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NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 1994 Volvo 850.
| Trim | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 5 cyl Automatic 4-spd | 17 | 24 | 19 | $3,150 |
| 2.4L 5 cyl Automatic 4-spd | 18 | 25 | 20 | $3,000 |
| 2.4L 5 cyl Manual 5-spd | 18 | 26 | 21 | $2,850 |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
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.
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: 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.
Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
UNDER VERY COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS, ICE CRYSTALS CAN FORM AT THE THROTTLE IN THE ENGINE INTAKE SYSTEM, AND PREVENT THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL AND CAN RESULT IN UNWANTED ACCELERATION AND A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY, THROTTLE CABLE, CHARGE AIR COOLER PIPING AND CRANKCASE VENTILATION HOSES.
I HAVE A 1994 VOLVO 850. I HAVE A LEAK WHERE THE HEAT SHIELD IS ATTACHED TO THE GAS TANK. VOLVO IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT MY VIN DOES NOT SHOW THE RECALL. THE LEAK OF GAS IS 100% FROM THE RECALLED SPOT HEATSHIELD SIDE OF THE GAS TANK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD BLOW BACK ON THE EXHAUST AND CAUSE A FIRE.
WE SMELL GAS. WHEN STOP NOTICE FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL ENTRY PIPE. WHEN GOT CLOSER LOOK IT WAS LEAKING FROM FUEL ENTRY PIPE THAT CONNECTED TO FUEL TANK. *TR
THE CONSOLE AND STEERING WHEEL WERE WET FROM RAIN. THE SRS DASH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. ABOUT 5 MILES AFTER THAT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE BAG WAS THE ORIGINAL BAG. THE SRS LIGHT HAD GONE ON ONCE 20 MONTHS BEFORE WHEN THE CONSOLE GOT WET. THE DEALERSHIP RAN A TEST FOR ABOUT $115 EACH ON BOTH OCCASIONS AND SAID THE CAUSE OF THE SRS LIGHT COMING ON WAS INDETERMINATE. TWENTY MONTHS AGO A TOP, LONGTIME VOLVO DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER ASSURED ME THAT AIR BAGS NEVER GO OFF WITHOUT AN IMPACT. HE SAID THERE HAD NOT BEEN A SINGLE OCCASION OF THAT EVER HAPPENING. I SHOULD HAVE GOOGLED THE TOPIC. I WOULD HAVE SEEN RIGHT AWAY THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. TWO BONES IN MY FOREARM WERE BROKEN AND HEAVY BRUISES THAT ARE STILL VISIBLE 5 WEEKS LATER WERE LEFT ON MY STOMACH AND THIGHS. CORPORATE OFFICES AND THE DEALERSHIP SAY THE BAG WAS OUT OF WARRANTY; A REPLACEMENT STEERING WHEEL TO INSTALL A NEW BAG IS NOT AVAILABLE; AND THAT THEY WILL NOT DISCONNECT THE PASSENGER BAG, THOUGH I CONSIDER IT A TIME BOMB. BEFORE WRITING AN EMAIL ATTEMPTING TO PLACE THE BLAME ON ME, ERICA AT "THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF VOLVO" LEFT AN APPARENTLY INANE VOICE MAIL THAT I HAVE SAVED FOR NOW SAYING "THIS IS NOT EXACTLY A SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. WE DO KNOW WHY THE BAG DEPLOYED IN YOUR VEHICLE." I EMAILED BACK THAT HER CLAIM THAT "WE" KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE BAG TO DEPLOY "STRUCK ME AS ODD BECAUSE NO ONE AT THE VOLVO [DEALERSHIP] THIS PAST WEEK SAID THAT THEY KNEW." EVEN AFTER RUNNING A CHECK ON THE SRS SYSTEM, AND CHARGING ME $115 TO DO SO, THEY STILL SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW. IN FACT A FEW WEEKS AGO TWO LONG TIME SERVICE MANAGERS WERE SAYING MY EXPERIENCE WAS UNPRECEDENTED OR IMPOSSIBLE. I SUGGESTED IN ANOTHER EMAIL TO ERICA THAT THE CORPORATION HAD A MORAL OBLIGATION TO INFORM THEIR SERVICE MANAGERS OF DOCUMENTED CASES OF SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. *TR
The 1994 Volvo 850 has 3 NHTSA recalls and 107 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
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.
Consequence: ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGE COULD OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 VOLVO 850 TURBO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, FUEL LEAKED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THE REMEDY FOR THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V368000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE) WAS PERFORMED SEVEN YEARS AGO. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 52,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 VOLVO 850. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR FOR THE HEATING CORE WAS LEAKING AND EMITTING CHEMICAL FUMES INTO THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUFFERED A SEVERE RESPIRATORY PROBLEM. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS FOR TREATMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
I HAVE HAD THE SMELL OF GAS AND EVIDENCE OF LEAKS AT THE GAS TANK FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS PLUS. I CALLED VOLVO TWO YEARS AGO ABOUT THE RECALL (NHTSA # EA03008 FROM JULY/2004). I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR VIN DOES NOT MATCH THE RECALL. I JUST HAD THE TANK PULLED BY MY MECHANIC AND IT IS A PLASTIC TANK WHICH IS LEAKING FROM THE 3 BOLTS WHICH ATTACH IT TO THE HEAT SHIELD- EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL- AND IT HAS BEEN OPERATED IN A HOT WEATHER STATE(TX). THIS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY EXCLUDE THIS FROM RECALL. I AM GETTING THE RUNAROUND FROM VOLVO.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 VOLVO 850. THE CONTACT STATED HE NOTICED GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. HE ADDED GASOLINE TO THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE LEAK CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THEY DISCOVERED SEVERAL CRACKS ON THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHED TO THE FUEL TANK. A NEW FUEL TANK WAS ORDERED FOR THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT INQUIRED ABOUT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V368000 ( FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: STORAGE) BUT WAS TOLD HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157,030.
