AI Damage1997 Ford Aerostar: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Ford Aerostar filed 63 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 63
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 13 complaints (21% of all).
- Powertrain: 9 complaints (14% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 9 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 7 complaints (11% 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
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 63 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 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 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.
Vehicle was in a head-on collision and neither of the air bags deployed. Please provide more information.
Upon impact, front driver's air bag didn't deploy. Consumer's face hit steering. Consumer had 16 stiches in bottom lip. Consumer had a case, and was not allowed to contact dealer at this time.
Consumer was driving on the highway and was involved in a collision when a deer jumped in front of truck. Airbags didn't deploy.
The pipe from fence broke back window of vehicle ,pertruding through hitting consumer on head, then broken windshield extended about 40 ft. Outside of windshield. Through all of this, consumer still had foot on the brakes, the vehicle did not stop untill fence was caught up under vehicle.
Since I am handicapped and use an electric wheelchair if a tire blows out I may not be able to get out using the ramp lift that was installed and the same applies to the engine. How do I know if the engine has something wrong with it if the light is on all the time?
Now in the left lane, not far ahead of passed the car - I experrienced a complete loss of power - hard right over to soft shoulder - avoided an oncoming head on collision - l just missed the car being passed by inches and stopped. The crimped end of cable to the carburator had released from the accelerator pedal. 3.
Observed full crack on aluminum wheel rim spoke. This is standard aluminum wheel from manufacturer. Serious safety issue. This problem same as http://www.motorbeat.com/complaint/438440/. This is the second rim that this problem has occurred. Another rim failed in the same manner one year ago. Replaced.
1997 aerostar rear hatch: 1 of 2 anchor studs which support the tail hatch pneumatic spring (vehicle body end) broke, allowing the hatch to immediately fall on to operator. Although there are 2 pneumatic supports, 1 is insuffcient to support the weight of the hatch. Similar experience with 1994 model.
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 4,699 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Aerostar has 145 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 63, below average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
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 1996104 sources
- Aerostar 19984 sources
- Aerostar 19997 sources
- Aerostar 20006 sources
- Aerostar 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford Aerostar?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 63. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (5%), airbags did not deploy (3%), A/C or heater (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.