Total Complaints
140 filings
FORD AEROSTAR · model year
1987 FORD AEROSTAR
140 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987FORDAEROSTAR carries 140 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 53 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1987 AEROSTAR is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 16 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (15) and power train:automatic transmission (14). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 1987 AEROSTAR, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
140
Complaints
7
Crashes
53
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
7 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 16 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 15 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 14 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 13 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 11 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 4 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT | 3 |
| SEATS | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 3 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
Recent Complaints
20031002POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO FAIL. THE CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THREE TRANSMISSION. *NLM
20020820SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
PASSENGER'S SEAT BACK FAILED, STAYING IN THE RECLINING POSITION DUE TO METAL FRAME INSIDE SEATBACK BREAKING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
20020213SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DISENAGES FROM THE LOCKING MECHANISM. *JG
20010910FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHILE DRIVING SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. PULLED OVER AND LIFTED UP HOOD. NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL WIRING. BEFORE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS IN FLAMES. FRONT OF VEHICLE/ INSIDE AND OUTSIDE WAS TOTALED.*AK
20010416ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED AND AT ANY TIME. TO DEALER TWICE, CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK
20010330FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE OFF WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED FIRE STARTED ON LEFT HAND SIDE OF ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
20010301FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VAN CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
20010125FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE KEEPS STALLING INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. *AK
20010125FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE KEEPS STALLING INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. *AK
20001219EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
TAPE PLAYER FAILED. *MJS
20001219POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. *MJS
20001219SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES HAVE FAILED ON FOUR OCCASIONS. *MJS
20001002ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
WE HAVE HAD THE CONTROL MODULE REPLACED A MINIMUM OF 5 TIME (RECEIPTS ON HAND), EACH TIME THE VAN STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR CRASHES AND MUCH FUSTRATION ONLY THE ALERTNESS THAT THE VAN STALLS PREVENTED ANY BODILY HARM. SEVERAL FORD DEALERSHIPS DENY ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CONTROL MODULE ON THIS VAN AND NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *AK
20001002ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
WE HAVE HAD THE CONTROL MODULE REPLACED A MINIMUM OF 5 TIME (RECEIPTS ON HAND), EACH TIME THE VAN STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR CRASHES AND MUCH FUSTRATION ONLY THE ALERTNESS THAT THE VAN STALLS PREVENTED ANY BODILY HARM. SEVERAL FORD DEALERSHIPS DENY ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CONTROL MODULE ON THIS VAN AND NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *AK
20000927VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH SURGES FORWARD WHEN STARTING. INTERMITTENTLY, PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND UNABLE TO LOCATE/CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
20000918CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SEPTEMBER 11, 2000. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK
20000616STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
RECALL 91V13 000/HATCHBACK HYDRAULIC CYLINDER: TRUCK CYLINDER: VEHICLE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT STAY OPEN DUE TO HYDRAULIC CYLINDER FAILURE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE RECALL WAS HONORED ONLY AT TIME OF WHEN IT WAS ISSUED, AND NOTHING ELSE WOULD BE DONE UNLESS COST WOULD GO TO CONSUMER. *AK
20000217POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
19991018FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHEN VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ,AND THE HOOD WAS OPENED, CONSUMER NOTICED SPARKS AND LOTS OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RECALL 88VO91000. *AK
19990929FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VAN CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VAN BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE WHOLE VAN WAS BURNT, NOTHING WAS LEFT BUT THE FRAMEOF THE VEHICLE AND THE TWO REAR TIRES. *AK
Compare 1987FORDAEROSTAR to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 FORD AEROSTAR have?▼
The 1987 FORD AEROSTAR has 140 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 53 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 FORD AEROSTAR?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 FORD AEROSTAR is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 16 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1987 FORD AEROSTAR safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.