Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Ford Aerostar Owners: Meet the Members
Introduce yourselves here.
MODERATOR
Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review
Tagged:
0
Comments
I'm visiting forum because considering buying a used 4WD Aerostar but thought my experience with previous Aerostar might be of interest to those asking about reliability and such.
I purchased a 1990 XL 3.0 Aerostar in June of 1990 and have retained it since. It now sits, forlorn and dead, after giving great service for 16 years and 230,000 miles.
Clearly, over this time span and mileage the van has been thru a lot! Overall, I was very very satisfied with it. When you decide to keep a vechicle for this long, a certain amount of service and repair is part of the deal. Consider that even though I refinanced my van's orginal 3 yr note to 4 1/2 years (to get down payment for house long since gone) that I haven't had to make a payment on it for over 11 years. This pays for a bit of maintanence.
The fall after purchase, I received some offers from out-of-state dealers for an extended warranty - this was/is? a program by Ford to help low-volume dealers. I increased my warranty to 5 yrs?/100K by spending $700. This paid off when my van hit 97,000 and I had to have very major work done on the transmission. The van was shifting sluggishly at first and over-shifting on hills in cruise control. My dealer first did pulling and replacing, twice, and the problems ceased. Not long after this, on a trip to New Mexico for skiing, I had noticed that when fully loaded (4 adults with significant luggage in back and on top) that again I was getting poor performance while on cruise and too much down-shifting. When I returned, I went again to dealer and even though van now had 102K on it, they considered it a continuation of the warranty and fully replaced the transmission.
The tune-up I had done this trip was first one. I also had same friend replace the shocks or struts, whatever, with heavy-duty ones which lasted life of the van. I never had ANY front end work done on the van and despite curbs and being hit broadside (see later) it ran straight and true for its life.
At about 140K I failed to notice the temp guage was totally in the red and ran the engine dry. The problem came from a broken heater hose which drained the coolant. I had my friend above pull the engine and he replaced some rings and the main gasket and I was back on the road. (Great to have a friend like this - cost me I believe about $360) However, this was my fault, not the van's.
Around 170K my van was hit broadside when I avoided a freeway accident! Sounds funny, eh? I noticed a complete stopage up ahead on freeway - love the view from the Aerostar, love a mini-van that drives like a truck rather than a car - and pulled quickly onto the shoulder and on about 20 ft into the large grass verge. I knew the car behind wasn't watching well and was driven by kids so didn't want to be read-ended. Indeed, the kids behind me hit the car formerly in front of me, then veered into middle lane and sideswiped a brand-new car... then careened off the freeway, incredibly finding my van out in the grass and hitting me right on the sliding door.
My insurance paid under Uninsured Motorist - paid off completely. I chose to keep the van and didn't have it repaired. The frame post behind passenger seat was bent, the frame line under doors was bent. However, the passenger door still operated despite damage and the side door could be carefully opened and forcefully closed. So... it was now very ugly. I hadn't upgraded the AC to the new system so the small opening at top of side door didn't bother me nor did the small amt of rain which dripped in - it drained right out again anyway!
Well, the next 60K saw the van last but become a bit ragged. Since it had no resale value, I didn't keep up the maint. as I should, allowing the front end to become very loose - worn tie rods and bushings. A fair bit of noise and loose steering was evident but since I didn't drive it a lot, I let it go.
The final day came when returning from the lake, after serving me again by carrying an immense load of stuff on the trip up. I accelerated to about 75 to pass on the freeway and lost all power - the trans seal broke sending all the fluid out. I was able to get off the freeway and into a Denny's to await my tow.
I consider the Aerostar to be the perfect minivan. My experience consisted of dependable performance and low maint. cost. The transmission on the 89-91 models seems to have been poorly chosen, one mechanic told me it was too small, designed for a 4 cyl engine rather than a 3.0 V6. Outside of that, I found no problems with it. Design is great - the rear wheel drive making it a much better towing machine than other minivans.
I once pulled a old Ford F-150, fully loaded with furniture, with my van also loaded, from Phoenix to San Antonio - 1000 miles. Wasn't a fun trip, especially New Mexico where the round-top roads let the truck steer me - but the van did as well as could be expected. I didn't have the towing package, but added a trans cooler before trying it.
So, I'm stuck on Aerostars. Would be happy with any low-milage model but am intrigued by the 4WD I found locally. I'll post my experiences with it if I make the jump. Hope all have enjoyed my story!
Here is my problem. Car has 183,000 miles and looks ratty on the inside. The headliner has cracked and split into many little lines because of the Florida sun beating down on the roof. The plastic molded door panels on the driver and passenger side have deteriorated. The drivers seat is showing wear. There is some damage on the exterior right fender from a run in with a tree trunk- more than a scratch. Car looks shabby to drive clients around in if required.
Test drove a new 2007 Dodge caravan SXT 4 cyl today. Really did not have much pep. Is this my imagination or does this car get up and go if you need to merge onto the interstate for example? I am not a fast driver or a hot rod, and I drove a VW van for many years and that was a 4 cyl. Is the Caravan about the same as a VW for power?
What about the Dodge 4 cyl engine lasting over 100,000 miles without a rebuild vs. their 6 cyl?
