Ford Aerostar its history and why it was the WRONG Minivan for America 

I purchased a 1994 Aerostar XLT extended with a 4.0L V6 and was the original owner. Kept it for 16 years and it was still in excellent shape when I sold it with 150,000 miles on the odometer. It was an excellent all around family vehicle and very versatile. Excellent at towing, great for hauling 7 passengers and could handle 4 X 8 sheets of paneling or 8 ft 2 X 4's with ease. Had separate heat and air units for front and rear that could handle cold and heat very well. Purchased to wheels and had them fitted with all weather radials that could take studs. For winter months these were worth every penny. Made the van into an unstoppable tank in snow and ice. The van also accommodated our Collie that went on many family outings with us. Drove an Astro van for work and never liked it very much. Found the front wheel wells and engine cowling hindered front passenger comfort. Knew people that owned Windstars and they all complained about reliability issues.

Basing the Aerostar in the Ranger platform was genius. I used my ‘95 extended to deliver as a courier and a family hauler. It never gave a a single complaint.

I was in Ford powertrain engineering during this time, Tony. Aerostar exceeded planned volume almost its entire production span, until the final year or two. But dealers knew by then the new minivans were coming, so that hurt Aerostar sales. They bought few Aerostars for stock on their lot, because nothing was changing on them to attract customers. Poling was concentrating on cost reductions to get us through a recession in early '90's, and after that Trotman / Nasser were busy buying and absorbing European brands under the Ford umbrella, leaving very little funds for Ford's American lineup. Aerostar got caught in that time frame, with very little new investment for full redesign. What hurt sales most versus competition was the total lack of exterior freshening the whole time it was produced, not being truck-based or RWD. Aero spats and stripe packages didn't catch consumer's attention. Lengthening the body helped win more sales briefly, but that wasn't enough. Also, there was perception, not unfair, that the quality of interior materials on Aerostar did not compare favorable with the Chrysler minivans. If air bags had not been mandated, the interior would've gotten no changes approved by management, more than likely. Windstar and Villager were actually market failures, with massive mechanical problems brought about by partnering with other companies like Nissan to save engineering cost internally. Ford did not totally control the development of those vehicles, and it showed. They didn't last as long in the market as Aerostar did. Trotman and Nasser did Ford no favors while they led the Company, being more focused on Europe than they were on the US market. RWD was the right platform for consumers, people did in fact want minivans with towing capability. That's why we kept upsizing the V6 engine, beefed up the transmission, and added 4WD. But the anteater aero snout not changing at all throughout the vehicle's run is why Aerostar didn't continue to sell better.

My first new vehicle was a 1986 Aerostar wagon ordered with 2.8 liter engine and 5 speed manual. Replaced it with a 1994 Aerostar extended length cargo van with the 3.0 L & 5 speed which I kept until 2012. Needless to say if they still made them I would buy one.

A vehicle that was in production for over a decade is not a “market failure”. Yes, the Aerostar and the Chevy Astro were more truck-like designs which were less popular - but guess what - both of them stuck around for a good long run. Yes, other models outsold them, but clearly there was a market for them.

I had an aerostar four-wheel drive best minivan I ever had nothing can stop it the snow that it went through was just awesome wish they would make them again

In my humble opinion, the Aerostar was/is the BEST Minivan ever made! I've owned 7 of them (all long versions)... 3 whites, 2 greens, 1 red, and 1 blue. I have a bad back and the Aerostar's seats are the most comfortable I've ever sat in for long drives. The red one had over 350,000 miles on it and was still running fine when I gave it away. They were reliable, had good mileage, would plow through snow like crazy (the AWD version), were super easy to break into when you locked your keys inside, and with the back seats removed, you could fit a full size sheet of plywood inside. I'm driving an '03 Mazda MPV now (which I really like) but I miss the Aerostars every time I think about them. Aerostars rock!

ahh, memories. growing up, my parents had a 1989 XL 5spd! Black with the white multi pin stripes on the side. Great van lol

My dad had a 95 that made it through two siblings before me. I got it with 296k on the odometer. It stopped counting as 315k. I drove it for 3 more years just doing oil changes quarterly. I’d buy one today.

