Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1995 record →
EVAPORATOR FAILED AT 52,000 MILES. PREVIOUS A/C REPAIR MADE. A/C HAS BEEN MAKING A BUZZING SOUND FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AT UP SHIFT. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE SOUND. A NUMBER OF OTHER EVAPORATOR COMPLAINTS ARE PRESENT ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH A BOLT ATTACHED TO THE ARM OF THE MOTOR WOULD NOT STAY TIGHTENED, AND CAUSES THE WIPERS TO BECOME INOPERATE AND LEAD TO A VEHICLE COLLISON DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND THE BOLT STILL LOOSENED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. AIRBAGS BUSTED THE WINDSHIELD AND SUNROOF. DEALER HAS VEHICLE NOW. *AK
TIRE BLOW OUT AND RIM CRACKED COMPLETELY. YH
DEALER INSPECTED THE STEERING WHEEL AND STATED THAT IT WILL COST $700 TO REPLACE IT. DEALER STATED THAT NONE OF THE OTHER 850 OWNERS HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HORNS. *AK
COVER THAT GOES OVER THE AIR BAG IS STARTING TO CURL UP AS IF IT IS GOING TO POP OFF. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT,THE AIR BAG WAS NOT COVERED IN THE WARRANTY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN EITHER PARK OR DRIVE, THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE. DEALER REPLACED CONTROL MODE SOLENOID SENSOR AND TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
A PIECE FROM THE DASH WAS BROKEN OFF CAUSING THE DASH TO BE LOOSE. NLM
WITHOUT WARNING DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPH. THIS OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER THE FRONT SEAT BELT SRS SWITCH AND THE FRONT SEAT ADJUST SWITCH WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE LEFT FRONT SEAT CABLE AND THE LEFT FRONT AUTO SEAT SWITCH WERE REPLACED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OWNER. *AK *ML
WE HAVE WITNESSED THIS SAME PROBLEM ON MANY OTHER 850S. THIS PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT COULD ALLOW DAMAGE TO THE AIRBAG, FROM SUNLIGHT AND DEBRIS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD ADDRESS AND REPAIR.
GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOOR JAMMED. NLM
THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 3 TIMES; THE PROBLEM IS TEMPORARILY FIXED AND REOCCURS. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN DIFFERENT STORIES, SUCH AS IT IS A RESULT OF USING DIFFERENT METALS AND VOLVO IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY LAST WEEK WHEN A DOWNPOUR STARTED AND HE FOUNDOUT THAT THE DRIVER'S WIPER FAILED AGAIN. TODAY THE DEALER TOLD ME THE ONLY THING TO DO IS TIGHTEN THE NUT WITH A 13/16 WRENCH. THE PROBLEM IS THAT UNLESS YOU CHECK IT EACH TIME YOU START THE CAR, YOU ONLY FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN RAIN ON THE ROAD. MY SISTER-IN-LAW HAS A 1994 VOLVO 850 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH HERS FAILS LESS OFTEN. OUR CAR IS STILL COVERED BY A VOLVO EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO PERMANENT FIX - JUST KEEP TIGHTENING THE WIPER NUT. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A REASONABLE, ACCEPTABLE OR SAFE SOLUTION. THANK YOU.
STEERING WHEEL ELECTRICAL WIRING CONNECTORS SHORTED OUT CAUSING HORN TO BURN. MJS
STOPPED AT TRAIN CROSSING, PUT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL TO WAIT FOR TRAIN. WHEN THE END OF THE TRAIN WAS SPOTTED I PLACED CAR IN DRIVE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR SURGED AS IF SOMEONE PUT THEIR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR WHILE MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR SURGED THROUGH THE CROSSING GATE AND INTO THE LAST FOUR CARS OF THE TRAIN. IT HAPPENED SO FAST I WAS IN SHOCKED, BUT I DO REMEMBER TRYING TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL "THROUGH THE FLOOR BOARD". VOLVO NORTH AMERICA HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND WILL EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. *AK
HORN STUCK IN ON-POSITION WHILE DRIVING ON FWY. HAD TO PULL ONTO SHOULDER AND DISCONNECT WIRES AT HORN. DEALER DETERMINED SHORT OCCURRED INSIDE STEERING COLUMN. COLUMN REPLACED AT A COST OVER $360. VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE NOTED THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL. REFUSED TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS. INDICATOR LIGHT INDICATES CAR IS IN LOWER GEAR WHILE STILL IN THE "D" DRIVE POSITION. CAR CAN MAINTAIN FREEWAY SPEEDS UNTIL CAR BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN FOR TRAFFIC. WHEN TRYING TO REACCELERATE, THE CAR REMAINS IN LOW GEAR. ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO TRY MOVING GEAR SHIFT BY TURNING OFF INDICATOR, BUT ONLY WAY TO FIX IS TO TURN CAR OFF AND RESTART ENGINE. TURNING POWER APPEARS TO RESET THE ELECTRONIC SHIFTING MECHANISM IN THE CAR. *AK
SIDEWALL SPLIT RESULTED IN BLOWOUT OF TIRE.(MICHELIN MXV4 - TIRE ID # DOTM6RBFJORO046).
