AI Damage1989 Ford Aerostar: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Ford Aerostar filed 260 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 260
- involving a crash
- 24
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 35% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 21% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 12% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 91 complaints (35% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 54 complaints (21% of all).
- Powertrain: 31 complaints (12% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 31 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 23 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 260 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 91 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 54 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 31 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 7 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
She stated that when she pulled into a parking space and hit the brakes, the vehicle surged forward and hit a building. She said she had the vehicle towed to the dealer who stated that they thought the problem was a faulty idle air control.
Consumer states engine was on and in the park position, consumer pressed brake to put vehicle into reverse and vehicle took off in reverse. Consumer states vehicle hit two parked cars and was totalled. Please provide any further information.
Right rear tread separation on interstate causing loss of control of minivan. Aerostar rolls over and ejects third seat passenger causing serious injuries. (dot number: u9t9b6h018 tiresize: 205/70r14)
The rear window was shattered. My neighbor's tree was damaged. The car was suppose to be in park. It is very difficult to shift it out of park unless the pawl was not operating properly. Lucky there were cars coming or pedestrians walking in front of my property when this accident occurred.
My two year old son got into the vehicle and slipped the shifter out of the park position without the keys, and the vehicle had been parked for over 24 hours, the van rolled backwards through my fence, down an embankment and smashed into a tree stump, with my son inside.
While parking in an incline position with vehicle in park, vehicle rolled away, almost running over the occupant. Please provide further information.
While starting vehicle and putting it into gear, vehicle suddenly took off, causing owner to strike another vehicle. Vehicle also surged. Dealers stated possible electric chip failure.
The drivers seat belt didn't retract during an accident and the driver was killed.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,572 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Aerostar has 145 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 260, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
- Aerostar 198653 sources
- Aerostar 1987114 sources
- Aerostar 1988177 sources
- Aerostar 1990195 sources
- Aerostar 1991223 sources
- Aerostar 1992317 sources
- Aerostar 1993374 sources
- Aerostar 1994257 sources
- Aerostar 1995157 sources
- Aerostar 1996104 sources
- Aerostar 199763 sources
- Aerostar 19984 sources
- Aerostar 19997 sources
- Aerostar 20006 sources
- Aerostar 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Ford Aerostar?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 260. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%), seat belts (10%), A/C or heater (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Ford Aerostar?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Ford Aerostar from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1989 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.