1993 FORD Aerostar

one electrical issue after another

Performance: 3 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

I bought this van cheap, and for the most part it has been very useful for people carrying and hauling. But I have had many electrical problems, starting with headlights that only worked intermittently; turned out that was a faulty wiring harness at the switch. Then the items operated from the steering column failed one-by-one (air bag light staying on, cruise control stopped working, same with horn, turn signals, wipers). I had the "clockspring" replaced and all work fine now. Then the driver's side door window failed gradually; replaced switch and motor. Now, there has been a series of ignition system failures that are stumping my auto electrician. When will it end!

Jack of all trades

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Aerostar XL 4.0 with front & rear ac. Purchased with 125000 miles, wrecked with 259,790. Excellent foot room driver/passengers. Rapid rear and middle bench seat removal for hauling cargo. Battery, pass headlignt, tail lightbulbs, air/oil/trans/fuel filters easy to change. Filler neck for fuel is beside drivers door,(excellent location for security) Fuel mileage 23mpg at sustained 70mph Fuel mileage 16mpg in town stop n go. Excellent acceleration at all speeds. Excellent load capacity. Minor points of iritation; Alternator is right below oil filler neck. Have to guard aginst drips. Driver side headlight bulb requires tools time and care in changing. Ignition switchproblem

Ford - Resurrect the Aerostar!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Our XLT 2WD Extended - best all-around vehicle we've ever owned (out of 16). Invaluable as people mover with 7 seats as well as a cargo hauler with the seats out. We have moved tons of furniture and computers in it this way. We have used it to move kids off to summer camp in NC (from northern VA) as well as to college and home again over many years. Without it, would have had to rent a moving truck/van at a cost that would have paid for 20 percent of the new cost of the van itself. We even moved an upright baby grand piano in this baby! The interior height is sooo much better than what you find in other minivans. Very reliable. Low cost to operate. City/hwy avg of 18 mpg. Ford - Bring it back!

My rear wheel drive BOX

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Great van to own and drive around the place. Very comfortable to sit in the driver's seat. Only problem is with the ignition switch that has problems with the ears where you have to line it up just right to get the key in to start the vehicle. 3.0 engine has an excellent track record, which makes this a much better and reliable van than the sorry 3.8 liter V6 that Ford put out for the Windstar. That Windstar was a failure and disgrace to the FORD name. Ford should bring Aerostar back with a few improvements. The best thing about it is: you guessed it "REAR WHEEL DRIVE" -- that is music to the ears of mechanics and people like me that are not big fans of front wheel drive! GREAT VEHICLE!

Not a bad vehicle

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 4

I bought this vehicle to use for a courier service. I have put 10k on it since the purchase over 2 months ago. Was doing pretty good, then the transmission went. Such are the joys of a used vehicle without maintenance records! If you need a cheap minivan that's cheap to maintain, these are still a good purchase. Just look out for body rust (especially along the seams on the roof), electrical problems (power windows and locks) and transmission noises/leaks are bad news in this van. Braking is good, but these vans are known for chewing up front pads/rotors, since the front brakes do all the braking. The AWD (also known as E4WD) version can be expensive to fix.

Still Rolling

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 2 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5

Van has 271,000 miles on it. Still drives well, extremely reliable. Only minor repairs. Nothing exciting about the design, but very practical with lots of storage. Gas milage is very good, considering it is a box.

Good Used Vehicle Purchase

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Purchased my Aerostar as an in-between vehicle. Recently had family addition and needed room for family of five. This was a quick purchase without much thought. Have had to make several repairs since owning but have grown to love the vehicle. Replaced front axle, lower control joints, brakes, resealed windows, thermostat, water pump, shift control cable, middle bench seat, third door panel and radio. Even after all that it still cheaper than purchasing a newer van. With the exception of a pesky oil/transmission leak, which I will take care of soon, we have come to appreciate the van, especially the full time all wheel drive.

best investment by far

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I ALWAYS THOUGHT VANS WERE FOR EDERLY PEOPLE!UNTIL I BOUGHT THIS ONE I LOVE IT I CAN TAKE MY WHOLE FAMILY PLACES WITHOUT WORRING WHO WILL RIDE WHERE.WE HAVE BEEN TO TEXAS,MEXICO AND SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE BEACH WE LIVE IN THE PIEDMONT OF N.C.IT HAD 92000 MILES ON IT WHEN WE BOUGHT IT A FORMER OAKLAND RAIDERS PLAYER HAD IT BUT NOW THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS TAG SHINES ON FRONT AND BACK(I,M JUST A FAN)BUT I WOULD BUY ANOTHER JUST LIKE IT I LOVE THE COLOR INSIDE AND OUT YEAH IM A 38YR NANA BUT I LOOK GREAT IN MY EDDIEBAUER EDITION

sell 450.00

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 2 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 2 Reliability Rating: 4

Lot of miles but properly matained needs a driver side window Needs to be cleaned up Two new front tires Needs Rear tires. This van would get you to and from its not new but it is reliable.

Not bad except

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

Had the van for a month and a half... Have driven them previously and enjoyed the mix of workhorse with MPV tasks. Though this one is turning out to be a lemon. I've had to replace the power steering, brake lines, emergency brake, clutch and pilot bearing (it's a 5 speed standard tranny), Ignition lock and turn signal stalk. I'm feeling iffy on keeping it.

Unique Ford Aerostar XL Sport

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

I have loved this car!! It does seem to have a problem with the differential (a clunk noise. And the ignition switch is particular, but I can easily demonstrate how to line up the key properly. (Minor problem) The driver sits up high for good vision. Good loading space and a rack on top. The 'sport' model.

The best

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We bought it with 87,000 miles on it and ran it up to 220,000 and it is still going with only minor repairs. (mostly general maintenance) We have been pulling a fairly large camper several times a year with absolutely no problems. Buy one if you get the chance.

1993 MAGIC CARPET RIDE

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

RUNS FANTASTIC HARD TO WORK ON NEEDS WIDE ANGLE REAR VIEW MIRROR SOUND SYSTEM EXCELLANT SHOULD HAVE MORE CONTROL OF ALL THE INTERIOR LIGHTS GREAT CARGO VAN WITH SEATS OUT

build to last

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

This is a 2 in 1 car, it's a very good car for people who need a vehecle for a large family, bacause its got 3 rows of seats, for 8 adults, and its also good for work, such as making deliveries, etc., since the sits easily come off, and becomes a full size van.

Cheaper to give away instead of fix

Performance: 3 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

In 90,000 miles over 9 years I had to fix the air conditioning three times (very expensive!), the ignition lock failed, the power steering pump failed, the brakes had to be redone twice, the power windows would not lower the windows fully without me pushing down on the glass, the sliding door would occasionally jam in the open position. I finally donated the van to charity because it was cheaper than fixing the A/C one more time!

Aerostar Workhorse

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 2 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5

This van just won't quit! It is a true workhorse. I would buy another one if Ford would not make it look like a delivery truck. With the seats removed the space is great. Moved almost my entire house(except the big stuff) with loads in the van. Replaced thermostat, and routine maintenance. No major repairs

ford aerostar 4wd

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

My favorite vehicle of four decades

Happy owner

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

This van has always been dependable.Even though I don't put alot of miles on it there are many short trips a day for all nine years. I've never had any failures. It has the trailer package and the 4.0 engine and with a heavy load handles and has good performance. Only parts thus far are shocks, brakes, and a exhaust flex pipe. I now 54000 miles.

Our Family workhorse

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Excellent Reliability!! Other than the normal brakes, some front end parts, muffler, the van is so reliable its scary. Maybe that why Ford stopped making it. We have no garage, live in New England, and the body is excellent. No rust out anywhere. It gone through the kids hockey, scouts, loads of cheerleaders and no being used for college moves with no problems!!

Wish I Could Buy a New One

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

115K and only unscheduled repairs have been tie rod ends and an A/C compressor. Tuned up at 85K when gas mileage dropped a bit. This is only Aerostar I've seen with a manual transmission and this probably helps with fuel consumption which is a steady 19-20 around town and 24 on the road (I record every fillup). Fun to drive? - absolutely not. Comfortable? - reasonably so. Practical? - very much so. Would I buy another one? - Oh if I only could. If Ford still built th Aerostar, I would be in shopping for a new one today.

Like brand new

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

This van was 1 year old when we got it and all we have done is change oil, tires, brakes and other routine items. There is 1 small rust spot about the size of a quarter under the right door but that is it. I didn't have a lot of hope for this vehicle with a young family but it has held up amazingly well.

great van

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

340,000 km and no major repairs only tires and mufflers. Unfortunately the b ody is falling apart.

Aerostar: A reliable, if staid, steed.

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Bought new off the lot in 1993, traveled over 100000 miles and still going without a complaint, despite neglect and poor maintenance. Small problem with left turn signal, works intermittently. Overall, a solid, if dull investment. Cheap bulk transport.