HEADLIGHT FAILED.
OWNER REQESTS INFORMATION ON RECALL NUMBER 95V108, INTERIOR.
ENGINE FIRE.
BRAKE PEDAL REJECTED BACK ON IMPACT SHATTERING DRIVER'S ANKLE.
HORN IS VERY DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE DUE TO DESIGN.
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS WHILE BUMPER BARELY WAS TOUCHED.
POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD HAS THOUSANDS OF SMALL SPECKLES IN IT THAT AFFECTS VISIBILITY.
WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARK, GEAR SHIFT LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY. OVERRIDE BUTTON MUST BE USED TO GET VEHICLE INTO GEAR. OOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, BUT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.
ACCELERATOR PRESSES AGAINST UNSUPPORTED CARPET, CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR TO STICK AT FULL THROTTLE ON CROWDED ROADS. WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE BY SHUTTING OFF THE IGNITION. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURIES AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. 533194 DUP OF 533291; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURIES AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.
TIRE AND RIM COMBINATION CAUSES BLOW OUTS IN THE FRONT TIRES WHEN GOING OVER ROAD HAZARDS.
REAR SEAT BELTS BECOME UNFASTENED.
PUT IN A PARK POSTION THEN NOITICED GEAR WAS IN REVERSE, JUMPED OUT OF GEAR,WHICH CAUSED HITTING THE DOOR. THIS DEFECT CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM VIBRATES.
ENGINE FIRE DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURE.
OWNER CLAIMS THAT CLUTCH MAKES LOUD NOISES, AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES. *AK
BUBBLE IN SIDEWALL OF GOODYEAR TIRE. (10560R15)
THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AT MAXIMUM SPEED, HAD TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF SEVERALTIMES IN ORDER TO GET BACK IN NORMAL WORKING CONDITION. *AK CONSUMER BELIEVES CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS ON BUT A SPEED TO CRUISE AT WAS NOT ON, CONSUMER STATES HE ACCELERATED FROM THE BRIDGE TOLL BOTH AND STARTED TO GO UP A HILL, PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO MAXIUM AND THEN RELEASED HIS FOOT, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, CONSUMER TURNED ENGINE OFF SWITCHED THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL, AND STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN, THE ENGINE STILL RACED SO KEY WAS TURNED OFF AGAIN.*JB
SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES BLEW OUT AFTER HITTING POTHOLES AT UNDER 10 MPH. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG BROKE THE DRIVER'S WRIST AND FRACTURED HER RIGHT ARM. *AK *JB
MICHELIN TIRES 205/50ZR16; ON TWO OCCASIONS TWO TIRES PERFORMED ERRATICALLY, ONE TIRE LEAKED QUICKLY BEFORE DRIVER COULD REACH A DESTINATION AND THE OTHER BLEW OUT FROM SIDEWALL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
TRANSMISSION GEAR STICKS IN THE PARK POSITION.
NO DEPLOYMEN TOF DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DURING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
POWER WINDOW SWITCH STICKS. *DH
THREE PIRELLI TIRES BLEW OUT AT SIDEWALL. *DH
'DONUT' SPARE TIRE IS UNSAFE AT HIGHER SPEED LIMITS. *DH
HAVING A BAD WEATHER DAY OR TEMPERATURE CHANGES THE WINDOWS WILL FOG UP ALL FOR NO REASON, YOU CAN PUT THE DEFORSTER ON AND WINDOWS WILL FOG UP AGAIN. *AK
THE VEHICLE STALLS/HESITATES/STUMBLES, CAN NOT ACCELERAT THE VEHICLE IN 5TH GEAR. *AK
TIRES BLOW OUT DUE TO RIM BEING MADE OF A SOFT ALLOY/RUBBER BEING TOO THIN. *DSH
SEAT WARMER FAILED. *TT
SHIFT LOCK BUTTON FAILED.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1995 Volvo 850 → · Every 850 year → · How the figures are calculated →