1998 Ford Aerostar

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring › front underhood. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
100
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood1
010
Air Bags › Side/Window1
102

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump
Filed Apr 23, 2002FL

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 98-V-190-000; BUT RECALL DOESN'T APPLY TO THIS VEHICLE DUE TO VIN. *AK

Air Bags › Side/WindowCrash2 injured
Filed Oct 27, 2000NV

A RECENT ACCIDENT IN LAS VEGAS CAUSED A DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY WHICH EITHER STARTLED THE DRIVER OR RENDERED HIM DAAZED. HIS REACTION WAS TO PLANT HIS FEET FIRMLY, ONE OF WHICH WAS ON THE ACCELLERATOR. THE VAN (MAKE/MODEL UNK) ACCELERATED, GRAZING A VEHICLE IN THE OPPOSING LANE OF TRAFFIC, CAREENED OFF THAT VEHICLE, STRUCK A PICK UP TRUCK IN THE REAR, CAREENED OFF THAT PROCEEDED ACROSS THE INTERSECTION AND STRUCK AN IRON FENCE AND ALMOST MADE IT ONTO THE SIDEWALK AT THE LAS VEGAS CITY HALL. THE INCIDENT WHICH CAUSED THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY WAS A GLANCING BLOW TO THE VAN WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED ONLY VERY MINOR DAMAGE. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IF THE IGNITION OR FUEL SUPPLY WAS DISSABLED WHEN THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DEPLOYED, TWO VEHICLES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TOTALLED AND THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY INJURIES. ONE OF THE INJURED WAS A CITY FIRE INSPECTOR THAT I SUPERVISE AND IS A FRIEND.*AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodFire
Filed Aug 21, 1998LA

DRIVING TRUCK AND STOPPED AT RED LIGHT LOST POWER. HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND BEGAN SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING. DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, AND SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE ALTERNATOR HAD BURNED THE WIRING HARNESS. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator PedalCrash
Filed Jul 9, 1998CA

WHEN STRAIGHTENING THE VEHICLE UP IN A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE AND IT TOOK OFF, THE VEHICLE HIT A HOUSE. THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1993
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20006000Routine
19997001Fatalities reported
1998 — this page4010Routine
199763520Routine
1996104640Routine
19951577180Routine
19942575284Fatalities reported
19933744380High concern
19923175304Fatalities reported
19912234691Fatalities reported
19901957570High concern

Compare every Aerostar year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.