BECAUSE OF FAILURE OF INTERNAL LATCHING MECHANISMS, THE DOORS OF THE 1994 VOLVO 850 (AND POSSIBLY OTHER MODELS) AFTER BEING CLOSED CAN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING BE RENDERED PERMANENTLY CLOSED AND UNABLE TO BE OPENED FROM EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. USE OF THE VEHICLE KEY, DOOR LOCKS OR DOOR HANDLES ARE INEFFECTIVE AT ALLOWING AN AFFECTED DOOR TO BE OPENED, EVEN THOUGH UNAFFECTED DOORS WILL CONTINUE TO UNLOCK, LOCK, CLOSE AND OPEN NORMALLY. THE ISSUE OCCURRED ON MY VEHICLE ON BOTH REAR DOORS, ALTHOUGH AT DIFFERENT TIMES. OCCUPANTS CAN BECOME ENTRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE, MAKING TIMELY EGRESS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY IMPOSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY FOR ELDERLY, DISABLED OR INFANT PASSENGERS, WHO MAY HAVE TO CLIMB OR BE PULLED OVER SEATBACKS IN ORDER TO EXIT VIA A DOOR THAT IS STILL OPERATIONAL. EXITING VIA A REAR WINDOW OF THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT PERSONAL INJURY WOULD BE EXTREMELY UNLIKELY OR IMPOSSIBLE FOR MOST PEOPLE. *TR
ENGINE HEATER BLOCK CONTACT SURFACE DOES NOT MATCH CORRECTLY WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK AS INTENDED.,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, COLD WEATHER CONDITION ICE CRYSTALS CAN FORM AT THE THROTTLE IN THE ENGINE INTAKE SYSTEM, PREVENT THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE. FUEL SYSTEM , THE FUEL TANK MAY SEEP OR LEAK FUEL AT THE ONTO WHERE THE HEAT SHIELD IS ATTACHED. THESE ARE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND NEED TO BE FIXED NO MATTER IF A TICKET IS OPENED OR NOT. *TR
STALLS ALL THE TIME MECHANIC CAN'T FIND PROBLEM THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. IT STALLS AT 60MPH AND IT STALLS WHILE IDLING. IT STALLED 7 TIMES GOING A TOTAL OF 4.5 MILES. HELP *TR
I OWN A 1994 VOLVO 850 SEDAN. I WAS PARKED ON A BUSY DOWNTOWN PORTLAND ST. AND GOT IN MY CAR, TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED. IT WAS SO LOUD I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN SHOT. (AS DID PASSERSBY) MY CAR FILLED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SMOKE (DUE TO GUNPOWDER SMELL) AND GOT OUT QUICKLY. I WAS VERY DISTRAUGHT AND IN SHOCK...MY ARMS AND CHEST HAD BURNS AND CUTS AND BRUISES INSTANTLY. I WENT TO THE ER..THANKFULLY NOTHING BROKEN BUT NOW MY INSURANCE COMPANY (FARMER'S) IS SAYING IT'S NOT COVERED SINCE IT IS "SO RARE" AND THEY FEEL "DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT". I THEN CONTACTED VOLVO HEADQUARTERS AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT SINCE THE CAR IS 14 YRS. OLD THERE COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE A "FACTORY DEFECT". AT THIS POINT I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THIS. I FEEL LIKE I AM SUCH AN INNOCENT VICTIM IN ALL THIS. ALL I DID WAS TRY TO START MY CAR........... *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 VOLVO 854. AFTER THE CONTACT INSERTED GASOLINE INTO THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED A LEAK NEAR THE EXTERIOR OF THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE REFERENCED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V368000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE), HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 VOLVO 850. THE VEHICLE CHECK STRAP HAS FAILED AND IS CAUSING THE METAL TO WEAR OUT AND DAMAGE THE HINGES. THE FAILURE IS CREATING A HOLE IN THE DOOR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PILLARS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE COST FOR THE REPAIR IS $947. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 18,700.
DRIVERS SIDE WIPER DOES NOT CLEAR WINDSHIELD. THEY SAY TO TIGHTEN NUT BUT IT NO LONGER WORKS. I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE TOTAL ASSEMBLY. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE 850. SHOULDN'T THIS BE FIXED BY VOLVO? *JB
I BELIEVE IT'S THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL. I'VE HAD THE PART REPLACED AND YET THE CAR STILL RUNS POORLY. IT STALLS, LOOSES SPEED, AND QUITS RUNNING ALL TOGETHER. IT IS A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. *JB
Showing 15 of 107 complaints