I have one child and another on the way, are these vans durable? They are the only ones I can find that don't have a slew of issues.

 

Depends onhow you define "durable". They are powerful RWD dominant vans, which means their pulling and towing and general hauling capacity is greater than a typical FWD minivan. The engines are reliable, both the 4.0L and the 3.0L. However, they like everything do have weaknesses. The first weakness is the transmission. This is not unique to the Aerostar, all minivans have transmission issues. The difference, is the Aerostars are a better platform. If you get a shift kit installed before the transmission fails, and get the fluid changed every 30,000 miles, the transmission does quite well. Even better if you add a better transmission cooler.

Another area of weakness os the cooling system. The stock cooling is more than adequate, but they are often neglected and improperly cared for. If you replace the coolant with the proper mix and make sure no tap water is ever used, the cooling system will do well. If the cooling is neglected, they like anything else, will likely suffer a head gasket failure.

Tune up information is all in the stickies.

This being said, the Aerostar is very reliable. The catch is they were discontinued in 1997, so age and mileage will start to get to them. Despite this, just the numbers of them that are still out there tells you how dependable they really are. How many other models do you find that are 1997 or older that are even worth fixing?

The main thing is that you have to keep them maintained, and by that, I mean replace all the fluids, and keep them relatively fresh. On the transmission do not power flush them. If it involves a flush machine, it is a power flush and will damage the transmission. Use only the methods posted in the sticky.

 

I have a 1996 Aerostar extended van, 4.0 engine.
I use it as a tow vehicle for my boat, since the van was new.
My boat is a 1997 Ski Nautique, 2308 hours on it. My boat is not moored, it is parked in my car port. If you are not familiar with boats, trust me, that is a lot of use.
I also use my van for hauling sound equipment. Occasionally, I have hauled sound equiptment, and towed my boat.
My van has over 176,000 miles on it. No transmission problems.

 

Yeah, the 1995 and newer do have an electronic transmission, works better than the older A4LD, the 1997 4.0L AWD is better still with its 5 speed automatic.

The main thing to remember if you do haul loads is to disable OD while going up inclines.

 

I think if you've got an F-250 you've got your towing needs covered right there.

Aerostars are a cheap van to buy now, but buy one only with a good maintenance record. I had the history of mine from 100,000k on up. They are rugged and dependable if, like Khan said you keep their fluids fresh.

Get a transmission cooler if you intend on hauling any loads.