Also is it my imagination or is my Aerostar luxurious as compared to the upholstery fabric, cushioning, and general interior of the Caravan? It really seemed bare bones even though the Aerostar was never considered luxurious for its time.
Since there is nothing mechanically wrong with my Aerostar should I just replace the headliner, get a seat from the local junk yard where there are a lot to pick from, have the fender fixed and pop for a paint job? And then drive it until the engine or transmission quits?
Does anyone have a recommendation as to a replacement van that is comparable on all fronts to the Aerostar?
I might add the Caravan is a real deal price wise $15,999 out the door.
You might want to read and/or post your question in this discussion.
Minivan Shopping
Good luck!
thanks
How do I tell which engine size it has?
I started looking for an Extended 4 litre XLT that didn't have damaged rocker panels, I travelled all over the state looking for one and all of them had (you guessed it) damaged rocker panels, or they were Northern vehicles rusted out, or were trashed. (Ford did not anticipate this problem of moronic mechanics who don't have any respect for customer's vehicles).
a week ago I found a 1997 (the last year Aerostars were made), XLT 4 litre Extended with intact paint, body, and NO damaged rocker panels. YEE HAW! However, the interior is not perfect (I'm very picky), so I am restoring it to perfection, buying used parts in perfect condition to get it in like-new condition inside. My Third Aerostar ! Yes I'm very happy thank you.
I also looked at every other minivan you can imagine by GM and every one was a total dissapointment, so I set my sights on another Aerostar. Take for example, the Chevy Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette, and Pontiac Montana, all from GM, (the same vehicle with different trim levels and branding); those are terribly unreliable and deffective vehicles straight from the factory. They burn head gaskets, intake gaskets, and their transmissions break. (go ahead and do your own research, I sure did).
Ford is one big moron too, for discontinuing the Aerostar and replacing it with the terribly unreliable Windstar and Freestar minivans. Nobody wants them, car dealers don't want them, I sure don't want them. Clearly, all the money that Ford has does not buy them any intelligence. Instead of refining the Aerostar, making it even better, they chicken out of the Aerostar and end up producing a piece of garbage like the Windstar and Freestar. Sure, GM is also a moron for producing garbage like the Venture, Silhouette, and Montana. The Astro is the General Motors exception, but it is so ugly, I passed on it. Chrysler is simply, unreliable, so I didn't even consider any Chrysler minivan. (to be fair, Chrysler is making some very interesting body styles, but the beautiful bodies are one thing, it's what is inside that counts, and Chrysler's record is one of unreliability and almost zero longevity).
I'm sticking with the Aerostar, it is one simple vehicle, it does what it is supposed to do, and when it breaks down, I fix it. (all cars break down, they are mechanical). Better an old, simple vehicle than a new one full of gizmos and twenty thousand digital unreliable sensors, no way Jose, Not interesado, thank you no thank you. I'll stick with ANALOG, digital sucks.
Nice to meet you all! Enjoy your Aerostars and if they break down, fix them, or somebody else will !!
The captain chairs might fit but I haven't tried it.
Thank you :confuse:
$500.00 is a fair price to pay for a 1989 assuming it runs ok, has no major issues to repair, is not a junker or rusted through, is mostly clean and in good shape inside, and the transmission shifts fine.
If the a/c does not work, (no cold air), then that is an issue that you can't complain about for $500.00. Concentrate on testing the HEATER, you will need it in the coming weeks.
If you drive it and it is 90% good, FIRST ask Seller if he has CLEAR TITLE IN HIS/HER NAME, if yes, offer $500.00 cash; If seller refuses, walk away. It is not worth more than $500.
If seller tells you the TITLE is in someone else's name, or if he/she has NO CLEAR TITLE, WALK AWAY, do not get yourself involved in TITLE PROBLEMS. You must obtain from the Seller, and have Clear Title, to register any vehicle in your name. No Title? Don't Buy. If you buy any vehicle without getting a TITLE, you could get involved in a serious LEGAL problem. What if someone is trying to sell you a vehicle that does not belong to them? Scams happen! If seller tells you he/she will "send you the Title in 30 days", say "Thank you but I can't do that". WALK AWAY.
when buying any used car, always verify Seller's ID, ask for his/her Driver's License and compare it to the name on the TITLE of the vehicle.
Let's say he shows you CLEAR TITLE, and his/her Driver's License matches the name on the title: Now look at the vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on the Title, and go to the lower front of the windshield, driver's side, and compare the number on the rivetted plate to the number on the Title, do they match?
In what State are you located? Newer Aerostar are selling for reasonable prices all around the country.
Good luck! let us know what happens.
look at the Title, and look at the section where it says: "REGISTERED LIEN HOLDER", or "LIEN":
Does it show any Dealer's name? any person's name? if yes, then someone has a LIEN on that vehicle, meaning that the owner of the vehicle owes money on the vehicle. NOT GOOD. You could end up owing money. If there is a LIEN on the Title, you need to verify the lien has been satisfied, otherwise you could be responsible for any money owed on the vehicle.
I am in Oregon. I have done my research. We are going to look at the car on Sunday....
He took the car in partial trade for a boat he sold. He has the title and has been driving it back and forth to work.
There is really not a lot available through private parties at the $500 mark...people want WAY too much for CRAP....or have their vehicles priced at retail...not realistic.....they are NOT willing to negotiate.
I need a car, but it needs to run.....