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.
The worst 1994 Volvo 960 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags4
- Brakes3
- Engine3
- Electrical2
- Fuel system2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags4
- Brakes3
- Engine3
- Electrical2
- Fuel system2
- Transmission2
- Body1
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Steering1
- Tires1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Inadvertent air bag deployment
There is no summary currently available
PE97047
Technical service bulletins for the 1994 Volvo 960 105
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
- The Deutronic DBL-1200 is an advanced battery maintainer/charger with the flexibility to be updated as...
- ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations
- Vida qr
- 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 960 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.9L 6‑cyl | RWD | 15 | 23 | 18 |
What 1994 Volvo 960 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The consumer discovered coolant leaked from the radiator.
While driving the vehicles gears became stuck after shifting.
While driving the vehicle overheated.
No summary. Dt
While driving fuel tank cracked at the seam and car began leaking fuel.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Compare the 1994 Volvo 960
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Questions about the 1994 Volvo 960
Is the 1994 Volvo 960 reliable?
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 1994 Volvo 960, close to a typical 960 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1994 Volvo 960?
Airbags, with 4 complaints. Next is brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 1994 Volvo 960 have?
No recalls on record.
What gas mileage does the 1994 Volvo 960 get?
Official estimates for the 1994 Volvo 960 range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.9L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 15 city and 23 highway.
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