I don't remember exactly what year but my uncle bought a new loaded Eddie Bauer Aerostar,, he was a GM guy and I never quite understood why he bought it,, they always had Bonnevilles and Cadillacs, but he absolutely loved it,, he kept it longer than anything else I remember him having,, and it gave him no problems and it says something that he was all Fords after that until he died.

I remember my Assistant Scoutmaster had a 92 Aerostar XLT Extended Length with 4WD. I rode it in several times. It impressed me on one winter camp out that Aerostar made it through the unplowed hilly road to the cabin while the parent of another scout got stuck with her Chrysler minivan.

Still driving 93 Areostar. 😊

The rear wheel drive ones were good in because they came with limited slip diff.

My parents had a 86 Voyager and replaced it with a 93 Aerostar in 1994. I was a young driver but got to drive both of them and far preferred the Aerostar. While the 3.0L was underpowered, compared to the 2.6L in the 86 Voyager it didn't feel like you were going to get run over accerating on the interstate. Later on I got a 89 Ranger with the 2.3L and you could feel a big difference with the Vulcan in the heavier Aerostar moved it better.

Had a 1990 Aerostar extended and loved it.

My father had two of these in the mid 90’s when I was growing up. I loved them, the captains chairs, the comfortable ride, the headphone jack and controls, and the space, ect… . When he got rid of the last one and bought a Chevy Astro I absolutely hated it lol, it was nothing like the Aerostar.

I'll never forget the night we were driving back from a huskers game and dad was talking about how the van had the 4wd to his passenger and then we hit black ice on a bridge. Almost rolled the pos over and we were just kids back then.

There was a 4.0L 4wd Aerostar as a utility vehicle at work. It kicked ass.

Always liked the looks of these

I had a 1993 extended with manual transmission. It was the single greatest car I ever owned

Had a 9? Aerostar Sport. Loved it! Drove it across the country several time. It got sandwiched in a three-car fender-bender. The frame got bent so Geico totaled it. I still have its floor mats in my 04 Escape. RE the Crysler minivans. I once heard the reason the early four-cylinder models had nine seats is so eight people could get out and help push it up hills!

A market fail? There were a few years there where everyone was driving an Aerostar, a Caravan, or a Fiero. 1.5 million units over an 11 year run seems like a win.

When I was growing up we had a 1987 model that was the family van My mom kept it until like 2000 Many memories in that. My dad also bought a 1990 Ranger that became mine in 2010 I drove it until 2020 until it couldn’t anymore. Fords do last a while if taken care of

Another great video! While working at Sears in Pottstown PA I spent a ton of time in a Ford Aerostar getting tires, brakes, exhausted, struts , etc from Reading and King of Prussia.... no AC or creature comfort. But that V6 with tiny tires made it a handful when empty in rainy conditions. Great Memories!! Thank you for sharing!

My cousin had one. It was great at the time. Many people used them for for music.

I had a 95 Aerostar for 8 years then I bought a 2007 dodge caravan I still have the caravan both vans were great for the use for my family

The R&D to develop a RWD small van using some Ford Ranger parts was probably cheaper than starting from scratch on a front wheel drive minivan.

My father had an 89, car i learned to drive in. It had its interesting quirks like the read headphone jacks still meant that the front speakers were still on, it must have been designed by a smoker because it had 6 huge ashtrays and 2 lighters. the best part, they were really easy to do smoke shows. my poor dad used to wonder why it went through tires so fast!

I'm 56 and I've owned 4 93/94 Aerostars for delivery vans and got over 380k miles on all 4 and never had a engine or transmission rebuild. These were actually superior to other brand models. I wish I could find a really low mileage one because I'd buy it immediately. 😊

My parents had a blue one when I was a kid. Our model had radio controls in the driver side rear wall and I used to drive my parents crazy by playing with them.

I looked at one in 1993 at 16 years old while my dad was talking to a salesman about a station wagon. thought the van was pretty. a year later my dad bought a blue 1993 chevy astro van. we loved it. my dad loved it being rear wheel drive. we hadn't had a front wheel drive yet. our first front wheel drive was a 1993 plymath voyager mini van in 2001.

I felt so sorry for a guy years ago..Had to be around 1998 or 99. I was selling Nissans and a guy was trying to trade his car in.He owed 10 grand on a 60k mile 94 Aerostar XLT. It had nice equipment, but a fatal minivan flaw. This sucker was a 5 speed! He didnt seem to be in bad shape for a trade in going by book value, but real world value dropped like a stone because it wasnt a auto. Called several wholesalers, and no one would agree to paying more than 4k. Couldnt make a deal and never saw him again. Great vid!

