It was okay but next time I'll buy a Honda Odyssey

I bought my 1992 Ford Aerostar used in March 1993 with 42k miles on it. It was an XLT extended model, with the 3.0 V6. It did not have dual-air conditioning and that was a big mistake! The a/c could not keep the large van cool in the summer no matter what. The van was bought to haul Civil Air Patrol search and rescue teams as well as an Explorer scout post. It was an excellent road vehicle, very comfortable for long distance driving. Problems began to appear with the fiberglass tailgate cracking at 50k miles. The door glass would rattle when you shut the doors, and the sliding door leaked badly. The side windows leaked despite being replaced twice by the dealer. The carpet was threadbare by 75k miles but to be fair, that wasn't helped by carrying people and cargo constantly.
Mechanical repairs were very frequent, with the dreaded Ford ECM-IV ignition module having to be replaced every 30k miles. By the time I sold the van at 103k miles, it was on its third alternator, second water pump, third power steering pump, and the transmission was slipping. This was after exclusive highway driving, not much stop-and-go city driving. The van sheetmetal was very prone to dents, with the large flat sides not having much reinforcement. For some reason the headlights could never maintain a proper adjustment either. By 103k miles the 3.0 "Vulcan" V6 was burning oil. I tried to maintain this van to the factory guidelines and changed oil every 3000 miles but it just kept breaking down. The power steering pump moaned and groaned constantly, which apparently is a common Ford problem. The engine in these vans is VERY difficult to access and work on for you do-it-yourselfers out there...be forewarned!! One thing that I did like was the rather low lift-over height compared to fullsize vans and the Chevy Astro. Not as low to the ground as a Dodge Caravan but close. The rear seats are really darned heavy, close to 100 pounds and require 2 people to remove. The velour upohlstery is a lint and dog-hair magnet which never ever comes clean. All types of clothing stick to the seats from static electricity.
The exhaust system lasted 50k miles exactly, I had it replaced twice with factory Ford parts, a bit disappointing on the quality there. Brakes: The Aerostar will eat a set of front brake pads every 30k miles (almost as bad as a full-size van!). As far as driving it, the steering is responsive, the brakes are a bit soft but the ABS worked very well. Acceleration isn't bad with the 3.0 but I wish it had the 4.0 ! The gauges are large and easy to read and the controls are decent except for the power window and door locks, which are right next to your knee and you will often hit them when you least expect it. (I'm a big person so maybe it's just me). The factory radio has a decent tape player but a horrible FM. Spend the $$ and get an aftermarket radio on all Fords!! Dealer service wasn't bad, just expensive. There is a dealer here in Louisville, KY that sells Ford trucks/vans exclusively and they know their stuff, very honest. The other dealers' repairs were okay but they were pretty uncaring especially on warranty repairs. I used to be a volunteer firefighter, and this is not a good vehicle to run code-3 with due to the soft brakes and extreme body roll, plus difficult blindspot vision. In the rain I never felt really safe making a hard emergency run with the Aerostar. Just my .02 cents worth if you happen to use your vehicle for that purpose. Overall, the Aerostar was so-so. It was slightly more reliable than my 1990 Taurus, which was the worst thing I've ever driven.