- The 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.
- The risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- The 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.
Vehicle safety record
1997 Volvo 850 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 121 complaints about the 1997 Volvo 850 with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (38) and the seats & seat belts (18). Those complaints describe 7 crashes, 7 fires and 2 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in July 2004 for the storage. For comparison, the 1996 has 207.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical 850 year, for its age
#54 most complained-about 1997 vehicle
- Complaints
- 121
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 7
- Fires
- 7
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 1997 Volvo 850 problems
Share of all 121 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
1997 Volvo 850 recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The 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.
- The risk
- If this occurs, the damage could result in a short circuit that could cause a fire.
- The 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.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.
- The risk
- Driver's could experience a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
What owners say
Be the first 850 owner to share.
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
121 complaints about the 1997 Volvo 850
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 5.
Similar to nhtsa id number: 10365806. When fuel tank is filled completely, there is a strong odor of fuel outside the vehicle and some fuel odor in the trunk. No odor when tank is only partially full, e.G., 80% Full. Odor noticed when vehicle stationary. No odor in passenger compartment. Issue ongoing for roughly last 7 years (not sure). No dripping fuel observed. Leak may be at fuel pump quick-disconnect fittings. Leak may have started as a result of evap system repair in late 2009--not sure. Dealer claimed to...
Read the full complaint
have fixed leak at fuel pump fittings in 2011, but odor issue persists if tank completely full. No check engine light issues since 2011. I avoid filling tank completely to avoid odor. If I inadvertently fill tank completely, odor returns. "When did this happen" date I entered is just a rough guess of when the issue started. Vehicle is stored outdoors and driven infrequently, ~ once per week average. Odor is easily noticeable outdoors when tank is completely full.
General altimax rt43. I had 4 tires in less than 6 months and 6,000 miles develop side wall bubbles caused by tire play separation and bands breaking. I tire hade been replaced and it developed a bubble in less than a month. No hard driving on the car and no potholes or railroad track impacts. This is a common thread and it is time for the nhtsa to investigate. I have now bought six tires in six months to replace the damaged tires. I am still waiting to here if general will replace one under warranty and have...
Read the full complaint
another in the trunk of my car that needs to be replaced while I drive around on the spare tire. This should not happen under normal use. Prior to this I have driven approximately 1million miles and have never had to replace a tire due to side wall bubbles.
The tire dealer recommended michelin primacy mxv4 as a replacement tire for my 1997 volvo 850 (normally aspirated) sedan. The michelin website described this tire as an "acceptable substitute" for the tires specified by volvo because michelin no longer offers high performance tires in my size. Stopping power is much worse with these new michelin tires. They squeal easily, even at volvo's highest recommended air pressure (36psi). I had difficulty stopping from 50mph in an emergency, for the first time in my 17 year ownership of this vehicle. I blame these new "comfort oriented" tires. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 volvo 850. The contact stated when fuel was dispensed into the fuel tank to the full capacity level, she would smell a strong odor of fuel inside and outside of the vehicle. In addition, there would be fuel leakage on the ground underneath the fuel tank. The fuel was dispensed to three quarters of a tank to avoid the failure. There was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v368000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage). The vin was not included in the recall defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Odometer failure at under 90,000 miles. Original equipment; not tampered with; vehicle never in an accident. *Tr
Unintended acceleration. Car in normal drive, just starts to accelerate. Also sometimes engine races while in park or idle for no reason. Occurs randomly, but has been recurring daily for two weeks. Haven't taken to dealer yet. *Tr
In a parking garage I turned my wheels towards the left to drive into a parking spot; I gave the car a little gas while driving over a speedbump and suddenly the car accelerated and shot forward at a high rate of speed. Thankfully the car went into that parking spot and hit the cement wall and stopped. I thought it was a one-time occurrence but with all the reports of toyota acceleration problems, now I wonder if this can occur in any car at any time. I have a 1997 volvo station wagon. With speed bumps on many...
