1996 VOLVO 850 Complaints

ABS AND "TRAC OFF" LIGHTS CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ABS CONTROL UNIT.*AK *JB *TS

REAR MAIN SEAL FAILURE CAUSING OIL TO LEAK OVER UNDERSIDE OF CAR, INCLUDING EXHAUST, POTENTIALLY CAUSING FIRE. NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME FAILURE AT VARIOUS MILEAGE INTERVALS. *JB

I NOTICED AN ODD NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING ROLLING AROUND IN THE BACK OF THE CAR, BUT NOTHING WAS. AT TIME OF STATE INSPECTION, I ALERTED THE INSPECTORS. THEY FELT SOMETHING BUMPING FROM WITHIN THE GAS TANK. I DISASSEMBLED THE FLOOR COVERINGS AND INSPECTION PORTS FOR FUEL PUMP AND GAUGE SENDER. I REMOVED THE GAUGE SENDER AND LOOKED INTO THE TANK AND OBSERVED A PLASTIC BOWL-LIKE OBJECT SURROUNDING THE FUEL PUMP. I ROCKED THE CAR AND THIS BOWL WOULD SLOSH AGAINST THE PUMP. THIS OBJECT APPEARS TO BE A BAFFLE TO REDUCE SLOSHING AROUND THE PUMP. IT WOULD SEEM THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO BE GLUED IN PLACE, BUT HAS BROKEN LOOSE. I SUPPOSE THAT THIS WOULD EVENTUALLY DAMAGE PUMP OR TANK. A NEW TANK WILL COST CLOSE TO $400 WHICH I WILL NOW ORDER. ADDITIONAL PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKE/TRACS SYSTEM MODULE.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE EXTERIOR/INTERIOR LIGHTS SHUT OFF AND THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *NLM THE VOLVO DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE SYMPTOM HAS NOW OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE LIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON WHEN THE KEYS MOVE ABOUT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHILE THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. SCC

I AM THE OWNER AND DRIVER OF A 1996 VOLVO 850. ON SUNDAY MARCH 16TH 2003, THE DRIVER AND MYSELF WERE STOPPED IN A DRIVE THROUGH RESTAURANT WHEN MY DRIVERS SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE SEATS, THEN WE TURNED AROUND TO LOOK WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM WE NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE SEAT INTO THE BACK SEAT AREA. WE YELLED FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER THAT THE DRIVER USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, WHILE PUTTING IT OUT HE SUSTAINED INJURY. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THEY HAD ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE MY CAR. I WAS CONFUSED ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED SO I DECIDED TO RESEARCH "ELECTRICAL WIRING PROBLEMS IN VOLVO'S" WHEN I FOUND DIFFERENT ARTICLES RECALLING MY MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR THAT AS OF DECEMBER 2, 2002: 65,000 1996, 850 VOLVO'S WERE BEING RECALLED BECAUSE THE SEAT HEATERS COULD SHORT CIRCUIT AND CATCH FIRE. IN MANY OF THE ARTICLES IT HAS STATED THAT EITHER VOLVO HASN'T STARTED A CAMPAIGN YET TO NOTIFY THEIR CONSUMERS OR THAT VOLVO WOULD NOT RETURN CALLS TO COMMENT ON RECALLS. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST VOVLO DEALERSHIP TO ME AND THEY WERE VERY CONFUSED ON WHAT TO DO. THE MAN ON THE PHONE FIRST TOLD ME THAT HE HASN'T HEARD OF A RECALL FOR THAT BUT A FEW MINUTES LATER HE SAID THEY RECENTLY SERVICED HIS BOSS' 1996 850 VOLVO FOR THE SAME RECALL, HE SAID HE WOULD RESEARCH AND CALL ME BACK. EARLY AFTERNOON, I CONTACTED VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA TO COMPLAIN. I TOLD THE ABOVE STORY, WHERE THEY THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T LIABLE FOR THIS. ONE MAN SAID JUST BECAUSE IT'S RECALLED DOESN'T MEAN THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR. I THEN SPOKE WITH HIS SUPERVISOR WHO TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES AWAY, I HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL AND THAT'S WHERE AN ADJUSTER FROM VOLVO WILL INSPECT THE CAR. IN THE MEANTIME I CAN NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR A RENTAL WHILE MY CAR IS OUT OF COMMISSION. LIVID AT THE FACT THAT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS WAS COMPROMISED! *JB

THIS ISN'T SAFETY RELATED, BUT EMISSION'S PROBLEM. STARTED LATTER PART OF NOV.,2002. TECH HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SATISFACTORY REPAIR TO DATE. AUTO HAS BEEN IN SHOP OVER 30 DAYS AND IS IN SHOP AT PRESENT. TECH HAS REPLACED ALMOST ALL EMISSION RELATED PARTS,SOME MORE THAN ONCE, BUT AUTO STILL RUNNING EXTREMELY RICH, ONLY ABOUT 10 MPG(CITY), NORMALLY GETS 21-22 MPG. ENGINE HAS BEEN CHECKED ON LATEST DIAG. EQUIPMENT TO NO AVAIL. AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH OUR 96 VOLVO(MODEL 850)???? *NLM

THE ABS FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *JB

MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER THAT AC EVAPORATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT R7R REQUIRES REMOVAL OF DASH. ESTIMATED COST IS $2,000. AC ONLY USED OCCASIONALLY. THIS IS A VERY HIGH COST FOR REPLACING A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE PART DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. WOULD LIKE VOLVO NA TO ASSIST. *NLM

1996 VOLVO 850 - DRIVERS SIDE SEAT, HOLE BURNED IN SEAT DUE TO HEATED SEAT FAILURE.

CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK HAS A LEAK AND IF FILLED OVER 12 GALLONS IT WILL LEAK FUEL, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS *TT