I had one and loved it, except for the electronic dash. Almost impossible to find one these days. After the Aerostar they went to wrong wheel drive and I lost interest.

When I started working as a computer / printer field repair technician we got Ford Aerostars for company vehicles. It was perfiect, we all loved them.

I had two of them 89 and a 92 one with the Eddie Bower and the other XLT both extended versions. They ran great and and held up well. I never considered them a tow vehicle but for a family of 5 the rig was big enough to haul the family, a couple of pets and all the luggage that went with it. It was indeed more truck like, but that is what I prefer and the size put it ahead of the regular FWD minivans of the day. We traded the last one in with 189K miles for a slightly used '99 2500 series Suburban. My sister-in-law had a Windstar....terrible reliability...replaced the front transaxle assembly 3 times, AC was fixed several times and she finally got rid of it.

Grew up having an Aerostar in the family. I believe it was a 90 model year, extended Eddie Bauer edition with 4 wheel drive. I remember many roadtrips in that vehicle

Very informative video. In 1995 i traded a 94 mercury tracer for a 94 Aerostar, extended length xl trim. I had a family of 4 at the time and a third child arrived a few years later. My wife drove it for many years before finally losing interest in it. It served us extremely well and even more so after installing an aftermarket center console with a tv and vcr player. I took over driving it after buying her a new 03 Taurus for her. I commuted 90 miles a day in it for 5 years, putting a total of 225,000 miles on it. At that time the power windows stopped working, ac quit working and interior door trim were snagging on the door jams. It was summer of 2010 when temps were high here in the Arizona desert and gas was (only) $4 a gallon and i was done driving it to and from work. My toyota dealer just opened and cash for clunkers was a thing and goodbye it went for my first of (so far) 4 prius and a very good service experience with 10+ Toyotas purchased and leased from that dealer. Very good memories of that Aerostar stick around, even the one of the space shuttle commercial when i was coming of driving age and never knew i would eventually own one. Thanks for a great video and a trip down memory lane.

I like how Ford compared the aeronautical design of the Aerostar to the Space Shuttle, which astronauts referred to as the flying brick.

I had a 1989 Aerostar and loved it!!! It was a dream to drive pulling a boat and our camper. It sat seven people and our two children each had their own seat while traveling. I would definitely buy another one if I could find one.

My first car was a ‘93 Aerostar with 192,000 miles from my mom. Its transmission gave up the ghost at about 219,000 miles because of a botched transmission service. I loved that van.

We bought a new Aerostar Sport for towing our tent camper. It was a great vehicle for our two boys and us for traveling, with and without the tent camper in tow. We ordered quad captains seats which were great for the boys. It served us well and it was a great vehicle for us!

I have one as a daily driver. A 97 xlt electronic 4wd extended 4.0 model. That van is incredible. My girlfriend and I go camping in it and I also tow our Jetskis with it along with driving to work and everywhere with ease and comfort.

We had a base model extended length Aerostar with the V6. It was a very good vehicle and we managed 160k miles on it before replacement. Only negative was changing out the passenger side rear spark plug! It was actually really good off road being truck based.

The van was a great grocery hauler and the little V6 was pretty zesty. I drove one on the weekends delivering kegs at the Jersey Shore. The appearance of that van was always greeted by cheers from the thirsty crowds.

I remember the first couple of year model vans had a lot of reliability problems. By 1990, they were a pretty reliable vehicle.

I always did like Chrysler, but when you compare the two back then. . . . Ford had the durability and the better bill quality absolutely.

My stepdad had an aerostar years ago back in the late 80's to early 90's and he loved it he was a construction worker and it had plenty of room to haul all of his tools all over the country to jobs that he did Heck I live in a small town and I still see one from time to time. I also have driven it for my delivery job back then and it ran great.

Had a extended version, made sense. Ladder rack., great vehicle for the used market some time ago. ..

Never had one but thought they were the best looking most AEROdynamic mini van.

