1994 VOLVO 850 Complaints

DEALER SAID NO RECALL ON TIRES OR RIMS I BOUGHT NEW ONES COMSUMER REPORT SAID THERE WAS A RECALL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT DEVELOPED AN EXTERNAL LEAK RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND BRAKE FUNCTION. VISUAL INSPECTION OF PART SUGGESTS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. VOLVO OF NORTH AMERCIA CONTACTED PER INSTRUCTIONS IN OWNERS MANUAL, BUT VOLVO REPRESENTATIVE REFUSED TO LOG-IN (RECORD) THE INCIDENT.

THE CAR STRUCK A POTHOLE IN A JACKSON, MS RESIDENTIAL STREET WHILE TRAVELING AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT (35MPH). THIS ACTION CAUSED THE HORN TO STICK. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON ON THIS TYPE MODEL AND YEAR OF VOLVO. HE SAYS THE CAUSE IS ELECTRICAL CONTACT PROBLEMS IN THE HORN ASSEMBLY WHICH CAUSES THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL TO NEED REPLACING (APPROX $800 COST). SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THE CONTACT ASSY (RE REPORT # 705930). THIS PROBLEM IS SAFETY RELATED. MY WIFE HAD TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC AFTER THE EVENT WITH THE HORN BLASTING AWAY. ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THIS, IT STILL SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLE RECALL/RE-DESIGN, ESPECIALLY IN A CAR PRODUCT THAT IS SOLD WITH EMPHASIS ON SAFETY RELATED FEATURES. IN ADDITION, THE HORN IS FUSED ON THE SAME CIRCUIT AS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. IN ORDER TO SHUT OFF THE HORN, I DISABLED IT BE REMOVING THE FUSE. ON MY WAY TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS, A THUNDERSTORM OCCURRED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS. ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, I WAS CERTAINLY PLACED IN GREAT DANGER GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AROUND ME ON A SECTION OF HIGHWAY THAT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THANK YOU.

THE STEERING WHEEL MATERIAL ON WHICH THE HORN RING WAS MOUNTED DISINTEGRATED. THE RESULT WAS THE ELECTRICALLY CHARGED HORN MECHANISM INTOLERABLY ADJACENT TO THE AIRBAG MECHANISME IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE HORN ELECTRICS HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED AS DID THE AIRBAG TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT DANGER OF INCORRECTLY ACTIVATING THE AIR BAG AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK *MJS

PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE . CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN THE FIRE WENT OUT BY ITSELF. *AK

TRANSMISSION DID NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE. CAR ROLLED FORWARD WHEN PARKED ON HILL; THINKING THAT IT NEEDED MORE GAS TO GO BACKWARDS I ACCELERATED, GEAR ENGAGED AFTER FIVE SECONDS SENDING CAR BACKWARDS SURPRISINGLY FAST. THIS SLIPPAGE IN REVERSE REOCCURS ABOUT 70% OF THE TIME. IF A PEDESTRIAN WAS EITHER AT THE FRONT OR BACK OF MY CAR THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE LED TO AN ACCIDENT.

HYDRAULIC UNIT LEAKED BRAKE FLUID - PROBABLE CAUSE WAS FAILED INTERNAL GASKETS OR SEALS. RESULT: LOSS OF FLUID AND POTENTIAL BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. LOW FLUID LEVEL WARNING ALLOWED DETECTION OF CONDITION. WE (DEALER & I) DETERMINED CONDITION WAS SAFETY CONCERN. DEALER REPLACED UNIT BUT CHARGED ME 1/3 OF COST, (@ $440) SPLITTING BALANCE WITH VOLVO. I WAS INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENT MANUF. MUST REPAIR SAFETY ITEMS @ NO COST TO ME. APPLICABLE TO THIS SITUATION? FEEL FREE TO CALL OR WRITE FOR MORE INFO. THANKS FOR THIS WEB PAGE.

ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEFROSTER MALFUNCTIONED, LEAVING WINDSHIELD COVERED WITH ICE AND SNOW, CREATING A DANGEROUS VISIBILITY PROBLEM. *AK

THE VEHICLE CAME WITH 16 INCH WHEEL, REPEATED BLOWOUTS WITHOUT TIRE GOING FLAT,VOLVO SUGGESTED TO SWITCH TO 15 INCH WHEEL, WHEEL CRACKED AROUND THE MIDDLE. DEALER CLAIMS WHEEL BEARING ON 2 FRONT WHEELS PITTED. *AK

WHEN ATTACHING THE JACK TO THE CLAMP WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, ON SOME SORT OF GRADE, THE JACK BEGINS TO SLIP AND BENDS OVER. ANY MOVEMENT ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO WIGGLE, WHICH IS VERY UNSAFE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE EMERGENCY JACK, THE BALLOON TIRE AND PROCEDURES PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER WERE INADEQUATE AND DANGEROUS. *YH