AI Damage1996 Ford Aerostar: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Ford Aerostar filed 104 complaints with NHTSA, most often about wheels and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 104
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Wheels 22% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 16% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 5% of all complaints
- Wheels: 23 complaints (22% of all).
- Service brakes: 17 complaints (16% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 12 complaints (12% of all).
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (12% of all).
- Steering: 9 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
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 104 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 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.
Air bag failed to deploy upon collision. Impact was to extent of frame being knocked out of line. Please describe details.
Vehicle's rotors keep warping, and the brakes failed when trying to stop the vehicle, causing the vehicle to hit another vehicle.
Consumer was involved in a rearend collision, traveling about 15 mph the sliding door, which was locked upon impact, came open and the driver 's and passenger's side air bags did not deploy.
In an accident at 40-45mph, 12:00 position, driver's side airbag did not deploy. Abs braking system had rear wheel lockup with 100 feet of skid marks.
During frontal impact, the driver's side air bag did not deploy. Please describe.
Condensed version: @ 70mph posted speed limit goodyear allegra touring tire exploded like a 1/4 stick of dynamite and almost cost me my life if my reactionary time had been any slower. 3 other tires same leaking through sidewall goodyear decorative gills on same this has not resolved.
I had smoke and acrid smell coming from under my dash (while driving), where the steering column fits to it. I have contacted a major ford dealer (brandon ford), and they are refusing to help me.
To whom it may concern, (hopefully a supervisor or director) the drivers side seat belt floor clasp fails. I releases the seat belt while driving. After two or three times of re-hooking the seat-belt to the hold down clasp bolted through floor board of the vehicle, it will no longer accept and hold the seat belt in…
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 3,479 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Aerostar has 145 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 104, below average.
What to check before buying
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Aerostar 198653 sources
- Aerostar 1987114 sources
- Aerostar 1988177 sources
- Aerostar 1989260 sources
- Aerostar 1990195 sources
- Aerostar 1991223 sources
- Aerostar 1992317 sources
- Aerostar 1993374 sources
- Aerostar 1994257 sources
- Aerostar 1995157 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 1996 Ford Aerostar?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: wheels, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 104. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%), brake failure (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 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 1996 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 1996 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 2026-11-05.