I grew up with one of these. By far the most reliable car we owned at the time, compared with all the GM stuff my dad kept buying. At least until it started having starter problems, where the starter would stick and keep cranking till it killed the battery or burned itself out. Happened a few times, stranding us. But anyway, as a kid, the inside was awesome. Roomy, captains chairs in the middle row, my siblings and I were happy as clams.

I had 2 Aerostar vans both extended they made great work vans for me as a carpenter.

My aunt used to have one. It used to be red, but the FL sun roasted the paint so that it turned a purple/pink hue. It always reminded me of Barney, because of the color, and the shape.

My first girlfriend drove an old rusted out Aerostar. She was an Irish Catholic girl that ended up going to nursing school. You know the type. That Aerostar got a lot of work in the back. Not from me, from her first semester at OSU....

Best thing about Aerostars were there front springs. Compound wound and fit in may 50-60’s cars to lower them about 2”. They are sill made today and are usually sold out.Moog CC850’s.

I remember seeing a lot of the windowless commercial Aerostar vans. Electricians seemed to love them. Looking back I think the biggest problem with the Aerostar was that it was at least somewhat underpowered and they drove and handled like trucks. But in its favor it was seemingly more reliable than those Chrysler minivans were.

Aerostar advertising got off to the wrong start. In the Jan and Feb 1986 issues of magazines, ads promenately featured the space shuttle as a side-by-side comparison of shape.... until the disaster.

My folks had 2 aerostars. I learned to drive one of them. Good memories

Had an 86 model with the V6....loved how well built and tight the van was....two issues were the digital dash backlight with crappy and short lived lights and the front seal on the automatic transmission...had to keep replacing both and finally gave up on the Aerostar in 89....//

The Aerostar/Ranger brake rotors were perfect for disc brake conversions on 1949-1951 Ford passenger cars.

My mother in law had a Caravan and my parents had a Aerostar. The Aerostar was of much higher quality than the crappy Caravan. The Aerostar however was a rear wheel drive vehicle. The Caravan was front wheel drive.

Lee Iacocca was the Best thing that ever Happened to Ford and Chrysler, Henry Ford II was a Ego Maniac and felt hurt when Lee Iacocca was given well deserved Praise.

The manual trans stuck around till 1995? Amazing. The Windstar was such a fresh looking modern vehicle at the time. It doesn't surprise me that it sold well

Thanks for putting in the work to create this. Very cool. My grandpa had the burgundy AWD Eddie Bauer Aerostar when I was a kid. I always liked it. They're so hard to find now, let alone in decent shape.

I forgot how popular the Aerostar was during those years. But then, Ford was a much bigger company with many more production plants. A much broader lineup. The Windstar was better looking, but suffered with quality problems.

I picked up a '97 extended AWD model about 5 years ago, mainly as something to haul odds and ends and ended up turning it into a camper van. Its been an awesome rig even with all this age on it, though only 65k original miles right now. I guess I m the oddball but the reasons that the rest of america wasnt too fond of it is exactly what I like about it, rear wheel based, drives and built like a truck, can haul a bunch of stuff and handles snow better than anything I ve driven, its also surprisingly nice handling and riding for what it is very comfortable. Its also a great conversation piece since people are always surprised to see one out on the roads

Thanks these videos sure brings back memories growing up in the 80s seeing the vehicles we had growing up in the 80s. The Ford Aerostar seemed to be a better van compared to the Caravan and Windstars in terms of durability and towing capabilities .

We bought a 1986 Aerostar XLT when they introduced the 3.0. Great midi van.

We bought a new 1990 Eddie Bauer all wheel drive extended with no option left behind. It served us well as our family grew from 2 kids to 5 though it had significant body corrosion issues. We traded it in on a 1996 Suburban an never looked back. Thanks for the video.

Very informative! Loved the clip from the jerk, too 😂

I had 2 of these in AWD and loved them both. Also had a Windstar and liked it too.

I had a 93 or 94 Eddie Bauer long wheel base. 4 liter v6. 4 captains chairs and rear bench. Took it to 300k miles. Traded it in, $500😊 toward a truck my son said he’d pay half. He did, every month, then I gave him my half. . A local waitress bought it from the buy here, pay here lot next to the dealership the truck came from. It was easy to identify as formerly mine. She thanked me for taking such good care of it. She was still driving it 3 years later.

