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1989 Ford FestivaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 47 owner complaints about the 1989 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 complaints477 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem38Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 22, 2001. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1989 Ford Festiva has problems

47 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 belts381
Electrical system64
Engine and engine cooling31
Suspension10
Exterior lighting11
Equipment11
Fuel system, gasoline10

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

1 recall

1989 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

1989 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
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1989 Ford Festiva, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR SAFETY BELTPE89139 · closed Oct 31, 1989
    No recall
  2. SEAT SEPARATIONPE90083 · closed Sep 27, 1990
    No recall
  3. 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.

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
Complaint 987061 · Jul 17, 1996
RECALL 954103011- WHEN MR. OUTLAW GOT THE VEHICLE BACK THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE STILL WASN'T OPERATING CORRECTLY. *AK
Complaint 986768 · Jul 11, 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
Complaint 986562 · Jul 8, 1996

Own a 1989 Festiva?

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