1990 Ford aerostar tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1990 Ford Aerostar, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215/70R14 OEM | R14 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 215/75R15 | 7x15 | 5x114.3 | 12mm | N/A | N/A |
| 215/65R16 | 6x16 | 5x114.3 | 20mm | N/A | N/A |
1990 Ford aerostar wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x114.3 |
|---|---|
| Center bore | 70.3 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Ford Aerostar, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Ford Aerostar →
Plus-size and winter-downsize options for every Ford Aerostar factory size →
Compatible alternative sizes for 215/70R14
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
205/80R13 |
0.24% | winter narrower | Safe |
185/75R15 |
0.29% | plus 1 | Safe |
195/70R15 |
-0.40% | plus 1 | Safe |
235/70R13 |
0.40% | alternative | Safe |
225/55R16 |
-0.41% | plus 2 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 215/70R14 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 215/70R14 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 185/75R15; one rim size up, 0.29% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 225/55R16; two rim sizes up, -0.41% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1990 ford aerostar
The 1990 Ford Aerostar ships from the factory on 215/70R14 tires mounted on R14 wheels. 3 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Ford Aerostar comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1990 Ford Aerostar owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1990 Ford Aerostar, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1990 ford aerostar
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Reported across: 1990 – 1990 (1 year)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation appears in 33% of these reports; about 2.5× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 36 reports covering every model year of the Ford Aerostar that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 33% | 13% | 2.5× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 19% | 20% | 1.0× |
| Sidewall failure | 8% | 15% | 0.6× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 8% | 8% | 1.0× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 3% | 9% | 0.3× |
| Premature or uneven wear | 3% | 1% | 2.1× |
Mileage at failure
14 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 34,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 10,550 and 136,671 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford Aerostar. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
FIRESTONE TIRES EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, LATER THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A SHIMMY IN THE FRONT OF THE VAN AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT IT WAS THE TIRES, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACING THE TIRES. *SLC
THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME DEFECT AS STATED IN THE TSB 96-10-13, WHICH INDICATES THE LEFT REAR TIRE RUBBING ON THE WHEELHOUSE INNER PANEL IN JOUNCE POSITION AND HEAVY LOADS DUE TO MISLOCATED BODY BRACKET, THE VEHICLES TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF THE BRACKET DEFECT. *MJS
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATION AND BLOWOUT OF THE COOPER TIRE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER SEVERAL TIMES, EJECTING SOME OF THE PASSENGERS, 3 DEATHS AND 6 INJURIES RESULTED FROM THIS INCIDENT (FLORIDA TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) CRASH REPORT NUMBER 56056858 (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER). *MJS
AFTER MARKET NITTO ROAD TOURING TIRE, P215/70R14 SIZE, DOT#: CXNX3DF195. RIGHT REAR TIRE WORE OUT ON ONE SIDE AND CRACKED, CAUSING IT TO BURST FROM INSIDE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER STATES DURING PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, ALL TIRES EXCEPT ONE APPEARED TO HAVE CONSIDERABLE MILES REMAINING, 2-3 THOUSAND MILES LATER, ONE TIRE BEGAN CRACKING ON THE SIDEWALL NEAR THE FACE, IT WAS REPLACED, A LITTLE WHILE LATER TWO MORE TIRES EXPERIENCED THE SAME, THE FOURTH TIRE FAILED IN THE DRIVEWAY, IT BURST FROM CRACKING, AFTER CONSUMER HAD GONE ON TRIP, CONSUMER FEELS IT IS FOOLISH TO PUT 14 INCH TIRES ON A VEHICLE AS LARGE AS THE AEROSTAR. *SLC
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1990 Ford Aerostar?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1990 Ford Aerostar?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1990 Ford Aerostar?
Where can I buy tires for my 1990 Ford Aerostar?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1990 Ford Aerostar?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1990 Ford Aerostar?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1990 Ford Aerostar?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Ford Aerostar is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1990 Ford Aerostar.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-10-07.