1988 FORD AEROSTAR Complaints

FUEL TANK IS LEAKING WHEN THE TANK IS MORE THAN HALF FULL. THIS PARTICULAR VIN# IS A PART OF MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 8767. BUT, DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE TANK BECAUSE TANK DOES NOT HAVE ANY CRACKS. *AK

WHILE FILLING FUEL TANK AT A SERVICE STATION, TANK SPLIT AND CAUSED FUEL TO SPILL ON CONSUMER FROM THE WAIST DOWN. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

DISTRIBUTOR FAILED ON FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEED , AT NIGHT, GOING UPHILL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC 100 MILES FROM NEAREST REPAIR FACILITY. IT WAS NECESSARY TO ROLL VEHICLE BACKWARDS, DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC TO GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN HIT AND INJURED FROM THE TRAFFIC. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR THAT CAUSED FAILURE BUT RECENTLY I HEARD ABOUT THE LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD FOR KNOWING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND NOT RECALLING OR NOTIFYING OWNERS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FAILURE DUE TO PLACEMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS DUE TO ENGINE HEAT. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THIS FAILURE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES YET FORD DID NOT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO WARN IT'S CUSTOMERS. I HAVE FOUR FORD VEHICLES AT THIS TIME. THREE OF THEM ARE LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD. I MAY NOT BUY ANY MORE FORD VEHICLES IF THIS IS THEIR ATTITUDE THAT THEY WON'T RECALL OR AT THE MINIMUM AT LEAST WARN OWNERS OF THESE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE REPAIRS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. FORD WILL LOSE A LOT MORE MONEY BY NOT SELLING MYSELF , MY WIFE AND MY FOUR ADULT CHILDREN ANY MORE FORD VEHICLES , MUCH MORE THAN THE $449.85 REPAIRS, TOWING AND HOTEL COSTS I LOST WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. *AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIR OF THE FUEL TANK FOR LEAKAGE. THE FUEL TANK HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED AND DEALER STATED THAT FORD LEFT IT UP TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE IF IT NEEDED REPLACING. THE DEALER ONLY REPLACED THE PARTS AROUND THE FUEL TANK AND THE CONSUMER STILL SMELLS FUMES IN AND AROUND VEHICLE WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED. NLM

REAR LIFTGATE LATCH BROKE DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN, CAUSING IT TO OPEN ACCIDENTLY. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON ROUGH PAVEMENTS AND GOING UP ON AN INCLINE FUEL LEAKS FROM THE TANK. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED UNDER A RECALL, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS PARTS: 1.) HEATER CORE FAILED TO PUT OUT PROPER HEAT IN REAR OF VEHICLE, AND AIR CAUSED THE REAR WINDOW TO FOG UP. 2.) ENGINE HAS AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITHIN SECONDS WHILE RUNNING BEFORE IT PICKS UP SPEED, AND 3.) WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO OPERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO CORRECT PROBLEM UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK

RECALL 98V190000 FORD/FUEL TANK CRACKS; FUEL LEAKS FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE LAST MONTH. THE DEALER /MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT VAN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL BECAUSE OF THE STATE. VAN WAS ORIGINALLY REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. *AK

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH SHOULDER BELTS IN THE REAR SEATS. I HAVE A THREE-YEAR-OLD SON THAT IS QUICKLY OUTGROWING HIS SAFETY SEAT. (A CENTURY MODEL THAT FITS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 2ND SEAT POSITION AND IS RESTRAINED BY A LAP BELT). I HAVE PURCHASED A HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEAT (AGAIN A CENTURY) THAT LIKE ALL OF THE HIGH BACKED BOOSTER SEATS I HAVE SEEN, REQUIRE THE USE OF A LAP AND SHOULDER BELT. I HAVE TRIED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT INSTALLING AFTERMARKET SHOULDER STRAPS FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. FIRST I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY LOCAL DEALER (BIG VALLEY FORD, STOCKTON CA). THE PERSON I SPOKE TO IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT WAS CLUELESS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND PROVIDED NO SUGGESTIONS. NEXT I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY THROUGH ITS OWNER CONNECTION @ HTTP://WWW.OWNERCONNECTION.COM/FORMSLOGIN.ASP?/HOME/HOME.ASP?. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO SPEAK TO MY LOCAL DEALER. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD TRIED MY LOCAL DEALER AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN OF NO HELP. THEY AGAIN REFERRED ME TO MY LOCAL DEALER. NEXT I VISITED THE LOCAL DEALER. I SPOKE TO A CUSTOMER REP IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT "IF IT IS NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, WE DO NOT TOUCH IT." I HAVE SEARCHED THE WEB FOR HELP BUT CAN NOT FIND ANY. I FOUND A SITE (HTTP://WWW.CHILDSAFETY.ORG/FORD/01.20.98.HTML) THAT LISTS REAR SEAT SHOULDER BELT ACCESSORY KITS BY FORD, BUT THEY DO NOT INCLUDE THE AEROSTAR. CAN YOU HELP ME? IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAFELY INSTALL A SHOULDER STRAP IN THE 2ND SEAT OF THIS VAN? IF SO, WHERE CAN I OBTAIN THE CORRECT BELT AND HARDWARE AND INSTRUCTIONS ON INSTALLATION? I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL UNIVERSAL BELTS ON THE WEB, BUT NONE THAT COME WITH INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. THAT MAKES ME WEARY OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THANK YOU

THE BRAKES ON OUR 1988 FORD AEROSTAR COULD BE DEADLY. THE ASSEMBELY FAILS ABOUT EVERY 12K-15K MILES, AND HAS RESULTED IN ONE ACCIDENT, AND MANY SKIDS. IN ADITION, THE HYDROLIC CYLINDER THAT HOLDS THE REAR HATCHGATE "UP" FAILED AFTER BEING LOWERED. TO USE THE HATCHGATE, A PIECE OF WOOD MUST BE UTILIZED.