Volvo Cars of NA, Inc.: Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Volvo Cars of NA, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 20, 1996 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 400. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ENGINE BLOCK HEATERS INSTALLED AS ACCESSORIES. THE BLOCK HEATER CONTACT SURFACE DOES NOT MATCH CORRECTLY WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK AS INTENDED. THE BLOCK HEATER COULD COME LOOSE FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK, AND IF BEING USED, COULD POSSIBLY OVERHEAT CAUSING DAMAGE IF IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH OTHER ENGINE COMPARTMENT COMPONENTS.
The risk
ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGE COULD OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BLOCK HEATER AND SECURE THE BOLTS USED TO INSTALL THE HEATER. IN SOME CASES, THE SURFACE TOLERANCES MAY BE SO INAPPROPRIATE THAT THE HEATER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A HEATER OF A MODIFIED DESIGN.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Volvo 850 | 192 | 3 | 20 | 12 |
| 1995 Volvo 850 | 111 | 3 | 9 | 11 |
| 1994 Volvo 850 | 83 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 1993 Volvo 850 | 73 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 96E025000.
Full record for the 1996 Volvo 850 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →