RoadVitals

1989 Ford Festiva Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
47
Latest May 22, 2001
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
7
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since May 24, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 47 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Ford Festiva. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 47 · page 1 of 2

Engine
Filed May 22, 2001

VEHICLE JUST STOPPED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER SAID THAT VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISE, THEN IT JUST QUIT. *AK

NHTSA ID
888873
Incident
Apr 1, 2001
Electrical
Filed Aug 25, 2000
Fire reported

WIRING HELD IN AN UNPADDED CLAMP, WHICH RUBBED OFF INSULATION OVER TIME, RESULTED IN A FIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS (LUCKILY) IN FOR OTHER REPAIRS. THE PARTS SUPPLIER MENTIONED THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A FRIEND OF HIS, BUT WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED, AND CAUSED EVEN MORE DAMAGE. THE FIRE STARTED RIGHT UNDER THE CARBURATOR - A SCOURCE OF GASOLINE - AND THEREFORE I CONSIDER THIS VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WIRE INSULATION WEARS OFF AND A SHORT CAUSES A FIRE.

NHTSA ID
728999
Incident
Aug 22, 2000
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 16, 1999
Fire reported

THE LIGHTING SYSTEM SHORTED OUT, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK *YC

NHTSA ID
853379
Incident
Nov 23, 1999
Heating & air conditioningElectrical
Filed Jan 24, 1999
Fire reported

IGNITION SWITCH OVERHEATS AND SMOKES. BLOWER FAN ALSO QUITS AT FREQUENT INTERVALS. SMOKE CAME UP OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AT ONE POINT. THERE IS A PERSISTANT PROBLEM WITH THIS WHEN I TRY TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED WITH A NEW UPDATED SWITCH BEFORE IT BURNS MY CAR AND HOUSE UP. MY FORD DEALERSHIP IS NOT THE FRIENDLY KIND THAT WANTS TO LISTEN TO YOUR PROBLEMS. SO PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS. *AK

NHTSA ID
702521
Incident
Aug 10, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Aug 23, 1998

RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE REAR SEATBELTS ARE JAMMED AND RED RELEASE BUTTON IS BROKEN.

NHTSA ID
540287
Incident
Aug 22, 1998
ElectricalSeat belts
Filed Aug 7, 1998

IGNITION FAILED.

NHTSA ID
538890
Incident
Apr 1, 1998
Seat belts
Filed May 7, 1997

SEAT BELT PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTON CRUMBLED, DEPOSITING FRAGMENTS AND JAMMING THE LOCKING MECHANISM.

NHTSA ID
517041
Seat belts
Filed Mar 11, 1997

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR THE SEAT BELT RECALL, AND DEALER ORDERED THE WRONG BUCKLES. NOW CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER WEEK OR MORE BEFORE DEALER COULD ORDER THE RIGHT BUCKLES. *AK

NHTSA ID
809802
Incident
Mar 4, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jan 13, 1997
Crash reported

INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION AND THE DRIVER,S SIDE SHOULDER BELT SNAPPED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
807550
Incident
Jan 10, 1997
Suspension
Filed Oct 23, 1996

WHEEL BEARING AXLE FAILED.

NHTSA ID
601950
Incident
May 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Oct 17, 1996

THE REAR LAP BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE. THEY ARE LOCKED IN PLACE, CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO PULL THEM OUT IN ORDER TO FASTEN A PASSENGER.

NHTSA ID
803669
Incident
Apr 15, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Sep 3, 1996

#95V103011, RECEIVED RECALL ON THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE, BROUGHT CAR IN AND DEALER DOESN'T HAVE THE PARTS. PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK

NHTSA ID
801749
Seat belts
Filed Aug 19, 1996

SEAT BELT BUCKLE RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS.

NHTSA ID
505299
Incident
May 25, 1996
Electrical
Filed Aug 6, 1996

SHORT IN IGNITION SWITCH CAUSES BLOWER MOTOR TO QUIT INTERMITTENTLY, ALSO SMOKES OCCASIONALLY. *DH

NHTSA ID
507118
Incident
Jul 30, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jul 17, 1996

OWNER BROUGHT VEHICLE IN TWICE TO REMEDY RECALL, FIRST DLR HAD NO PARTS, SECOND DLR ORDERED WRONG PART, DRIVERS' BELT BUCKLE BROKE, DLR WON'T GIVE LOANER. *AK

NHTSA ID
987061
Seat belts
Filed Jul 11, 1996

RECALL 954103011- WHEN MR. OUTLAW GOT THE VEHICLE BACK THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE STILL WASN'T OPERATING CORRECTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
986768
Seat belts
Filed Jul 9, 1996

THE DEALERSHIP HAS TAKEN TWO MONTHS TO ORDER THE SEATBELT PARTS. THEY STILL HAVE NOT ORDERED IT. RECALL 96V071000. *AK

NHTSA ID
986642
Incident
May 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jul 8, 1996

PART NOT AVAILABLE. DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL HAVE IT. CONTACTED (3) TIMES, 5/24,96, 6/14,96 & 7/8/96. SEAT BELT BUCKLE RECALL 95V103011. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
986562
Incident
Jul 8, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jun 20, 1996

MR. JACOBSON CAR HAS BEEN WITH GILLESPIE FORD FOR SIX WEEKS NOW AND THE WORK HAS NOT BEEN DONE REGARDING SEA TBELT BUCKLES RECALL 95V103011. *AK

NHTSA ID
985933
Seat belts
Filed Jun 18, 1996

DRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTON CRUMBLED, JAMMING THE LOCKING MECHANISM PRIOR TO RECALL.

NHTSA ID
505396
Incident
Sep 19, 1995
Seat belts
Filed May 22, 1996

SEAT BELTS STUCK INSIDE RETRACTOR. *SD

NHTSA ID
504786
Incident
Apr 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed May 22, 1996

FRONT SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON BROKE PRIOR TO RECALL.

NHTSA ID
504637
Incident
May 14, 1996
Seat belts
Filed May 22, 1996

DIFFICULTY GETTING SEAT BELT RECALL REPAIRS DONE DUE TO LACK OF PARTS.

NHTSA ID
504619
Incident
May 8, 1996
Seat belts
Filed May 14, 1996

THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT GIVE HER A LOANER CAR BECAUSE SHE DID NOT BUY HER CAR FROM THAT DEALERSHIP. RECALL REPAIRS ON SEAT BELT BUCKLES 95V103011. *AK

NHTSA ID
984425
Incident
May 13, 1996
Seat belts
Filed May 10, 1996

THE SEAT BELT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR IS TWISTED WHERE IT IS NOT ABLE TO BE USED. *AK

NHTSA ID
984373

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .