Faults:

When I first got the car, there was a bad connection with the alternator, and it wasn't charging the battery.

The Muffler needed to be replaced.

After having it for about a month, the water pump broke, and had to be replaced.

Mine is a very hard car to drive on the highway.

There is a leak in the transmission fluid.

A few days ago the engine died, and I don't know why. Now it won't start.

General Comments:

The seats are very comfortable, and there is a lot of head room.

The car has a lot of room to transport cargo if you fold down the backseat.

The car gets great gas mileage.

I would buy another one as a second car if it were in good condition, but it doesn't have quite enough room for cargo transportation that I need.

Faults:

Drivers side window doesn't stay in track, and no key lock, ever since it was broken into at 70,000 miles.

Water pump seal broke at about 140,000 miles. Drove it till about 160,000 with it broken. I just put water in it till i got a new one. [it was summer]

Starter wire frayed and broke at 169,000 miles.

General Comments:

I really enjoy my Festiva and I'm not much of a ford lover. If that says any thing. But I was glad to find out that it was made by KIA.

Even though it's a small 1.3L engine it's a quick one! I got it at about 130,000 miles off a room mate that got the car from her mom. she got a new car so it just sat there and so I started to drive it and I loved it from the start. Just the fact that's it's a little car doesn't mean it's a poor car. and for the price you buy one for its well worth it. I'm taking mine to 212,000 miles then putting a whole different engine and transmission in it and doing lots of other fun stuff to it just cause it such and easy car to do additions to.

I got the car and it was in need of work. it needed new lights, soon new water pump, and soon starter. other than those three major things it was great!

Faults:

The rear axle needed to be replaced shortly after I bought the car because of rust. Luckily, I found a shop where they could replace it with a used axle (and also where a friend of mine worked) so it was rather inexpensive.

General Comments:

Although the car was small, I never felt unsafe in it. In fact, when I totaled the car on the highway at 65+ mph, the only injury I received was a bruise on my chest from the seatbelt. This despite the fact that I had been hit from the rear and knocked into a guardrail, and then bounced back across two lanes of traffic.

The color (pukey aqua) was not to my liking, but the gas mileage (40-45 mpg) definitely was.

The interior is a bit small for a larger person, but it is not uncomfortable.

Because it is so light, and because I usually drove it alone, my Festiva would really accelerate quite well.

My only real complaint was that I didn't have one of the models with a rear window washer, so at times, especially in the winter and early spring, it was hard to see out the rear window.