1997 VOLVO 850 Complaints

HEATED SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE; FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM RESTAURANT BY WHICH VEHICLE WAS STOPPED; FIRE DAMAGED THE SEAT, DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, STEERING COLUMN, FRONT DASH AND STEERING WHEEL. CARPETING OF THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO DAMAGED, AND OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ARM REST, ETC MAY HAVE OCCURED. PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO VOLVO AND THEY ARE SENDING OUT AN INSPECTOR TO EXAMINE THE CAR ON 10/25/00.

DRIVER SEATBACK FRAME BROKE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP SIGN. SEAT DID NOT ENTIRELY COLLAPSE, BUT SEAT DOES WOBBLE NOW AND MAKES CLUNKING NOISES. DEALER ADVISED $650 PARTS AND LABOR TO CORRECT PROBLEM. VOLVO ADVISES THEY WILL NOT ASSIST SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS REPAIR IS BEING PAID FOR BY MY RYAN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I FEEL THIS IS SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE SEATBEAT COULD HAVE COLLAPSED WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

BOTH VEHICLES ARE THE SAME MODELS AND YEARS, BUT ONE VEHICLE IS A SEDAN, AND THE OTHER IS WAGON, # [XXX], WHILE DRIVING OVER LARGE PUDDLES WATER ENTERED POWER STEERING BELT, CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. IT USUALLY LASTED UP TO 30 SECONDS BEFORE POWER STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK DRIVING IN RAIN OR LARGE PUDDLES CAUSE THE BELT TO SLIP ON THE PULLEYS RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD COMING ON. *YH INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AIR PUMP WAS INITIALLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ON 02/18/1999 (MILEAGE 47462) AND FAILED AGAIN 14 MOS. LATTER (THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY). THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR IS $400. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS INITIALLY REPLACED 07/13/1998 (MILEAGE 33659) AND HAS FAILED JUST THIS WEEK (08/15). DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF THE REPAIR COST, BUT BELIEVE IT WILL BE $300-400. THESE 2 FAILURES DON'T SPEAK VERY WELL FOR THE QUALITY OF THE PARTS USED BY VOLVO.

WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE IT DID A 360* TURN, CAUSING CONSUMER TO FIGHT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. ENGINE WAS RACING, DRIVER TURNED IGNITION OFF TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK *ML

WHILE IN DRIVEWAY IN PARK, PUT CAR IN REVERSE AND IT STARTED SPINNING MADLY IN REVERSE, TURNING IN CIRCLES, AND ENGINE WAS RACING REALLY HIGH. CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL, AND VEHICLE ENDED UP IN A DITCH. *AK

THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT WITH THE REAR SEAT BELTS,THE LOCKING CLIPS/BUCKLES ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER THAT IT IS EASY FOR REAR SEAT PASSENGER TO DISCONNECT THE BELT THAT HOLDS THE INFANT SEAT.*ET

REAR SEAT BELT, WHICH SECURES THE INFANT SEAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK SEAT, BECOMES INADVERTENTLY DISCONNECTED , WHEN THE PASSENGER SITTING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE INFANT SEAT, ATTEMPTS TO FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELT. *AK

IN RAINY CONDITIONS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY AT ALL, AND RESULTING IN TWO CRASHES. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN HARD RAIN CONSUMER SAW DASH LIGHTS LIGHT UP AND THE STEERING CONTROL FAILED AND CAR CUT OFF.AFTER ABOUT THRITY SECONDS THE CAR RESTARTED. *AK