Your vehicle report
1991 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
- 223
- Received Jan 1995 to Jun 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Vehicle catches fire from wiring56 complaints · 25% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Ignition key sticks or will not turn14 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails11 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #96V071000The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
- Recall #91V189000When the automatic transmission shift lever is placed in the park position, the park pawl does not always abut or engage the park gear.
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: 23 crashes, 70 fires, 25 people injured, 1 death.
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 19 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
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 | 50 |
| 1996 | 62 |
| 1997 | 22 |
| 1998 | 25 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 16 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 223 |
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 | 56 | 25% | – | NHTSA recall #96V071000 |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 14 | 6.3% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 11 | 4.9% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 10 | 4.5% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 9 | 4.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 9 | 4.0% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 3.6% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 2.7% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 6 | 2.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #91V164000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.4% | – |
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 #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.
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 1991 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