1988 FORD AEROSTAR Complaints

FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WHEN VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED. NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD & ASH TRAY. CHECKED UNDER HOOD & VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. PUT FLAMES OUT. VEHICLE TOWED HOME. FIRE HAD ORIGINATED AROUND THE ALTERNATOR. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. THE SECOND TIME WAS 3/21/99. *AK

WHILE VAN WAS PARKED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. THE FIRE BURNED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE FRONT INTERIOR. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE VAN WAS TOTALLED. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE AND THE SEATBELT SYSTEM DOES NOT RETRACT WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH, SPRING BROKEN IN FEMALE PART, IF YOU DO MANAGE TO GET IT HOOKED IT WILL RELEASE WITH THE SLIGHTEST TENSION. PRIOR TO THIS SEATBELT ALSO HAD SLACK WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST IT WHILE DRIVING. *MJS

WIRING HARNESS WIRES SHORTED BECAUSE WIRING INSULATION SHRUNK RESULTING IN IT BURNING OUT THE FUEL PUMP IN THE FUEL TANK.

RECALL 98V19000O STATES THAT DEALER WILL REPLACE TANK, BUT DEALER ONLY INSTALLED GASKET SHIELD. *AK *ML

THE POWER STEERING HOSE BUSTED AND SPRAYED POWER STEERING FLUID ONTO MANIFOLD, CAUSING THE VAN TO CATCH ON FIRE COMPLETELY. THE VAN WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. *AK

I WOULD BE DRIVING THE VAN DOWN THE ROAD AT A SPEED OF 30-40MPH AND THE ENGINE WOULD GO DEAD WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER RAN THE COMPUTER CODES AND FOUND NOTHING, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. AFTER THREE FUEL PUMPS, ....ECT, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS NOT REPLACED WAS THE ONBOARD COMPUTER. I GOT A SECOND HAND COMPUTER FOR THE VAN AND WENT TO INSTALL IT. WHEN I UNPLUGGED THE OLD COMPUTER I FOUND THE PROBLEM, THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND AGE CAUSE D THE PLASTIC COATING ON THE WIRING HARNESS TO SHRINK. WHEN THE VAN HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD THE COMPUTER WOULD SHORT OUT, LEAVING NO CODES AND A DEAD ENGINE. I EMAILED FORD, THEY LEFT NO COMMETON THIS. THANK YOU. *AK

CONSUMER SMELLS GAS ANYTIME VEHICLE IS FILLED UP TO 3/4 TANK. SUMMER TIME CONSUMER SMELLS FUMES ALL DAY, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY TOOK TANK DOWN AND INSPECTED IT, THEY FOUND NO CRACKS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE THREADS THAT ARE SCREWED DOWN INTO TANK WERE CRACKED. *AK

DEALER DID NOT PERFORM THE PROPER WORK THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE TO REPAIR THE RECALL PROBLEM. THE RECALL IS FOR THE GAS TANK, MANUFACTURER RECALL #98M03, NHTSA RECALL #98V190000. *AK