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Engine & cooling

1992 Volvo 960 Engine problems

Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 1992 Volvo 960's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 67% of all its complaints, most recently on September 6, 2006. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Complaints
14
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Engine complaints

Engine & coolingElectrical system

1992 960 Stalls while driving. *Ts the dealer attempted to remedy the problem. The vehicle continued to stall while driving at high speeds. The vehicle would make a jerking motion before shutting off. The vehicle would also stall while parking. The power windows and door locks malfunctioned. The battery died if the vehicle was parked for 1 day. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and it was determined that there was an electrical drain on the circuit for the power windows and shiftlock circuit. *Nm

Filed Incident Engine and engine cooling · Electrical systemNHTSA 10168038
Engine & cooling

Timing belt failed, dealer replaced the timing belt, drive belt, camshaft sensor and had to rebuild the cylinder head with new valves. *Slc *mj *dt ph (daughter lucy picardi on behalf of mother) *jb *cb

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 564938
Engine & cooling

The aluminum alloy in the block failed resulting in a line of pinholes in the side of the block which caused low coolant in the radiator, the leak caused the vehicle to loose a gallon of coolant every ten miles causing the radiator to boil rendering the car undriveable, oil was also leaking from block parallel to those bleeding coolant. Nlm

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 557452
Engine & cooling

Engine block began leaking first coolant and then oil directly through the side of the block just below the exhaust manifold. Despite efforts to plug the leak, it became so large, a gallon every 10 miltes, that the engine became unusable. We had to replac. *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 735829
Engine & cooling

The timing belt on this vehicle was replaced at 60000 miles service. The service invoice states "replace timing belt and install damper. R/r timing belt and damper as per bulletin" now less than 30,000 miles later the timing belt has broken with estimated repair cost of $ 3000. What is the bulletin they refer to??? Is there an implied warranty for this product replaced per the bulletin??? What is the problem that necessitated the bulletin in the first place??? Note that service bulletin 2003 regarding this vehicle...

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refers to engine replacements on this vehicle and calls for replacement with a 1995 engine incorporating a wider timing belt...... Is there a problem with the factory timing belt or assembly that would cause repeated failures??? Also...The exhaust pipe repeatedly comes apart at the catalytic converter. A friend has the same model volvo...Same exhaust pipe problem. *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 724422
Engine & cooling

07/11/99 Driving the volvo +/-40 mph - not under load - & engine quit - metal on metal noise - pulled off roadway & called a wrecker. Timing belt had broken 1,250 miles short of next change. Called volvo of north america - they stated it was a matter btwn me & dealer who last changed the timing belt. This dealer (sonny king volvo, birminghan, al) is now out of business - but work order showed no evidence that the timing belt was replaced - even though the charge for service was exactly what the service manager...

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quoted me for a belt replacement & the rest of the 60,000 mile service. I paid for the maintenance - it was never rendered. Volvo of north america stated "it's a lick on you for not reading your service order." I paid $2,300 for a complete new head & replacement costs. Got the car back in the fall, drove it about 2 weeks and it started spraying oil all over the exhaust system. The local volvo dealer who did the head replacement took the car back - did some repair, at no cost & returned the vehicle within a week. The car never ran correctly and lost coolant everytime it was driven. In november of 1999 - it got so it required more coolant than fuel so I garaged the car until I had time to get it checked out by another volvo shop. Used the vehicle for short (around town) trips - in february - I noticed it was taking on more than a gallon of water to drive 16 miles to work & back - had the volvo trailered back to the volvo shop that changed the head - was informed the aluminum block had cracked and now I need to come up with $7,200 (roughly) for a new block. I can get it down to +/- $4,000 to get a used engine. Volvo of north america again notified and their response to my wife was, "you were lucky to get 100,000 miles out of the car. We don't make that model anymore. This problem is between you and the dealer that changed the head." *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 722406
Engine & cooling

Engine block cracked, causing fuel leakage. Please give any further details.*Ak

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 861351
Engine & cooling

Engine block leaks coolant to the outside. At failure the escaping coolant produced smoke and engine overheates. Yh

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 782350
Engine & cooling

The original cylinder block cracked in the same spot as the replacement. Volvo has two service bulletins on replacing defective/damaged cyclinder blocks for this model: 221943 march 97 and 221945 june 97. Volvo is unwilling to take responsibilty for a possible design defect.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 706274
Engine & cooling

#2 Piston broke between oil ring slot and compression ring slot causing engine failure.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 532411
Engine & cooling

TIMING CHAIN BROKE CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 527474
Engine & cooling

The engine block is cracked, causing the vehicle to leak oil and coolant. The dealer has been notified. *Ak

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 819955
Engine & cooling

Consumer was driving and car stopped with no warning, dealer said it was the timming belt . Please describe . *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 803536
Engine & cooling

Timing belt broke causing major internal damage to engine; according to manual, timing belt should have been changed at 60,000 miles. Tt

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 971764

Volvo 960 engine complaints by year

960 engine problems, every year

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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

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