1989 Ford Festiva Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 13%of 47 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the electrical system of the 1989 Ford Festiva, 13% of the 47 complaints for this model year. 4 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Ignition switch overheats and smokes. Blower fan also quits at frequent intervals. Smoke came up out of the steering column at one point. There is a persistant problem with this when I try to run the air conditioning system. I would like to get this fixed with a new updated switch before it burns my car and house up. My Ford dealership is not the friendly kind that wants to listen to your problems. So please help me with this.”
NHTSA complaint #702521, filed 1999-01“Wiring held in an unpadded clamp, which rubbed off insulation over time, resulted in a fire while the vehicle was (luckily) in for other repairs. The parts supplier mentioned that the same thing happened to a friend of his, but while driving at speed, and caused even more damage. The fire started right under the carburator - a scource of gasoline - and therefore I consider this very dangerous, especially when the wire insulation wears off and a short causes a fire.”
NHTSA complaint #728999, filed 2000-08Electrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 1989 Ford Festiva
38 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1989 Ford Festiva
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology