1991 Ford Aerostar

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

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

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