Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Aerostar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
BRAKE ROTORS ARE WEARING, AND WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIES THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WILL JERK AND BECOME HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS IS A RESULT OF WARPED FRONT BRAKE DISC. (FORD WON'T PAY) *SCC
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WILL JERK FORWARD. THIS IS CAUSED BY FRONT ROTORS WARPING EXTREMELY. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK THE BRAKE PADS ARE BARELY WORN. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY FORD THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. CONSUMER FEELS THE ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY. *JG
AS PROMISED, I'M BACK. MAJOR BRAKE FAILURES AT 32,518, 55,638, AND RECENTLY AT 58, 700. I CHECKED YOUR SITE THROUGH THE CARTALK WEBSITE AND FOUND 12 BRAKE PROBLEMS REPORTED OUT OF 79. I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER WHOSE FAMILY IS AT RISK. MOSY RECENTLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL BOTTOMED OUT TWO CONSECUTIVE TIMES AT SLOW SPEED. THE PASSENGERS IN THE CAR SAID THEY SMELLED HEATED BRAKES. I BELIEVE THE CALIPERS MAY BE DRAGGING, OVERHEATING THE BRAKES. I CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WE OWNED AN AEROSTAR PREVIOUSLY AND HAD NO SUCH BRAKE PROBLEMS, CERTAINLY NOT A PAD REPLACEMENT AT 32,000. THESE BRAKES ARE WEARING PREMATURELY. ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, WE WERE CHARGED FOR PAD REPLACEMENT AND ROTOR RESURFACING. MS BRENNER, THE PRINCIPAL DRIVER NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND WHICH CASED HER TO TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE. I BELIEVE THE DEALER WAS WRONG TO CHARGE US FOR THIS REPAIR, AS BRAKES DO NOT WEAR THIS QUICKLY. I BELIEVE THAT THE PAD OF CALIPER FAILED, UNRELATED TO THE WEAR. OUR HONEST, COMPETENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, B&M AUTOMOTIVE INMC LEAN, VA (703)356-1532 TELL US THAT THEY SEE MANY PROBLEMS WITH FORD BRAKES. WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE, FOLKS? DOES SOMKEONE HAVE TO LOSE HIS LIFE AT THE HANDS OF FORD BEFORE YOU RECALL THESE CARS?
MY BRAKES FAILED AFTER AN EXTENDED DOWNHILL DRIVE--ALTHOUGH NOT AN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE. IN TAKING APART THE DISK BRAKES, MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE CALIPERS HAD BECOME BRITTLE (OVER TIME FROM HEAT) AND THEY CRUMBLED IN HIS HANDS. THE PADS HAD WORN DOWN BUT STILL WERE WITHIN AN ACCEPTABLE THICKNESS (BUT AT THE LOW END). THE ROTOR WAS NORMAL. THE MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THESE BRAKES RESULTING FROM A ROTOR THAT IS TOO THIN (NORMALLY) AND AS A RESULT DOES NOT ABSORB HEAT WELL FROM THE PADS. HE HAS OBSERVED THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER AEROSTARS AND HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE BRAKES NEED TO BE CHECK EARLIER THAN NORMAL PAD WEAR WOULD INDICATE. HE SAID THAT WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE DID NOT END UP IN AN ACCIDENT.*AK
WHILE CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT VEHICLE HIT A STEEL POLE. WITHIN SECOND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED IN A FOWARD POSITION, WHILE DRIVER'S FOOT REMAINED ON BRAKE, VEHICLE HIT THE WALL OF WAREHOUSE. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS A VIBRATION PRESENT DUE TO WARPED ROTORS. DEALER HAS TURNED ROTORS TWICE, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
AFTER PARKING VEHICLE AND APPYLING THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE, A PIN WITHIN THE HANDLE ASSEMBLY BROKE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
ON APRIL 19, 1999, QUALITY OF NAPA LOCATED AT 1823 SOSCOL AVE, NAPA, 94559, PERFORMED OUR 30,000 MILE SERVICE WHICH IN OUR FORD MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE BOOK INCLUDES INSPECTION OF DISC BRAKE SYSTEM AND DRUM BRAKE SYSTEM. ON APRIL 19TH, OUR MILEAGE WAS 34,712.5 AND QUALITY SIGNED OFF ON THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR BOTH THE 30,000 & 35,000 MILE SERVICE. ON OR ABOUT MAY 17TH, 1999 OUR BRAKES FAILED AT 35,597 MILES, AND CAUSED US TO TAKE OUR VAN TO FORD FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. FORD CHARGED US OVER $500 TO REPLACE THE BRAKES. OUR COMPLAINT IS WITH QUALITY, THEY SIGNED OUR BOOK RECOGNIZING PART OF SERVICING ON 4/19 WAS BRAKE INSPECTION AND DIDN'T INFORM US OF OUR BRAKES BEING IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT AT THAT TIME. THUS RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE AND FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM CAUSING US TO PAY IN EXCESS OF $500 IN REPAIRS. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH REGARD TO THIS COMPLAINT. I WISH TO FURTHER PURSUE THIS COMPLAINT AS WELL. THANK-YOU, KATHLEEN. *AK
THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH A SMALL VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, IT INCREASED AS TIME WENT ON, WHEN EXAMINED WAS FOUND PADS CAME APART-SHIFTING ON RIVETS. THIS HAPPENED BOTH TIMES, IT HAS STARTED IT AGAIN, ONLY MINOR AT THIS TIME. WHEELS NOT PULLED YET.
CALIPER FAILURE HAS CONTINUALLY CAUSED DAMAGE TO OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS, PADS, ROTORS ETC.
BRAKE CALIPER FAILURE IS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PADS FREQUENTLY.
BRAKES FAILED TWICE WITHIN 30,000 MILES. FIRST TIME AT 12,000 ,CAUSING THE ROTORS TO CRACK ON THE FRONT BRAKES, RESULTING IN REDUCTION OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
UPON APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKES, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, RESULTING IN A MINOR COLLISION . CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
SLIDING DOOR LATCH FAILURE.
DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN FELT A PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT SPINDL/ BRAKE CALIPER ANDBRAKE LINE BROKE. LOST CONTROL OF STEERING & THE BRAKES. TOOK TO THE DEALER. LOOKING AT VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK
VEHICLE'S ROTORS KEEP WARPING, AND THE BRAKES FAILED WHEN TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
VACUUM HOSE LEAK.
IN AN ACCIDENT AT 40-45MPH, 12:00 POSITION, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ABS BRAKING SYSTEM HAD REAR WHEEL LOCKUP WITH 100 FEET OF SKID MARKS. *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 .