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1990 Ford FestivaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 21 owner complaints about the 1990 Ford Festiva, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints212 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem10Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 30, 2003. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Ford Festiva has problems

21 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 belts100
Electrical system31
Wheels31
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Steering10
Tires10
Visibility10
Power train10

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

2 recalls

1990 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 →

–no report yet

Front: warning light/devices

Recall 90V-045 · Mar 8, 1990 · 268 vehicles

Risk. OCCUPANTS WOULD NOT RECEIVE THIS WARNING TO USE SAFETY BELTS AND CARS WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 208.

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

1990 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 1990 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.

TAKATA BELT BUCKLE RECALL; KIRK FORD HANCOCK MD. GAVE OWNER HARD TIME W/APPOINTMENT AND REPLACED PASSENGER BUCKLE FROM JUNK YARD. DEALER NOT AWARE OF RECALL.*AK
Complaint 984165 · May 7, 1996
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY ENGANGED IN THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER REPLACED THE BUCKLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Complaint 847320 · Sep 9, 1999
STETCHING THAT HOLD BOTH SHOULDER HARNESS WEBBING TOGETHER HAVE WEATHERED AND FALLEN APART. I WOULD GUESS THAT THERE SHOULD BE OTHER SIMILAR CASES DUE THE POSITION AND THE UV/ SUN CONTAMINATION ON THE TREADS ( THE THREADS ARE COTTON AND NOT NYLON). *AK
Complaint 745186 · May 11, 2001

Own a 1990 Festiva?

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