1996 VOLVO 850 Complaints

HAIRLINE CRACK IN CIRCUIT BOARD ON VEHICLE COMPUTER MAKES ABS AND TRACS BRAKING SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND GOES OFF IF THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND RE-STARTED. I TALKED TO AN INDEPENDENT VOLVO REPAIR SHOP AND HE INDICATED THAT HE HAS REPLACED TEN COMPUTER THIS YEAR IN BOISE, IDAHO THIS YEAR ON VARIOUS VOLVO MODELS, YEARS 1993 TO 1998.*AK

SEAT HEATERS WERE REPLACED DUE TO RECALL, BUT HEATERS MALFUNCTIONED AFTER REPLACEMENT. DEALER WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *LA THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 02V314000. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT HEATERS WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND THE CONSUMER HAD NO PROBLEMS. ONCE THE DEALER DID THE RECALL REPAIRS THE SEAT HEATERS NO LONGER FUNCTIONED. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT ONLY THE WIRING WAS RE-ROUTED, THEREFORE THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. *NM

THE DASHBOARD IS SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY.*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HINGE MADE NOISES. TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP & WAS INFORMED THAT HINGES WOULD NEED TO BE WELDED BACK ON. *LA

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE STORAGE SMELL OF FUEL FUMES PRESENT AT ALL TIMES WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE WHEN FILLING TANK, FUEL LEAKS FROM TOP OF FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY JUST AS TANK BECOMES COMPLETELY FULL. *JB

CONSUMER NOTICED AN ODD SMELL INSIDE OF VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD AND A FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND PUT FIRE OUT. *AK

THE FUEL TANK SPLIT AT THE SEAM OVER THE EXHAUST PIPE. MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE ABS AND TRACS OFF IDIOT LAMPS TURN ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY IN MY 850. I CAN BE DRIVING AROUND ON DRY PAVEMENT WITH VERY LITTLE THROTTLE INPUT, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL ENGAGE (AUDIBLE WHIRRING OF THE ABS MODULATOR PUMP AND STIFF PULSATING BRAKE PEDAL - QUICKLY APPLIED TO CONFIRM MY SUSPICION). THIS WILL LIGHT THE LAMPS. LIKEWISE, I CAN BE BRAKING ON A DRY SURFACE AT A LOW DECEL, AND THE ABS WILL ENGAGE. THIS WILL ALSO LIGHT THE LAMPS AND SHUT OFF ABS/TRACS. AFTER A WHILE, THE LIGHTS WILL TURN OFF, AND ABS AND TRACS FUNCTION NORMALLY. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A DAY SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT ON 7/11/03. I'VE GIVEN AN ESTIMATE NUMBER IN THE FIELD BELOW. FURTHERMORE, THE SPEEDOMETER FUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY. I'VE TRACED THIS ISSUE BACK TO A FAULTY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE VEHICLE WIRING HARNESS AND THE ABS CONTROLLER. THE TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED, THE WIRING HARNESS HAS NOT BEEN FASTENED SECURELY IN THE PLUG ON THE ABS CONTROLLER. REMOVING AND REPLUGGING THE WIRING HARNESS INTO THE ABS CONTROLLER TEMPORARILY SOLVES THE PROBLEM. THE WIRING HARNESS IS COMING LOOSE IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND IS NOT ABUSED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT ON 7/11/03.*JB

1996 850 VOLVO WAGON ABS BRAKE FAILURE. THE ABS BRAKE COMPUTER PERIODICALLY TURNS ITSELF OFF (THE ABS DASH LIGHT COMES ON). THIS WOULDN'T BE TOO BAD BECAUSE THE BRAKES WILL WORK FINE EVEN IF THE ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. EXCEPT WHEN THE SYSTEM FIRST MALFUNCTIONS. THERE IS A ONE TO TWO SECOND INTERVAL WHEN YOU TRY TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL FIGHTS YOU, VIBRATES, THEN ALLOWS NORMAL BRAKING (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE ABS CHATTER THAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS WORKING PROPERLY AND A WHEEL IS SLIPPING). MY ABS SYSTEM TURNS OFF EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR, YOU'RE JUST NEVER SURE WHEN. IF IT DOES WHEN I'M BRAKING, MY BRAKING IS IMPAIRED FOR A COUPLE SECONDS - THAT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC! MY VOLVO DEALER SAYS THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THESE "COMPUTERS", BUT IT DOESN'T AFFECT SAFETY. FURTHERMORE, IT COSTS $700 TO FIX! I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY FACTOR AND I'M APPALLED THAT VOLVO (OF ALL COMPANIES) DOESN'T ISSUE A RECALL.*AK

THE ENTIRE ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED AND DESTROYED BEFORE THE FUSEABLE LINK OPENED THE CIRCUIT. THIS CLEARLY IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ELECTRICAL DESIGN. IN FACT, IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT IF MY WIFE HAD NOT TURNED THE CAR OFF WHEN SHE DID, DUE TO THE WHITE SMOKE FROM THE FAN, THE WIRING HARNESS WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. MOST LIKELY THE RESULTING FIRE WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE CAR AS THE MELTED WIRING HARNESS IS DIRECTLY UNDER AND AROUND THE ENGINES FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. PERSONALLY INSPECTED THE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE, AND WAS APPALLED BY HOW MUCH OF THE WIRING WAS FUSED TOGETHER. IF THE SAFETY DESIGN (FUSEABLE LINK) OF THE FAN CIRCUIT HAD WORKED PROPERLY THE ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DAMAGED TO THE EXTENT I SAW AND MORE IMPORTANTLY MY WIFE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN PERSONAL DANGER.I HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO VOLVO AMERICA AND THEY CONTEND THAT A LOOSE FAN MOUNT CAUSED THIS ISSUE. THE REPAIR SHOP WAS AT A LOSE TO EXPLAIN THIS POSITION TO ME AS THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WAS RELEVENT TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE CAUSED AS THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED DOWN.*AK