1996 Volvo 855 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 855 years
- Not enough data 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Volvo 855. That is the most of any 855 model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (2 complaints, 29%), typically at around 123,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 7owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Volvo 855 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 | 2 | 29% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 14% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 14% | 73,300 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Volvo 855 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: The screws which attach the throttle plate to its axle (shaft) can loosen allowing the throttle plate to come in contact with the throttle housing.
Risk: This condition could prevent the throttle from returning to idle position increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will replace the throttle housing.
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
- Seat fires (EA02019) — opened Aug 22, 2002, closed Dec 18, 2002, led to recall 02V314000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The abs sensor has come on and it is due to the failure of the abs control unit. This is a vary common and serious failure for the volvo 850 and is a well know to volvo. They offer repair but it is around $900. *tr
My '96 volvo 855 has intermittent abs failure. The abs light goes off intermittently. The car has 123,000 miles. After a brief search on the internet i found that this was too common problem with abs control module. It seems that volvo does not admit it as a systematic problem and there is no…
Kumho tire had steel belts showing through the tread after only 29,500 miles
Ts
In the first accident the subject vehicle was stopped and rear ended at approximately 50 mph and driven in the rear of another vehicle. The subject vehicle sustained 13000 dollars damage to the front end and to the rear. The airbags ( both front and side, did not deploy). One year later the same…
Other Volvo 855 years
See all Volvo 855 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
Similar Volvo models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Volvo 855?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, air bags, seat belts problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 2 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Volvo 855?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Volvo 855 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 855 model years, the 1996 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.