1996 Volvo 850 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 850 years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 192 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Volvo 850. That is the most of any 850 model year in the database (6 years). The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (46 complaints, 24%), typically at around 97,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 20 fires, 9 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.
- 192owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 6NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Volvo 850 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 46 | 24% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 23 | 12% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 11% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 18 | 9% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 8% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 6% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 11 | 6% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 6% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 5% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 5% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 8 | 4% | 103,994 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 3% | 112,903 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% | 104,620 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2% | 103,219 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 107,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 150,805 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 169,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 120,760 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 150,805 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Volvo 850 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, after prolonged exposure to heat, the fuel tank may seep or leak fuel at the points where the heat shield is attached.
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Volvo will inspect the fuel tank and replace it if any evidence of fuel seepage or leakage is found. All vehicles will receive new reinforcement bushings at the heat shield attachment points to prevent future leaks. This recall will be conducted as a safety recall in the hot weather states of alabama, arkansas, arizona, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, and utah, and as a service recall in the other 33 states and the district of columbia. The recall began on september 24, 2004. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
Problem: On some sedans and station wagons equipped with seat heaters, it is possible that excessive compression of the seat cushion could cause damage to the electrical wiring of the seat heater.
Risk: If this occurs, the damage could result in a short circuit that could cause a fire.
Fix: Dealers will disconnect the existing wires and install a new electronic thermostat and cable harness. Owner notification began on february 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel tank leaks (EA03008) — opened Jun 11, 2003, closed Jul 28, 2004, led to recall 04V368000.
- Fuel tank leaks (PE03003) — opened Jan 16, 2003, closed Jun 11, 2003.
- Seat fires (EA02019) — opened Aug 22, 2002, closed Dec 18, 2002, led to recall 02V314000.
- Passenger compartment fires (PE02029) — opened Mar 7, 2002, closed Aug 22, 2002.
- Inadvertent side air bag deployment (PE99040) — opened Jun 7, 1999, closed Oct 27, 1999.
- Engine compartment fire (PE97045) — opened Oct 23, 1997, closed Feb 13, 1998.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My fuel tank started leaking exactly as the recall # 04v368000 describes, where the heat shield connects to the fuel tank. I filled up, drove 3 miles home, parked in my driveway, and smelled gas, but did not *see* anything at that time. It lost 6 gallons of fuen in about 3 hours hours. Volvo says…
This vehicle has a leak at a seam of the gas tank. Chen engine light is on with obo 11 code p0455 evaporative emission system leak detected large leak no flow. A certified volvo repair facility has verified crack at seam from gas tank. *tr
Tl* the contact owns four cooper zeon spt tires, size 205 55 r16. The contact was rotating the tires, when he noticed the front drivers side tire was bald. The tires were inspected and the contact was advised that the tires were down to the wear bar. The tires were not replaced. The tire…
Runaway accelerator ? On entering interstate, i quickly realized that the accelerator was locked into the floored position. I had a runaway situation with traffic. I was unable to slow the car or release the accelerator. Fortunately, i had the knowledge and sense to slow the car. Pumping the brakes…
I own a 1996 volvo 850 turbo. Recently the gas tank began to leak at the seam on the driver side next to exhaust heat shield i called volvo and they told me that my for my vin # there is no recall; on the internet there is a recall for the same vehicle gas storage issues. Exactly on the same side…
Other Volvo 850 years
See all Volvo 850 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
Similar Volvo models
Embed this 1996 Volvo 850 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Volvo 850?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, fuel system, gasoline, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 46 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Volvo 850?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Volvo 850 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 850 model years, the 1996 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.