Battery replaced
axle replaced due to wreck.
If only Ford still made these little cars... I really believe they quit making them because you'd never have to buy another one...lol. My dad got this car brand new in '89 and drove it over a hundred thousand miles over the next few years. Someone hit him in the drivers side going 55 mph and the little festiva only had a minor dent and the axle was broken...very sturdy despite the size. He gave her to me when my car died because he bought a new escort. I drove her another hundred thousand miles without ANY repairs aside from the basic oil change and brake pad replacement and such. She finally started getting too small for my growing family so I sadly sold her to someone. I see the little booger all over town still. Love this car and always will. PLEASE, FORD, MAKE THEM AGAIN!!!!!
Ford never made Festivas anyway, they were built by KIA.
Although not particularly pleasant to drive, or ride in, they do seem to last a long time and are cheap to run.
Wouldn't want to get into an accident with one though, all that lightweight metal would probably crumple like a soda can.
As you probably already know, Ford likes to manufacture and sell junk to its customers. They stopped carrying the Ford Festiva line because Ford realized that the Koreans and the Japanese people could build a much better vehicle than they ever could and they could no longer rip America off with cheap faulty cars. With that being said, Ford will never come out with another vehicle as reliable and as Fuel Efficient as the Ford Festiva.
I just want to add that I have a 1989 Festiva and it has 247,000 kilometers (bought it with only 8kms on her). I love this little car, but know it is soon time to start looking for another - too bad they aren't still made. I was under the impression that everything under the hood was made by Mazda (at least the main part - the engine and powertrain). The car I have is a standard (learned to drive a stick shift on this car) and I have never replaced anything except brakes and battery.
Each time I see a Festiva I want to stop the drivers and ask how many kms on her :-)
The guy who posted the Oct. 19 comment is completely clueless. Ford sold the Festiva from 1988-1993 and then stopped selling it because it made their own cars look bad?
The Festiva was actually replaced by the Aspire which was also built in S Korea by KIA, which in turn was replaced by the domestic built Ford Escort and then the Focus. The guy has an obvious bias against Ford so makes up some crap and posts it here. Sad...
I have a 1994 mustang (187,000) still running good a 1995 mustang cobra (58,00) running like new and a 1889 festiva (168,000) running good. Then the wife gat a 2002 toyota camry (new) it has (72,000) so far a new battery, alternator, window seals, 2 Brakes changes, maf sensor, new rear Struts, 6 rear tires (michelin), and has Poor transmission shift. yea japan makes great cars. ill buy a ford any day.
Ford Festiva History.
Ford Festiva
The Ford Festiva was a subcompact car sold by the Ford Motor Company in North America, Asia (including Japan) and Australasia, originally built by Mazda in Japan. The Festiva was sold in North America from the 1988 to the 1993 model years. It was also sold in Europe and some other markets as the Mazda 121 until 1991. After 1992 production moved to Kia in South Korea, and it was also sold as the Kia Pride in some regions. It replaced the Ford Fiesta in North America.
A Turbo version of the Festiva is a cult favourite in Japan to the present day.
In 1994, the Festiva was replaced by a marginally larger model in some markets, based on the Kia Avella. It was known in North America as the Ford Aspire, though the Festiva name continued elsewhere. In markets where it was known as the Mazda 121, it was replaced by a rebadged Autozam Revue.
Following Ford's divestment from Kia, the model was discontinued in 1999. This caused considerable problems for Ford Australia, as it did not have a model to compete in the growing small car market, until the launch of the current Fiesta, sourced from Europe.
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