1996 VOLVO 850 Complaints

WHIL DRIVING DRIVER'S SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO SEAT HEATER. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE, AND SAID IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT.*AK ALTHOUGH THE MANUFACTURER'S INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THERE WAS DEFECT, THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM SERIOUSLY. *YH

LEFT FRONT CALIPER BROKE IN JANUARY 1999, ROGHT FRONT CALIPER BROKE AT THIS TIME. PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER. CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE 3 MONTHS TO GET VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK CONSUMER HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE, INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WERE REPLACED, DASH BULB LIGHTS AND OTHER BULBS REPLACED. HEADLIGHT WIPER AND WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES REPLACED. CONSUMER SMELLED AN ODOR IN THE AIR CONDITIONER AND LATER THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT COOLING PROPERLY, DEALER REPLACED THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR, EVAPORATOR, RECEIVER, AND DRYER. BATTERY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED, CONSUMER HAD A RECALL ON THE CENTRAL ELECTRICAL RELAY AND WHEN RETURNING TO VEHICLE THAT WAS SHUT OFF THE PHONE AND RADIO WERE ON. COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED 4 TIMES, FINALLY DEALER REPLACED THE COOLANT FILLER CAP, ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS ILLUMINATED, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE PNP SWITCH, OXYGEN SENSOR, AIR PUMP, AND CHECK VALVE, THE AIR PUMP AND CHECK VALVE WERE REPLACED TWICE, THE TIMING BELT HAS ALSO BEEN REPLACED. ABS SENSOR CABLE HAS BEEN REPLACED, CALIPERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, FRONT BRAKE PADS, ROTORS, AND FRONT DISC BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *SLC

POWER STEERING RACK FAILED AND WAS REPLACED AT 51000 MILES, 30000 MILES LATER, STEERING RACK CRACKED AND IS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. *SLC

REPAIRED BY DEALER ON 02/02/2001 AT MY COST. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

GAS TANK WAS FAULTY OF LEAKING GAS. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. SMELL OVERWHELMING. DEALER DETERMINED IT WAS FAULTY.*AK

ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR INTO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT SEEMED STRANGE TO ME, SO I ASKED IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY TYPE OF CAR. I WAS TOLD THIS TYPE PROBLEM HAPPENS. BUT, IT CONTINUED TO BOTHER ME, SO I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE, AND I CAME ACROSS AN ARTICLE IN THE MARCH 1, 1999 ISSUE OF MOTOR AGE. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, IF ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, THE PROBLEM MAY BE A FAULTY ELECTRONIC BRAKE DISTRIBUTION SWITCH. THE ARTICLE WENT ON TO STATE THAT IF THE PART NUMBER STAMPED ON THE SWITCH IS 9157358, THE SWITCH MUST BE REPLACED, AND IF BRAKE FLUID HAS ALREADY LEAKED INTO THE SWITCH CONNECTOR, THE SWITCH, WIRING HARNESS AND THE ABS CONTROL UNIT MUST ALL BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, THIS IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY RECALL AND THE FACTORY HAS ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE TO OWNERS. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE. AFTER READING THE ARTICLE, I CONTACTED VOLVO AND WAS TOLD THAT NO PARTS ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE HAVE BEEN RECALLED. HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT MY CAR IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS SAME FAULTY SWITCH. VOLVO DENIES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SWITCH IN MY CAR OR ANY OTHER CAR, BUT I THINK THIS MATTER SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER. SO FAR, I HAVE GOTTEN THE RUN AROUND. *AK

WE HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO DIRECTLY ON INFORMING THEM OF PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS WITH OUR CAR. THEIR RESPONSE HAS BEEN INADEQUATE. WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FORWARD THIS CORRESPONDANCE TO YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERE WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, PULLED OVER, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE IN THE ABS WIRING HARNESS. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO HELP IN THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

BRAKES FAIL AT LOW SPEEDS; PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT STOPPING CAR. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY A GROANING SOUND. PERSISTENT PROBLEM, REPORTED REPEATEDLY TO TWO VOLVO DEALER SERVICE SHOPS SINCE SEPTEMBER 1997, WITHOUT SATISFACTORY REPAIR OR RESOLUTION.

TIRES HAVE 12,000 MILES - ONE TIRE HAS A LARGE BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL( DOT NUMBER: 27682 TIRE SIZE: P195/60R15 )