Had one of these when our kid were small LOVED IT great ride

Great video. In-laws in CA had one. Don’t remember what year or what V-6 but they bought it second hand. It didn’t last that long for them and got replaced by an Astro, which they drove the wheels off, didn’t really have any problems with, and sold it off with high mileage. Their Aerostar had suffered from various engine problems. I always perceived the Aerostar as cheaply put together and under powered. I would have preferred the good ole station wagon but by the time we needed something to haul kids, they were gone and we ended up buying a 2000 Windstar. Only vehicle for which I bought an extended warranty based on reputation, and ended up not needing it before it got traded for an Expedition. ThenAstros developed sort of a cult following. Don’t really see either of them on the road today, though

Had a '93 XLT with analog gauges and loved it. Traded our beloved 89 Taurus Wagon and immediately loaded it up for a family vacation for 5. Higher seating than minivans and waaaay more reliable than my buddy's Chevy Astro, which literally started falling apart on the way home from dealership. The Chevy was larger, had bigger motor and tires but the Aerostar was smoother ride and quieter. Kept it till 97 without ever having a single issue and well over 100k miles.

"Wrong Minivan for America?" Huh?! I bought a brand new Aerostar in '92 while in the military and in the process of several cross country and up and down the coasts moves. I bought it BECAUSE it was based on a truck chassis and could handle my growing family and all their gear and friends too and even towed my second car from WA to San Diego. I had it for 9 years and 178K miles before the transmission started slipping. Bought a stylish new Windstar to replace it for $28K with all the tricks. Half the car at twice the price. Plagued with electrical problems, front transaxle issues, top end gaskets, etc. Wasn't sure it was going to even make it to 100K miles. Traded it as soon as I could.

Never have had a minvan but enjoyed your history lesson.

My first drive was a 94 xlt ext, thing was a beast on both asphalt and dirt rural roads, I really miss bombing questhaven in it everynight around the turn of the millenium.

I loved my Aerostar. It had it the 3.0 V6 and It was a dream to drive. You could take all the seats out and hall a lot of cargo. The only thing I hated about it was the flipping heater core. The stock was aluminum and had a tendency to spring a leak, and was a JOY to work on.

When I was married my wife had a Ford aerostar extended length all-wheel drive. We did have some repairs transmission went out. Overall it was pretty nice van

I had an Aerostar for 22 years. I was a Ford Aerospace employee which was sold to another company. The worst thing was the back lights for the digital dash board went out and could not be fixed. I used it for hauling business stuff and camping with the second and third row seating removed. Bust a gut doing that. The Winstar was too much station wagon for me, I bought a Honda Element. (Also discontinued, but going on 15 years.)

The Voyager and Caravan were popular with women and where the choice preferred by soccer moms in the era before the SUV craze. The Aerostar was the man's minivan. It was a superior vehicle in every way to the Caravan. It was more powerful, more rugged, could hold more cargo, and had a high enough ground clearance to take off road much like an SUV. It was more than just a vehicle for chauffeuring kids to soccer practice and also cheaper by about 3 or 4 grand. Compared to the offerings from GM, Chrysler, and various imports the Aerostar was the clear winner. This was my first car as teenager. My parents owned it from '89 to 97 and then passed to me which I drove until 2000. I thought it was pretty cool because it could do burnouts bone stock. It wasn't a sleeper or anything but it was unexpectedly more powerful then one would think.

My parents had Fords in our family as far as I can remember,no problems with them. I recommended the '1993 when Dad went shopping for one for Mom. Got a blue RWD Sport edition and it ran fine for its entire life. The only major thing we had done was a water pump and a right ball joint....but to each his own.

I had a 1990 Aerostar and it was fun to drive until the power steering motor went out. I had a shop install an after market version of the original and it made so much noise when I turned the wheel I couldn’t stand it anymore and had it crushed to the size of a coffee table. If you looked at it closely..lol.. you could see the power steering pump and it was still in tact. ..lol.. I’m sticking with Chevy’s from now on. My 2001 Tahoe is awesome. Excellent exchange. 😁

Love your videos, I am a longtime fan of Ford vehicles. Former owner of a 74' Pinto wagon 5 spd, then an 82' 5dr Escort, an 86' 4dr Tempo and finally a 03' Ford Escape. I currently work for a car rental agency (35 years) We rented the Aerostar, Windstar, Freestar mini vans when they came out.

