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1995 Volvo 850 problems

The most common problem on the 1995 Volvo 850 is tires. It has 1.3 times the complaints of a typical 850 model year.

Typical year1.3x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
111
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
137
Worst area
Tires
Fuel economy
19-21mpg

The worst 1995 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.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1995 Volvo 850

Fuel leak 9Tire blowout 5Wipers 5

Recalls 2

Fuel system, gasoline: storageReported July 30, 2004 · 226,000 vehicles affected
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

Equipment: mechanical: integrated jack/leveler/stabilizerReported March 10, 1995 · 31,315 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Some of the jacks supplied with the vehicles do not have the necessary load capacity.
Risk
A raised vehicle can fall off the jack increasing the likelihood for personal injury or property damage.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace suspect jacks with a jack meeting the load requirements for these cars.

Recall number 95V050000 · Recall details

See all 2 recalls for the 1995 Volvo 850

Defect investigations

Fuel tank leaksOpened June 11, 2003, closed July 28, 2004

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 leaksOpened January 16, 2003, closed June 11, 2003

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

Inadvertent side air bag deploymentOpened June 7, 1999, closed October 27, 1999

PE99040

Technical service bulletins for the 1995 Volvo 850 137

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 137 bulletins for the 1995 Volvo 850

1995 Volvo 850 fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.4L 5‑cylFWD182621
2.3L 5‑cylFWD172419

What 1995 Volvo 850 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Mar 12, 2013 · Fuel system · 147,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 volvo 850. The contact stated that the odor of gasoline fuel was emitted inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the fuel hose was leaking. The hose was replaced however, the contact continued to smell fuel. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and another cracked hose was replaced but to no avail. The contact stated that he cold see gasoline fuel leaking from under the fuel tank whenever refueling the vehicle. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v368000 (fuel system, gasoline) and the vehicle was taken to a dealer for repair. He was informed that an exhaust pipe would occasionally strike the fuel tank, causing a stress fracture in the tank. As a result, the fuel tank would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 147,000.

Filed Aug 3, 2011 · Fuel system · 116,007 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 volvo 850. The contact stated after receiving repairs for recall the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v368000 (component: fuel system, gasoline: storage), the vehicle was still experiencing a fuel leakage. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be taken back to the dealer after it failed to pass a smog test, as a result of an evop leakage. The dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that they had already performed the recall repairs and could not find anything else wrong with the vehicle. Since the problem persisted, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer a third time, which diagnosed that the fuel pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact decided to take the vehicle to a local mechanic for a second opinion who stated that all of the prior diagnosis were incorrect, and that the actual problem was the vent hose that was attached to the fuel tank was cracked and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileage was 116,007.

Filed Aug 18, 2010 · Seat belts · 110,000 miles · CA

1995 volvo 850 glt, driver side seat belt retracting mechanism (the roller near driver's left shoulder) was stuck. It was very difficult to pull out the belt, sometimes pulling slowly and little by little seems to work it around. Sprayed some lubricant can free it up for a few days, then it will be difficult to pull out the seat belt out again ... It seems to have a defected design somewhere inside.

Filed Apr 30, 2009 · Fuel system · 91,000 miles · MD

My 1995 volvo 850 developed a gas tank leak at a heat shield attachment. This is the same defect that LED to a safety recall of volvo 850's in certain southern states and a service recall in the other states in 2004 (see recall campaign 04v368000). I was never provided notice of this recall, and volvo now refuses to pay for the necessary replacement of the gas tank--a substantial expense apparently caused by a safety defect that the company failed to remedy. I am having a new gas tank put in by a volvo dealer today. In researching this problem on the internet, I saw that other affected volvo owners did not receive any notification of the recall from volvo.

Filed Dec 16, 2008 · Fuel system · 117,900 miles · TX

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 volvo 850. The contact noticed fuel leaking on the floor of his garage underneath the vehicle. Through research, he discovered the federal safety agency action number ea03008, the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v368000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage). The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that since the failures were identical, his VIN should be included and the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs. The current and failure mileages were 117,900. Updated 01/08/09.

Filed Feb 5, 2008 · Fuel system · 112,750 miles · AZ

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 volvo 850. The contact noticed gas leaking from the fuel tank. The dealer stated that the leaked occurred where the heat shield was attached. There is a recall fuel system, gasoline: storage (the federal safety agency campaign id #04v368000) however, the dealer stated that his VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 112,750 and current mileage was 113,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Jun 11, 2007 · Fuel system · 132,000 miles · KS

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 volvo 850. He noticed a gas smell coming from the rear of the vehicle. He stated that gas leaks from the gas tank when he fills it up. He has not spoken with the dealer or the manufacturer. The current and failure mileage was 132,000.

Filed Dec 17, 2005 · Seats · 96,000 miles · CA · fire

My wife & daughter smelled smoke while driving on a neighborhood street. It seemed to be coming from under the driver's seat. They stopped the car right away and got out. As my wife opened the door to the back seat to get her purse, she saw flames coming from under the driver's seat. They ran to the nearest house to call 911. While on the phone with 911, less than a minute after getting out of the car, my wife saw the entire inside of the car become engulfed in flames. The fire department was on the scene within 3 minutes, but it was too late. The entire inside of the car was burned beyond recognition. What had been leather seats were now metal frames, the dashboard had evaporated, and the car was totaled. Although our insurance company covered the loss of the car, we have had to spend several thousand dollars to replace burnt possessions (like a cell phone and a pda) and pay for car rental. The fire department indicated that the seat heater was the likely cause of the fire, but volvo has not admitted any product failure. When we bought a volvo because of its reputation for safety ("volvo for life"), we certainly didn't expect it to burn up!

Filed Oct 4, 2005 · Brakes, Electrical · 133,000 miles · MD

. I have spent $2200 in the last 3 months while herb gordon tries to figure out the problem with the brakes. They have replaced the brake master cylinder, cleaned and resealed the brake calipers and now as a last resort are replacing the internal ABS system, which finally fixed the problem. Ignition switch replaced, the windshield wiper bolts came loose causing the windshield wipers to stop in the middle of driving on a highway in the rain, air sensors and oxygen sensors seem to need replacing at least twice a year.

Filed Oct 3, 2005 · Visibility · 200,000 miles · MD

Driver side windshield wiper blades no longer contacts glass because motor spindle axis has become misaligned forcing wiper arm up. Suspect that mounting plate or bracket for motor has become distorted/bent. I bent arm for temporary fix. Other owners of volvo 850 have reported similar problems (www.brickboard).

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Other model years

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Questions about the 1995 Volvo 850

Is the 1995 Volvo 850 reliable?

Owners have filed 111 complaints about the 1995 Volvo 850, 1.3 times a typical 850 model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1995 Volvo 850?

Tires, with 14 complaints. Next is airbags (13).

How many recalls does the 1995 Volvo 850 have?

2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and equipment.

What year does the Volvo 850 have bad tires?

The Volvo 850 model years with the most tires complaints are 1995 (14 complaints) and 1996 (11 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 1995 Volvo 850 get?

Official estimates for the 1995 Volvo 850 range from 19 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 5-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 26 highway.

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