALER REPAIRED VEHICLE, AND STATED THE TRANSFER CASE WAS DESTROYED AND COULD NOT BE REPLACED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION VIBRATE AND BECOME DETACHED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
DEFECTIVE DRIVE SHAFT/TRANSFER CASE CAUSED EXCESSIVE VIBRATION TO THE DRIVE LINE. THIS HAS CAUSED DISRUPTION OF SEALS, CRACKING OF CASINGS, SEPARATION OF COMPONENTS, AND LEAKAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE FAILURES ARE FIRST NOTICED BY SMOKE ESCAPING FROMUNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND SUDDEN LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FUNCTION.
THE NEUTRAL SAFETY KIT MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE KEYS TO BE REMOVED AT ANY NEUTRAL/ DRIVE ETC. POSITION WHICH CAUSED A ROLLOVER AND ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, RECALLS ON OTHER MODELS HOWEVER CONSUMERS VEHICLE DOES NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR RECALL REPAIRS.
CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE, GOT OUT AND TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. ACCIDENTLY, LEFT THE GEAR IN REVERSE. CONSUMER THEN LEANED AGAINST THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF THE CARPORT AND STOPPED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT'S HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. *AK
BRAKES FAILED.
VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION FOR 15 TO 20 MIN WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE IGNITION SWITCH. CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL WAS CORRECTED. FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE FIRE AS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE.*AK CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF REMOVED THE KEY WHICH MEANT THE GEAR SHIFTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN PARK. THE CONSUMER SON MOVED THE GEAR SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND IT ROLLED INTO OTHER VEHICLE.
TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER CASE FAILURE. *AK
THE CONSUMER IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, EVEN AFTER RECALL REPAIRS WERE DONE. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN THE IGNITION IS IN THE LOCK POSITION THE SHIFTER CAN BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK, 5 YEAR OLD CHILD MOVED GEAR SHIFT AND VEHICLE ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. *SLC
WHEN TRUCK WAS IN PARK POSITION WITH NO KEY, THE TRANSMISSION LEVER CAN BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
TRANSFER CASE BROKE.
AUTO-TRANSMISSION; CAN SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR AND KEY CAN BE REMOVED NOT PREVENTING FROM ROLLING. *AK
INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS INTO HOUSE. *SD
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DRAINED (LEAKED) CAUSING TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON HWY. *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 .