1996 VOLVO 850 Complaints

WHEN TRAVELING CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR AND AROUND THE DASHBOARD. WHEN THE CONSUMER LOST ALL HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS, CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER NOTED THAT WIRING MELTED INSIDE THE DASHBOARD, CAUSING SHORT CIRCUIT. *AK

NEUTRAL AND GEARS WAS MINIMAL, CAR ROLLED- MIRROR TRAPPED MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER - SHE WAS KILLED. *AK

WHEN TAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE HULE SKI RACK OPENED, CAUSING FIVE SETS OF SKIES TO FLY OFF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE BEVERAGE HOLDER IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ELECTRICAL POWER CONTROL. IF LIQUIDS SPILLS WITHIN THE SYSTEM, THE POWER WINDOWS BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK *MJS

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION VEHICLE CAME OUT OFF PARK, ROLLED DOWN A HILL AND HIT A TREE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF PARK POSITION, ROLLED DOWN INCLINE, & HIT A TREE. VOLVO ADMITS SHIFT INTERLOCK IS DAMAGED, BUT CLAIMS DAMAGE DUE TO MISUSE. MY INSURANCE AGENT INDICTED VOLVO CLAIMS PART WAS REPLACED BY PRIOR OWNER DUE TO A RECALL. REPLACEMENT PART IS LIKELY TO ALSO BE DEFECTIVE. IF MY CHILDREN HAD BEEN PLAYING IN YARD, THE CAR WOULD HAVE RUN OVER THEM. HOWEVER, VOLVO FEELS THE PROBLEM IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. A MOVIE WAS TAKEN WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE TREE SHOWING THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER COULD BE MOVED WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, OR GEAR SHIFTER RELEASE BUTTON DEPRESSED. NHTSA INTERNET SITE SHOWS A COMPLAINT WITH SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER ALSO INCIDENT OCCURED IN REI PARKING LOT( A RETAILER IN ATLANTA)ON AUGUST 24, 1999. UNFORTUNATELY, REI DID NOT GET CUSTOMER'S NAME, BUT IS ATTEMPTING TO GET NAME. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF THIS COMPLAINT WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THANK YOU, SUSAN BERRA

WHILE PARKED, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF PARK, ROLLED DOWN A HILL & HIT A TREE. VOLVO ADMITS SHIFT INTERLOCK DAMAGED, BUT DOES NOT CONSIDER THE PART DEFECTIVE. MOVIE TAKEN THAT SHOWS GEAR SHIFTER MOVES WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, OR GEAR SHIFT BUTTON DEPRESSED. TWO OTHER VOLVO OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME EXACT EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR CAR. LIKELY TO BE MANY MORE.

I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT OVER THE PHONE ON AUGUST 4. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A WRITTEN REPORT. PLEASE CALL ME AT WORK TO LET ME KNOW THE STATUS OF MY REPORT. I ALSO HAVE SOME NEW INFORMATION.

VEHICLE IS PARKED; HEADLIGHTS WILL BLINK ON AND OFF, MOTOR WON'T TURN OVER AND STEERING WHEEL IS SMOKING WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR USED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT REPLACED, STATING THAT IT WOULD FAIL TO LATCH AT TIMES. WE PERSONALLY HAVE HAD 3 FAILURES WITH THE REAR SEAT BELTS, 2 ON THE LEFT REAR AND 1 ON THE RIGHT. THESE FAILURES ARE OCCURING WHEN WE ATTEMPT TO INSTALL OUR CHILD SAFETY SEATS. THERE IS A SPECIAL COMPONENT ON THE SEAT BELT LATCH THAT PREVENTS THE SEAT BELT FROM RETRACTING WHEN USING CAR SEATS. THIS COMPONENT BREAKS WHEN WE PULL ON THE SEAT BELT IN ORDER TO TIGHTEN IT FOR PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE CAR SEATS. IF THIS CAN OCCUR WITH MANUAL PULLING, IT SEEMS SURE TO FAIL IN AN ACCIDENT. I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY CHILDREN ARE SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO THE DEALER WITH LITTLE RESPONSE AS TO A SOLUTION OTHER THAN TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT. PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE AND IF THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER REPORTS SUCH AS MINE. I WANT TO SELL THE CAR, BUT DO NOT WANT TO PASS THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE ALONG TO ANOTHER OWNER. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. KARLA CANNON*AK