1995 Ford Festiva review from Australia and New Zealand

Front Wheel bearing 60000k.

Steering vibration between 80 - 90 kmh since new.

No Other Major Problems in 6 years.

The vehicle was purchased new in 1995 and came with a set of very nice mags. The day I picked the vehicle up I notice a slight vibration for 80khm to 90kmh and then it would disappear as the speed increased.

Back to the dealer 3 times before they diagnosed the mags as the culprits.

With standard tyres fitted she drove like a dream, but I paid extra for mags and wanted them replaced.

Dealer blamed an incorrect fit and had some bushes made to seat the mags better, but this did little to fix the problem.

I had to move interstate at this time and with 3000km between me and the dealer the problem was never rectified. Ford blamed the dealership who supplied the mags and the dealership wanted me to bring the vehicle in for further investigation... Yeah... sure... I learned to live with it.

IT NEVER GOT FIXED.

At approx 60,000km the wife heard a strange sound from the front right wheel. She took it to a local mechanic and called me up in a fit of teary panic after being told it was a wheel bearing noise and had to be replace there and then for $600 or imminent death would occur on the drive home.

I was interstate at the time and told her to drive it home and park it in the drive till my return.

On inspection it was the inner bearing which cost me less than 1/10 of the price quoted to buy and an hour or less to fit.

I owned the vehicle for 6 years and it cost me nothing in repairs. Excellent, reliable little gem. Rather nippy around town with great fuel economy. The ONLY reason I sold it was because it didn't have Air conditioning and I needed something a little bigger with a growing family. I got 3/4 of my purchase price back AS A TRADE IN on a Hyundai Elantra.

Could not have been happier on resale value.