Read the full complaint
streets near schools, if this can happen on almost any car, then the potential for major accidents is unlimited. I will always keep my foot on the brake pedal while going over any speed bump from now on, and am just thankful that I was just a couple of feet from a cement wall and had already turned my wheels. For those reasons, no damage was done to either the wall, my car or the occupants. (In the mileage and speed info. On this form I can only guess at the mileage at the time of incident and the speed at which the car accelerated.) *Tr
Abs module failed. Looks like major dealer repair. This is a major component of the vehicle and should be treated as such and no longer treated as an accessory item. For these devices to be considered an "accessory" they should then be made as user replaceable which is not the case. Then again, is it a good idea to have every sunday-mechanic replacing such a critical item? I have had an abs warning light for over two years now. Diagnostics say its the abs electronics. I do not have the budget or experience to replace it. Several websites point to failing or defective capacitors on the electronic module itself. *Tr
My daughter used family car, volvo 1997, 850 wagon and the accelerator failed wide open. She narrowly missed 5 young children playing street hockey. Car is inoperable and must be towed to service station for evaluation and repair. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 volvo 850 wagon. The vehicle was taken to a service station for tire repair and the following failures were discovered: both rear brakes and calipers were seized and completely inoperable, the emergency brake was also inoperable, and both front inner and outer tie rods needed to be replaced. The estimated repair cost was $1,230. The volvo dealer diagnosed the following failures: both front lower control arms and the driver side tie rods failed, an alignment was needed, the front and...
Read the full complaint
rear brakes failed, including the rotor and calipers, and there was an emissions issue as well. The vehicle needs complete emission repair. The vehicle was purchased on june 21, 2008 and passed inspection on june 25, 2008. The failure mileage was 127,700.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 volvo 850. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle began to vibrate for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The tread then began to separate from the tire and continuously struck the fender of the vehicle. The fender, passenger side door, and rocker panel were damaged. The contact has not notified the tire manufacturer. The vin, purchase date, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 240,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 volvo 850. The headlights would not illuminate when the vehicle was started. The headlights would also not dim when the vehicle was turned off. The headlight switch was defective, but it was never used by the contact. When the switch was engaged, the high beams would momentarily illuminate. Her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 99v235000 (exterior lighting:headlights:switch). The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.
1. Loss of acceleration and sometimes stalling during freeway transition from on ramp to freeway and or during left turning against traffic. 2. The car failed to accelerate and the action of pushing the accelerator caused the transmission to down shift causing the extreme slowing and sometimes stalling. The consequences were that traffic was going considerably faster and had to take evasive action to avoid hitting the slowing car. 3. Today the media reported a potential recall of volvo's due to this problem and I believe it should be extended to 1997 model 850 glt. *Jb
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35mph on a city street, the vehicle was involved in a front impact collision and the airbags did not deploy. The contact was wearing a seat belt, no injuries were sustained. There was minor damage to the vehicle. The police were alerted, and a report was taken. The vehicle was not inspected. The manufacturer was not alerted.
The trac off light comes on on my 1997 volvo 850 glt turbo wagon. Apparently, the trac, no longer works and I have to pay hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. This should be a recall and relates directly to a safety claim made by volvo. From the list serv that I am on, apparently this is a very common problem amongst 1996-1998 volvos. *Jb
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle vibrated and the steering was erratic. The contact noticed unusual hydroplaning in small puddles of water on the highway. The contact noticed chunks on the outside rim of the passenger side tire. A local repair shop determined there was unusual wear on the tires. The dealership determined the alignment was bad on the vehicle that was the problem with the tires. The tire manufacturer was michelin. Model: energy. Size: 195/60/r15.*Ak
Car would not start - appeared to be dead battery - replaced battery - car started, next day car battery dead - jumped battery, car started-2 hours later car battery dead - tested new battery tested ok. Jumped battery took car to volvo dealer - lawrence motors in walnut creek - took service department 1 day? To diagnose - "wiring harness needs to be replaced at $2,000 cost!! Car to be ready in 3 to 4 weeks (september 1st), then delayed (unknown reasons), delayed to oct 1st, as of todays call oct 6, 2005 was advised...
Read the full complaint
car not available until possibly nov 1st. Why would a car with 100,000 miles and 8 years old (always properly serviced) require a new wiring harness? And at such a cost? And why does the part take over 90 days to receive?*Jb
Heating and cooling fan started coming on, 7/7/2003, car over heated 10/04, dealer replaced fan at my cost. Shift over drive light came on 12/04 dealer replaced solenoid switch, 6/05 shift over drive switch came back on, now 2 solenoids are not working and my car is in limp home mode. No 1st or 2 gear. *Nm
ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE ON 1987 VOLVO 850
Seat belt retrator on back passenger seat is stuck. The seat belt cannot be used.
