How many recalls does the 1988 Ford Festiva have?

The 1988 Ford Festiva has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1988 Ford Festiva has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1988 Ford Festiva?

Of 52 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is seat belts.

1988 Ford Festiva Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1988 Ford Festiva has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 265,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

SEAT BELTS 95V103011 1995-06-27 265,000 affected

Defect

THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.

Consequence

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

Remedy

OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES AND CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. THEY SHOULD ENSURE THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUGGING ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THAT LATCH IS…

Complaints by component

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

SEATS

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Total complaints52

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“June, 2001, tire #npc8 jphr 169 on the rear driver's side blew out while I was doing about 70 mph in the middle of the night (cool out). The car immediately went sideways to the road, in the oncoming lane. I barely got control of the vehicle, and back to my side of the road only a couple of…”

TIRES · reported 2001-06-20

“No summary”

SUSPENSION:FRONT · reported 1999-11-16

“Seat belt buckle release button broke, jamming buckle. Recall, nhtsa id 95v103011. Mfg. Says my vin is not included, and won't fix it.”

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY · reported 1998-10-01

“Every 3 to 6 months I have to replace the rear wheelbearings one or both sides. Have already replaced the rear spindles on both sides too. I have been told that this is not normal. Is there any that can be done about this problem? And what can I do about it.*ak”

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT · reported 1998-05-25

“Safety seat belt failed, prior recall item, however consumer not able to get recall work done.”

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE · reported 1998-02-01

“While parked, an electrical short in the wiring caused the wiring under the hood to catch on fire. *ak”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD · reported 1996-12-12

“On one occasion the belt teinsioner was replaced and now it is loose again. .*ak”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE · reported 1996-11-25

“Steering column fire, ignition switch overheated and vehicle burned. *ak *slc”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · reported 1996-09-16

Defect investigations

Investigation PE95013 Opened 1995-02-23 · closed 1995-07-28

SEAT BELT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION

There is no summary currently available

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Ford Festiva as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.