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1988 Ford FestivaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 44 owner complaints about the 1988 Ford Festiva, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints446 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem28Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 11, 2002. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1988 Ford Festiva has problems

44 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts282
Electrical system63
Seats20
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Engine and engine cooling20
Suspension20
Wheels10
Tires10
Power train10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1988 Ford Festiva recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Front: buckle assembly

Recall 95V-103 · Jun 27, 1995 · 265,000 vehicles

Risk. THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1988 vs. every other Festiva year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Festiva median. How we score

'88'89'90'91'92'93'94
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1988 Ford Festiva, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SEAT BELT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTIONPE95013 · closed Jul 28, 1995
    Led to recall 95V-103
In owners' words

What Festiva owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

AFTER TAKING VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE MECHANIC STATED VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. MANAGER INSISTED THAT CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL, AND REFUSED TO SERVICE VEHICLE. *AK
Complaint 8012422 · Jun 21, 2002
VEHICLE IMPROPERLY PASSED ANOTHER VEHICLE, WEATHER WAS FOGGY, TRUCK WAS COMING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION, VEHICLE HIT TRUCK, SEAT BELT STRAP BROKE UPON IMPACT. *AK
Complaint 983671 · Apr 25, 1996
RECALL 95S16 NHTSA 95V10311; NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL BUT HAVE TAKATA BUCKLE HAVING PROBLEM. WAS TOLD SPECIFIC VEHICLES, SOME MANUFACTURE PLANTS. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
Complaint 976964 · Dec 26, 1995

Own a 1988 Festiva?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.