I had 2 of the aerostars and loved them. Both had a v6 and the gas mileage was very good and they was both reliable.

I love my 1992 Ford aerostar.. still runs like a champ!!

80's kid here, those Ford commercials definitely were a trip down memory lane 😊

I bought a 93 Aerostar extended right off the lot. We bought it because we had a pop up camper. Sadly, it never gave much confidence in handling when I towed the camper even after taking it to 3 dealers to be sure the suspension and steering components were to spec. Also, the engine really didn't like pulling the camper either. The last straw was when the AC stopped working at 16,000 miles and the mechanic found the condenser was leaking at the high pressure port. The mechanic said every Aerostar he had seen failed at the same spot because the hose was always installed split put sideload on the condenser. As soon as the AC was fix, I traded it in and got a Taurus wagon. Now that car was amazing, rode like a limp and would climb snow covered hills like a 4x4.

U could get the 4.OH on these, I had one till I ruined the trans going down hill and slamming it into R with the go pedal floored, it was a fun toy lol.

My parents had an '89 Aerostar with the 5-speed in the gray color and its the vehicle i eventually learned to drive in and how to drive a manual....we took many trips to Florida or Pennsylvania in that van....it mostly had issues with the power steering or breaking the serpentine belt

The bodyshops called it the Ford "Deathstar". Lol. The later Windstar wasn't much better either.

Another excellent video! I have no idea why, but I’ve always liked these. Minivans were definitely never Ford’s strong suit though.

I bought a used green Ford Aerostar in like 2002 for like $500 in South Carolina. Was my first RWD vehicle I think it was the v6. Might have gotten on Autotrader mag or an online website don't remember. Seller was kind enough to let me crash on his couch for the night. Later drove it from Georgia to Washington State with my gf at the time. Used to take in processing soldiers at Ft Lewis out to Seattle to go drinking. I remember I tinted it and put 3 -10"s subwoofers in the back also had some custom Focal mids and highs installed. Amps powered the highs/ mids and subs. Only complaint I had about that minivan was you could feel the heat thru the firewall towards the middle on the cross-country road trip perhaps some work was done to it or that was just bad design. I liked how you could take the rear seats out easily and sit them in your barracks room like a mini couch, lol. Later sold it to a soldier who crashed his very nice Ford Focus SVT. I really liked the unique styling of the Ford Aerostar looked cooler than the Windstar or the Chrysler. Only thing I would consider over it was maybe an MPV. It would be cool to see them make a comeback either as a turbo gas, hybrid, or EV.

I had a 1989 Ford Aerostar that I bought used in 1994. It was a 3l v6 and already had 60k miles on it and looked brand new, but it had a bad transmission. Once I had the transmission rebuild, this van became one of my most reliable vehicles that I ever owned. Move forward to the year 2001 and 230k miles on the odometer, a Nissan car cut me off on the GW Bridge curved off ramp to Palisade Parkway on a damp day, I lost control and crashed into a concrete barrier totaling this van. I have a 1997 Lincoln Town Car Signature that I've own for about 14 years now (my most reliable car I ever own to date). I wouldn't mind owning this van again if I had the money and space to keep it in.

I haven't watched this video yet but I'm going to throw something out as someone who was there at the time. Their advertising was heavily based on the space shuttle had a serious outer space theme. I even remembered commercials where they're driving the van on the rings of saturn. And then the space shuttle crashed.

Our family’s Aerostar blew its gasket at relatively low miles for no apparent reason and also had lot of electrical door lock and window issues. It went away when the explorer came out.

I had a 88, have owned 8 fords but one Nissan because of this van. Replaced 6 window motors, two wiper motors, and transmission at 60 thousand miles!

I had a 1st year Aerostar and a first year Windstar I should have kept them both never thought I'd say that about a van, recently started van shopping again I would buy a Aerostar again especially if I found a 4wd

A friend told me to buy the AeroStar since it was very reliable. Wound up buying a Plymouth Voyager instead. Was a nice vehicle except for the transmission. Went through seven transmissions while I owned it. The 7 70 warranty that I paid extra for came in handy for those first five transmissions. Chrysler provided me with a free loaner car while under warranty. Other than that it was comfortable to drive and relatively economical to drive with the 3 liter V6 engine.

I forgot how far back in time that rig was introduced. 1986!