Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Ford Aerostar, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system13
- Power train9
- Vehicle speed control9
- Wheels7
- Service brakes, hydraulic7
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Air bags4
- Suspension4
- Latches/locks/linkages3
- Tires3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 8 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Ford Aerostar failed the safety check 1.42% of the time — 11% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 132,181 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 13.5–15.6 L/100 km (about 15–17 mpg US), CO₂ 311–359 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerostar Van · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 11.0 | 13.5 |
| Aerostar Wagon · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 16.1 | 11.1 | 13.8 |
| Aerostar Wagon · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 16.1 | 11.5 | 14.0 |
| Aerostar Wagon AWD · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 17.4 | 13.3 | 15.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 1997 Ford Aerostar.
| 2001193 16 Jul 2001 | Other Certain vehicles, from Ontario to Newfoundland, could experience a corrosion related failure of the spare tire winch cable. If the cable breaks while the vehicl… |
| 2000306 29 Dec 2000 | Engine On certain vehicles equipped with 3.0 llitre engines, the accelerator cable may have been kinked during installation. If the cable is kinked, the core wires cou… |
| 1999032 2 Mar 1999 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a short circuit could occur at the A2 accessory terminal in the ignition switch of these vehicles when the switch is in the "on" position c… |
| 1997207 20 Nov 1997 | Powertrain On certain Aerostar AWD vehicles, extended operation at speeds of over 130 kph may result in structural failure of the transmission/transfer case assembly. This… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES. AN ACCELERATOR CABLE WAS KINKED DURING INSTALLATION, CAUSING THE CORE WIRES TO EVENTUALLY FRAY.
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 1997 Ford Aerostar: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637922 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 9/15/2001 MAY EXHIBIT LOW LINE PRESSURE READINGS WHILE IN DRIVE, NO 2ND GEAR, NO 3RD GEAR, NO ENGINE BRAKING IN MANUAL 1ST AND SLIPPING SHIFTS AND / OR DELAYED ENGAGEMENTS. *TT |
| 637755 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NO 1-2 UPSHIFT, NO 2-3 UPSHIFT, A NO ENGINE BRAKING CONDITION IN MANUAL 1 OR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0732 (GEAR 2 INCORRECT RATIO) OR P0733 (GEAR 3 INCORRECT RATIO). *TT |
| 635998 | LOW LINE PRESSURE READING AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE (WOT), SLIPPING SHIFTS AND / OR DELAYED ENGAGEMENTS WITH POSSIBLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0732, P0733, P1762 SET ON VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 12/1/2001. *TT |
| 630515 | ENGINE OIL SYSTEM PRIMING PROCEDURES, SERVICE TIPS FOR REPORTS OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TT |
| 627752 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.0L OHV ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT AN ENGINE NOISE WHICH MAY BE PERCEIVED BY THE CUSTOMER AS A PISTON / ONNECTING ROD BEARING KNOCK. *TT |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 622665 | ON SOME VEHICLES, ENGINE OIL MAY CONTINUE TO LEAK FROM THE ENGINE OIL PAN GASKET AREA AFTER AN ENGINE OIL PAN GASKET REPAIR HAS BEEN PERFORMED. *TT |
| 616522 | SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. *TT |
| 613621 | INFORMATION REGARDING PUMP ALIGNMENT TOOLS. **MR |
| 613023 | THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS SERVICE TIPS WHEN SERVICING ANY BRAKE RELATED ROUGHNESS / PULL CONCERNS. *TT |
| 612203 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS |
| 6091931 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN ENGINE NOISE WHICH MAY BE PERCEIVED BY THE CUSTOMER AS A PISTON / CONNECTING ROD BEARING KNOCK. *TT |
| 6090873 | LOCKS FAILED. YD |
| 6090538 | INFORMATION REGARDING CAMSHAFT POSITION (CMP) SENSOR ALIGNMENT TOOL CHART. *MJS |
| 6090310 | SOME SERVICE MANUALS MAY LIST THE INCORRECT CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR ALIGNMENT TOOL FOR VEHICLES WITH VARIOUS ENGINE SIZES. *TT |
| 6090184 | INFORMATION ON REPLACING AND / OR REPAIRING MALFUNCTIONING (DOOR, IGNITION AND DECKLID) LOCKS. *TT |
| 6090136 | DURING EXTREME COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES AND UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, MOISTURE IN THE CRANKCASE MAY ENTER THE PCV SYSTEM, FREEZE AND CAUSE PRESURE IN THE ENGINE CRANKCASE. THE PCV FITTING IN THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY FREEZE OR THE FRESH AIR LINE MAY BECOME BLOCKED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE, BUT LESS LIKELY, THAT ICE MAY BUILD UP ON THE THROTTLE PLATE OR THE THROTTLE BODY AND CAUSE THROTTLE STICKING. *TT |
| 6090087 | INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT |
| 6090082 | INFORMATION FOR SERVICING AND DIAGNOSING BRAKE VIBRATION, BRAKE INSPECTION, AND BRAKE FRICTION MATERIAL REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 6090051 | SERVICE TIP INFORMATION ON REVISED OIL PAN GASKET REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 6089681 | SUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. *TT |
| 608921 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN ENGINE NOISE WHICH MAY BE PERCEIVED BY THE CUSTOMER AS A PISTON / CONNECTING ROD BEARING KNOCK. *TT |
| 608431 | INFORMATION ON THE NEW FLUSH AND FILL TOOL AVAILABLE THROUGH ROTUNDA. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
TRANSFER CASES AND REAR DRIVE SHAFT
TRANSFER CASES AND REAR DRIVESHAFT
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation