1996 VOLVO 960 Complaints

THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS STICK AND CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. WHEN HANDLE IS PULLED FROM OUTSIDE, DOOR PANEL SEPARATES FROM DOOR FRAME. THIS ESPECIALLY HAPPENS IN HOT, HUMID WEATHER. *AK

UPON STARTING UP VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. A NEIGHBOR STARTED YELLING FOR HER HUSBAND TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM BELOW THE VEHICLE WHILE ENGINE ATTEMPTED TO START, EVEN THOUGH THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM IGNITION. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO CAUSE OF THIS FIRE. INSURANCE COMPANY WAS GOING TO HAVE VEHICLE REMOVED. *AK AREA OF FIRE ORIGIN WAS IN THE ENGINE ARE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. *SLC

THERMOSTAT WAS STICKING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT, WHEN CONSUMER GOT VEHICLE BACK, HE HAD TO TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE THE COOLANT CAP AND RESERVOIR WERE NOT HOLDING PRESSURE. RADIATOR NECK WAS BROKEN. IGNITION COILS HAD HAIR LINE FRACTURES. INSIDE DOOR HANDLE WAS LOOSE AND NEEDED REPLACED. BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. BATTERY FAILED. *SLC

OVER A PERIOD OF 4 YEARS VEHICLE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. DEALERSHIP HAS CHANGED VARIOUS COMPONENTS. VEHICLE WILL OPERATE SAFELY FOR A WHILE, BUT PROBLEM COMES RIGHT BACK. PLEASE LIST ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR 2 TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS 19,000 MILES. THE WARRANTY WAS UP THIS YEAR. NO REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM FROM THE DEALER & NO SATISFACTION FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 55MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL, CAME TO A SHARP CURVE AND APPLIED BRAKES. TRYING TO REDUCE SPEED, VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD/FASTER AND HIT THE CURVE SIGN. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER FRONT AIR BAGS NOR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. *AK

HESITATION COMMENCES INTERMITTENTLY BETWEEN 2-8 SECONDS WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 20-40 MP. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. SEEKING NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT BRAKES PADS AND ROTORS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. MJS

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1996 VOLVO 960. I AM WRITING BECAUSE OF A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH 3 FRIENDS WHILE DRIVING ON A TRIP FROM NEW YORK TO OHIO. OUR TRIP BEGAN ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 AT 3:00. I HAD JUST HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT BAY RIDGE VOLVO TWO EVENINGS BEFORE. ONE PROBLEM THEY CORRECTED WAS A ROUGH IDLE I HAD WHEN STARTING THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME THE THROTTLE PLATE WAS STICKING A LITTLE, SO THEY UNSTUCK IT. I HAD PICKED UP THE CAR ON THURSDAY, AND JUST DROVE IT HOME. WE WERE 15 MILES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, ON INTERSTATE 280 IN NEW JERSEY, NEAR EXIT 4 (LAUREL ROAD.) WE WERE GOING UP A LONG HILL AND I LET MY FOOT UP OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTICED THAT THE CAR DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN AS IT SHOULD. MY CONCERN GREW WHEN AS WE CRESTED THE HILL, AND BEGAN GOING LEVELING OUT, THE CAR WAS SPEEDING UP BY ITSELF. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON, BUT IT WASN'T. THEN I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR, TO SEE IF MAYBE IT WAS STICKING, BUT IT WAS NOT. MY FRIENDS BEGAN TO REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND ONE OF THEM SAID I SHOULD PULL OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT. I VAINLY ATTEMPTED TO PUT CRUISE CONTROL ON TO CONTROL THE SPEED, BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK. I THEN SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE RACED, SO I PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE. I HAD MY FOOT DOWN CONSTANTLY ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING TOO FAST. I STARTED TO PULL OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, THEN REALIZED THAT TO MY HORROR I COULDN'T SLOW DOWN, EVEN WITH THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY DOWN. I QUICKLY GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE, LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE WAY. I QUICKLY THOUGHT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AS I PULLED OFF ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE CAR. AS WE CAME TO A STOP THERE WAS SMOKE AND A BURNED RUBBER SMELL COMING FROM THE BRAKES. MY THREE FRIENDS AND I WERE ALMOST PROPELLED TO OUR DEATHS DRIVING WHAT IS SUPPOSEDLY THE SAFEST CAR ON THE ROAD.

WHILE BRAKING THE PEDAL ON OCCASIONS WILL HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DUE TO DESIGN.