My daughter was driving our 1994 volvo 960 on august 12,2006 on a congested 4 lane road. She moved the drivers seat forward with the electric powered switch and noticed smoke emerging from the seat. She looked more closely and saw flames. She was able to navigate onto a side street and exit the vehicle. My husband who is a certified bmw/ volvo technician, traced the wires and found a short in the seat heater element. The fire was extensive, requiring the fire department to extinguish the flames with fire retardant and water. The seat was completely destroyed within 5 minutes and the steering wheel was burned. She could have been seriously injured. *Jb
Vehicle safety record
1994 Volvo 960 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 1994 Volvo 960 with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (4) and the brakes (3). Those complaints describe 3 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 1993 has 7 and the 1995 has 57.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical 960 year, for its age
#120 most complained-about 1994 vehicle
- Complaints
- 19
- Recalls
- 0
- Crashes
- 3
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 1
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 1994 Volvo 960 problems
Share of all 19 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
No recalls for the 1994 Volvo 960
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1994 Volvo 960. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.
What owners say
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19 complaints about the 1994 Volvo 960
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
The consumer discovered coolant leaked from the radiator. *Jb
While driving the vehicles gears became stuck after shifting. *Nlm
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. *NLM
NO SUMMARY. DT
While driving fuel tank cracked at the seam and car began leaking fuel.*Ak
The yokohama tire on the left front wheel experienced tread separation while the consumer was traveling, resulting in major damage to the under carriage of the vehicle, the consumer is requesting reimbursement for the cost of the tire and the damage to the vehicle. Tire size p195/65r15. *Yh
August 1995 car was returned to dealer as brakes were noisy and brake pedal was mushy. Front and rear brake pads were replaced. Vehicle mileage - 14349. September, 1996 the brake pedal was again traveling too far down accompanied by vibration. Rear brake rotors and pads were replaced. Mileage - 34875. December 1996 when attempting to stop at stoplight in 45 mph zone on dry pavement the brake pedal went to floor accompanied by loud grinding and vibration. Car traveled through light. Dealer could not...
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duplicate, no repairs performed. Mileage - 39021. March 1997 brake pedal went to floor accompanied by loud grinding noise and vibration. Car went through stoplight. Dealer replaced master cylinder, brake caliper, brake fluid, bled the brake lines. Mileage - 40283. March 1998 brakes loud, mushy with vibration and shudder. Dealer replaced rear discs and pads. Mileage - 47557. July 1998 brakes vibrating. Dealer could not find problem. Mileage - 49297. May 1999 brakes grinding and vibrating. Dealer found no problems, recommended replacing rear brake rotors. Mileage - 57711. July 6, 1999 dealer replaced rear rotors and pads as recommended. July 20, 1999 brake pedal traveled to floor accompanied by loud grinding and vibration. Car traveled through stop sign in 25 mph zone. Dealer cleaned front wheel sensors. Could not duplicate problem. Mileage - 59675. *Ak
The emergency brake warning light is on and stays on unless the brake release button is held down. Dealer has replaced it twice, and problem still exists. *Ak
When trying to use the horn, it failed to work properly. Also, transmission had developed a crack, and the oil line to transmission had a hole in it. This caused the oil to leak. Finally, brake lights went out. Took to dealer to have transmission & horn repaired. *Ak
False deployment of air bag during minor low speed collision which caused no damage to exterior of vehicle, however interior of vehicle damaged badly by violent deployment of air bag.
Vehicle was stopped at a stop light, air bags deployed, car rolled into another car. Dealer contacted, and is in the process of investigating problem. *Ak
Electric short caused under hood engine compartment fire, while driving saw smoke, vehicle stalled and then caught on fire. *Ak
Was driving and applied the brakes and they locked up, there were no brakes . *Ak
False deployment of drivers air bag, resulting in windshield breaking/injury. (Attorney for client) *dsh
No warning device to alert driver that door is ajar. *Sd
Vehicle involved in frontal collision, impact 12:00 speed 12, passenger's air bag deployed, passenger deployed metal casing with bag hitting windsheild
Cruise control engages without assistance, causing sudden acceleration, resulting in loss of control/accident. *Skd
RADIATOR PROBLEMS. *SKD
Volvo 960: every year compared
All 960 years1994 Volvo 960 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Volvo 960 | 19 | 0 | C | |
| 1994 Volvo 850 | 96 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 1994 Volvo 940 | 43 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 1994 Volvo 240 | 2 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 1994 Volvo 964 | 2 | 0 | B | Compare |
| 1994 Volvo Acl | 1 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 1994 Volvo 420 | 1 | 0 | - | 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 1994 Volvo 960
Does the 1994 Volvo 960 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1994 Volvo 960 right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 Volvo 960?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (4), brakes (3), engine & cooling (3).
How many complaints has the 1994 Volvo 960 had?
19 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 28, 1995 and the latest on August 30, 2006. Of these, 3 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Is the 1994 Volvo 960 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 50 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Volvo 960 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 960 years have the most complaints?
1996 (60), 1995 (57), 1997 (25). See every Volvo 960 year compared.
What should I do if my 1994 Volvo 960 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