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.
The worst 1994 Volvo 850 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Fuel system14
- Electrical12
- Engine10
- Airbags7
- Brakes7
- Transmission7
- Seats6
- Tires6
- Visibility6
- Acceleration5
- Steering4
- Wheels4
- Locks2
- Seat belts2
- Body1
- Suspension1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1994 Volvo 850
Recalls 2
Fuel system, gasoline: storage
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 04V368000 · Recall details
Vehicle speed control
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 94V173000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 1994 Volvo 850
Defect investigations
Fuel tank leaks
This engineering analysis was opened on june 11, 2003, based on 54 reports of fuel tank leaks.the subject vehicles were 1993 through 1996 model year (my) 850 vehicles. Model 850 was also produced in my 1997 and was included in this investigation. Analysis of the data reveals two distinct issues. First, the 1994 through 1997 my vehicles stand out by accounting for 95 percent of the reported leaks.these vehicles share the same fuel tank design (pn 9142618). The 1993 my vehicle uses a different fuel tank design (pn 9141101).secondly, the failures occurred predominantly in hot climates, e.g., california, arizona, texas, florida, georgia, louisiana, etc.testing of fuel tanks from consumer vehicles at the vehicle research and test center confirmed leaks through cracks in the fuel tank wall at a heat shield mounting attachment in the 1994 through 1997 my fuel tanks (pn9142618). Details of the tests are available in test report vrtc-dcd3060.volvo will conduct a safety recall on all my 1994 through 1997 vehicles originally sold or registered in the following 17 hot states: ca, az, nm, tx, la, ms, al, ga, sc, fl, nc, tn, ar, ok, ut, nv, and hi.all 1994 through 1997 my vehicles in all other states will be remedied under a service campaign.the remedy for both the recall and service campaign is to install a new bushing at each heat shield attachment point (3 per tank).also, all tanks (vehicles in all states) will be inspected for fuel seepage at the heat shield attachment points and volvo will replace any tank showing signs of fuel seepage.the new bushings will prevent heat shield stresses from being transferred to the three heat shield mounting attachments on the fuel tank.the safety recall is filed under the federal safety agency safety recall number 04v368.this investigation is closed.
EA03008
Fuel tank leaks
The office of defects investigation opened thisinvestigation on january 16, 2003.the basis for opening the investigation was 15 consumer reports alleging gasoline leaking from the fuel storage tank.volvo provided 43 additional reports in its response to the preliminary evaluation, 4 of which were duplicates of the 15 odi reports. This investigation has been upgraded for further study.
PE03003
Technical service bulletins for the 1994 Volvo 850 134
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Complimentary upgrade C00009 description.
- Rubber cushion
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- ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations
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- Shipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery Solutions (GBS)
- Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly...
- This is a Service Manager Bulletin: Service 2.0 Software & Total Upgrade Reminder
- Battery Charger/maintainer requirement
- Service Manager Bulletin TITLE : Service Action Notification Re
1994 Volvo 850 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 25-26 | 20-21 |
| 2.3L 5‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
What 1994 Volvo 850 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
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.
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 the federal safety agency 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 (the federal safety agency # 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 the federal safety agency 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.
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.
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
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Questions about the 1994 Volvo 850
Is the 1994 Volvo 850 reliable?
Owners have filed 83 complaints about the 1994 Volvo 850, close to a typical 850 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1994 Volvo 850?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 14 complaints, typically around 130,000 miles. Next is electrical (12).
How many recalls does the 1994 Volvo 850 have?
2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and vehicle speed control.
Was there a recall on the 1994 Volvo 850 fuel system?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V368000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volvo 850 have the most fuel system problems?
The Volvo 850 model years with the most fuel system complaints are 1996 (26 complaints), 1994 (14 complaints) and 1995 (13 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1994 Volvo 850 get?
Official estimates for the 1994 Volvo 850 range from 19 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 5-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 25-26 highway.
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