Your vehicle report
1989 Ford Aerostar
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 260
- Received Jan 1995 to Oct 2006
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Vehicle catches fire from wiring72 complaints · 28% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline37 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract30 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #98V190000Vehicle description: mini vans originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alabama, arizona, arkansas, california (10 southern counties of los angeles, orange, san bernadino, san diego, riverside, ventura, santa barbara, san luis obispo, imperial, and kern), florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada (clark county), oklahoma, south carolina, and texas, and in the U.S. Territories covered by the federal statutes. The upper portion of the fuel tank can develop small cracks due to extended exposure to very high ambient temperatures. Fuel vapor or leakage could occur at these cracks.
- Recall #96V071000The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 24 crashes, 80 fires, 24 people injured, 4 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 43 |
| 1996 | 74 |
| 1997 | 29 |
| 1998 | 27 |
| 1999 | 38 |
| 2000 | 23 |
| 2001 | 10 |
| 2002 | 9 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 260 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 72 | 28% | – | NHTSA recall #96V071000 |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 37 | 14% | – | NHTSA recall #98V190000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 30 | 12% | – | NHTSA recall #91V164000 |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 9 | 3.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 8 | 3.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 7 | 2.7% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 6 | 2.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 1.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #98V190000August 11, 1998140,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Vehicle description: mini vans originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alabama, arizona, arkansas, california (10 southern counties of los angeles, orange, san bernadino, san diego, riverside, ventura, santa barbara, san luis obispo, imperial, and kern), florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada (clark county), oklahoma, south carolina, and texas, and in the U.S. Territories covered by the federal statutes. The upper portion of the fuel tank Can develop small cracks due to extended exposure to very high ambient temperatures. Fuel vapor or leakage could occur at these cracks.
If an ignition source is present, a fire could result.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel tank, regardless of mileage, through march 31, 2002. This coverage will only be for structural cracks at the top of the tank and will not include other damage caused by an accident or road debris.
NHTSA recall #96V071000April 25, 19967,900,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
NHTSA recall #91V189000November 4, 1991792,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
When the automatic transmission shift lever is placed in the park position, the park pawl does not always abut or engage the park gear.
Driver may believe the vehicle is safely engaged in parkwhen the gear is not truly engaged. This Can lead to the vehicle jumping out ofgear unintentionally, vehicle rollaway when parked on a sloped surface, andinadvertent motion when the vehicle is started. All of these conditions canresult in a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Repair the transmission with a new park pawl.
NHTSA recall #91V164000September 20, 19914,842 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: anchorage
Seat belt anchorage bar for rear sofa failed to sustain loads required by FMVSS 210.
Vehicles would not comply with FMVSS 210.
Remedy
Replace noncomplying sofa bar with bar that meets requirements.
NHTSA recall #90V144000August 6, 199014,300 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: recliner
The second row right hand seat assembly has a tilt forward function. A latch retains the seat in the normal ride postion, and this latch may release under severe frontal impact conditions, allowing the seat to pivot forward.
In the event of vehicle accident, the seat could pivotforward, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy
Replace seat pawl assembly with a revised design assembly.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1989 Ford Aerostar.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN