1993 Ford Festiva problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1993 Ford Festiva. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1993 Ford Festiva vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 7 | 35% |
| Suspension | 6 | 30% |
| Power Train | 3 | 15% |
| Tires | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1993 ford festiva. While backing out of the driveway at an unknown speed, the driver side wheel detached from the vehicle. The wheel sustained a dent in the metal covering. The dealer stated that the front control arm failed and needed to be replaced. The contact paid for the repair. Soon after…”
Suspension · filed Dec 19, 2007
“Dt: the contact stated while pulling out of the driveway the left front double wheel assembly fell of the vehicle when the left front control arm lower ball joint broke. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin. The vehicle has been seen by a…”
Suspension · filed Jan 6, 2006
“Dt: contact owns a 1993 ford fiestiva . The instrument cluster could catch on fire. The replacement parts was no longer available. The contact felt that the dealer should make these parts again so this problem could be fixed.*ak 11/02/05. *jb”
Electrical System · filed Oct 14, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
30 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1993 Ford Festiva. The 10 most recent:
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
Brake shift interlock.*jb
01181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information for servicing and diagnosing brake vibration, brake inspection, and brake friction material replacement. *tt
99194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Conditions with the brake lamps inadvertently disabling the brake shift interlock. *tt
99139 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1993 Ford Festiva in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1993 Ford Festiva?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.