NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1995–2000
NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 341 owner complaints for the Ford Aerostar, covering model years 1995 to 2000. The 1995 model year drew the most complaints (157), and Electrical System is the component owners name most often.
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.
See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.
The 1995 model year has the most complaints: 157 of 341, or 46.0%. Next come 1996 (104) and 1997 (63). The fewest are for 1998, with 4 complaints.
| Model year | Complaints | Reporting a crash | Reporting a fire | Reporting an injury | Reporting a death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 157 | 16 | 19 | 12 | 0 |
| 1996 | 104 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1997 | 63 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2000 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| All model years | 341 | 37 | 26 | 24 | 1 |
Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.
Electrical System is the component named most often, in 63 complaints (18.5% of all 341), followed by Power Train (48) and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (40).
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 63 | 18.5% |
| Power Train | 48 | 14.1% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 40 | 11.7% |
| Wheels | 35 | 10.3% |
| Air Bags | 23 | 6.7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 6.2% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 5.3% |
| Steering | 18 | 5.3% |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 17 | 5.0% |
| Tires | 16 | 4.7% |
| Structure | 15 | 4.4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 14 | 4.1% |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 2.9% |
| Suspension | 10 | 2.9% |
| Visibility | 10 | 2.9% |
One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.
These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.
Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.
Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name Aerostar, newest first. The 8 campaigns cover model years 1995 to 1997. The 1995 model year appears in the most campaigns (5).
| 1995: 5 campaigns | 1996: 4 campaigns | 1997: 3 campaigns |
NHTSA campaign 00V425000
Reported
Model year 1997
Vehicle description: minivans equipped with 3.0L engines. An accelerator cable was kinked during installation, causing the core wires to eventually fray.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 99V029000
Reported
Model years 1995–1997
Vehicle description: mini vans. These vehicles were produced with a higher than specified electrical load through the accessory power feed circuit. The potential for contact between the B2 (battery), A2 (accessory), and P1 (proof) circuits can occur, creating a short circuit, allowing current to flow through the ground wire.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 99V028000
Reported
Model year 1995
Vehicle description: mini vans. Heat generation in the wiring harness to the fuel pump/sender assembly can cause an electrical short. The vehicle could experience a loss of power and become immobilized and the fuel gauge may be erratic.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 97V204000
Reported
Model years 1995–1997
Vehicle description: all wheel drive passenger minivans. These vehicles can develop powertrain bending resonance or transfer case output shaft bushing displacement. The powertrain bending resonance or the output shaft bushing displacement can result in structural failure of the transmission and/or transfer case. Fluid explusion, driveshaft separation or loss of vehicle drive can result.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 96V161000
Reported
Model year 1996
The certification labels on the involved vehicles has incorrect rear tire inflation pressure designations. This does not comply with FMVSS No. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 96V070000
Reported
Model year 1996
When in the secondary latched position, the driver door latches may open when subjected to transverse loads less than that specified in FMVSS No. 206, "door locks and door retention components."
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 95V037000
Reported
Model year 1995
The certification label on these vehicles have incorrect rear tire sizes listed. P215/70R14SL should be P215/75R14SL. This does not comply with FMVSS No. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 94V239000
Reported
Model year 1995
The spare tire supplied with the vehicle can contact the brake lines on the rear axle if it is mounted in the underbody spare tire carrier. Such contact could result in fracture of a rear brake line.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.
This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site. |
| Component | The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software. |
| Summary | What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered. |
| Consequence | The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed. |
| Remedy | What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free. |
Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.
NHTSA lists 8 vehicle recall campaigns for the Ford Aerostar, covering model years 1995 to 2000. The most recent, 00V425000, was reported on December 26, 2000 and is filed under “Vehicle speed control”. The 1995 model year is covered by the most campaigns (5).
The 1995 model year, with 157 of the 341 complaints in NHTSA’s file (46.0%). The next are 1996 (104) and 1997 (63). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.
Electrical System is the component named most often: 63 complaints, or 18.5% of all 341. Power Train (48) and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (40) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.
Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Ford dealer.
Of the 341 complaints, 37 report a crash, 26 a fire, 24 at least one injury and 1 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.
The Ford models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Ford VIN decoder with every Ford model page, WMI code and VIN note.
All Ford models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.