Headlights failed while on highway. Headlight switch did not work. I phoned volvo to honor the recall nhtsa campaign id number : 99v235000. Volvo informed me this volvo did not qualify.*Ak
This complaint applies to two years of the same model 850 volvo,a 1994 and a1997t. Both cars had main oil seal failures. The 1994 car was a high mileage car with about 180,000 miles it started leaking at 150,000 miles and progressively got worse to point of one to two quarts a day. We decided to trade the car in and purchase another 850 because we had good service out of the car except for the oil leaks. I was honest with the dealer why I was trading in the car. The dealer was the local dealer for dayton ohio,frank...
Read the full complaint
z imports. The salesman failed to inform us that this is a chronic problem with the 850 model. Now the 1997 model started leaking at 90,000 miles. I discovered this is a chronic problem when I researched complaint files. I also discovered this has caused several engine fires due to oil leaking on hot exhaust pipes . I feel the dealer or mfg. Should be responsible for these repairs. To correct this obvious mfg.Problem. I am very disappointed with the car mfg. And the dealer for not being honest about this problem. I used to praise volvo, for I am a aircraft mechanic of 25 years. I will no longer do so and if asked I would not recommend a volvo or frank z imports. *Jb
I have a 1997 volvo model 850 t-5 that I was driving during a snow and ice storm when the heater/blower stopped working for no reason, thus causing considerable drain on my driving reflexes and being able to see since the windows all started to fog up on the inside and ice on the outside. This could have caused the driver to become involved in an accident due to the failure of the heater/blower. I was told by the dealer that this is common for this type of volvo that the heater blowers fail for no reason and...
Read the full complaint
without warning. Also to replace this heater/blower will cost over 500.00 . This is not right since a heater/blower is one of the main components of a vehicle in the north east part of the usa, and for that matter anywhere.. Also I was told that even with a new motor blower, it could happen again without warning. It could even happen a day after the installation of the new one since this is the way volvo has made them. I think it should be looked into as this is very, very dangerous.. *Jb
I was driving to work, 7:30 a.M., Clear sunny cold day. Traveling 55 mph on I 190 extension near o'hare airport in chgo. The srs light came on my dashboard (which I've never seen before) and an instant later the passenger side airbag exploded out of the dashboard. It ripped apart the dashboard, and cracked the windshield completely across. I pulled over to the right shoulder, turned the car off and quickly got out. The fumes and dust from the airbag were terrible. Although drive-able, I had the car towed to...
Read the full complaint
the volvo of lisle, il dealer since it seemed to me to be an obvious manufacturer's defect. No crash, no accident, no collision, and a split second warning.*Ak the dealer reps have had my car for 3 weeks. The dealer initially said that they could find no reason for the deployment, but wouldn't begin any repair unless i/my insurer paid the bill. I was in touch with volvo of n.A. Within 24 hours. They indicated that they would send out an engineer to investigate. To date, I've not gotten a report or an answer on the status of this investigation, my car sits unrepaired at the dealer, and I'm on week 3 with a rental car that I feel they need to pay for as well. I could really use an advocate here---i'm getting a run-around.
Abs light coming on and staying on repeatedly. After numerous resets by my volvo repair shop, they determined that the abs traction control computer module had failed. The unit had to be replaced at a cost to me of $642.93. The repair shop informed me that they were doing an average of one or two such replacements on this model per week and that they believed this to be a defect from the manufacture for this model in general. The repair shop works exclusively on volvos, hubbard woods motors, 985 greenbay road, winnetka, il, 60093; phone 8470446-0711; owner, robert l. Berger. *Nm
Volvo 850: every year compared
All 850 years1997 Volvo 850 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Volvo 850 | 121 | 3 | C | |
| 1997 Volvo 960 | 25 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 1997 Volvo S90 | 7 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 1997 Volvo S70 | 4 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 1997 Volvo 940 | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1997 Volvo 850
Does the 1997 Volvo 850 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 1997 Volvo 850: storage (July 2004); seat heater / cooler (November 2002); switch (August 1999). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Volvo 850?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (38), seats & seat belts (18), electrical system (15).
How many complaints has the 1997 Volvo 850 had?
121 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 7, 1997 and the latest on September 24, 2016. Of these, 7 describe a crash and 7 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 1997 Volvo 850 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 46 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Volvo 850 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Volvo 850 years have the most complaints?
1996 (207), 1995 (129), 1997 (121). See every Volvo 850 year compared.
What should I do if my 1997 Volvo 850 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data