IllustrationENGINE KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING, AFTER AN INITIAL WARM-UP PERIOD. HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER SERVICE 4 TIMES, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. I THINK IT HAS BECOME A SAFETY PROBLEM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT IF SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED BY OTHER VOLVO OWNERS.*AK
1993 Volvo 850
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Volvo 850 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 78.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 850 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 73 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports3 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
73 reportsONCE THE VEHICLE IS WARMED UP THE VEHICLE ACTS AS THOUGHT IT IS IN NEUTRAL. NLM
BACK OF INTEGRAL CHILD SAFETY SEAT DOES NOT STAY UPRIGHT, AND WILL FALL BACKWARDS INTO STORAGE COMPARTMENT OF VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
PASSENGER'S AIR BAG STICKS OUT FROM DASH BOARD. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER YET.*AK
CONSUMER STATES HE HAS TO USE SHIFT OVERRIDE TO TAKE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK TO PUT IT INTO ANOTHER GEAR. *JB
CONSUMER HAS TO USE THE SHIFT OVER RIDE TO TAKE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK.*AK
TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A CAR THAT I SERVICED EVERY 3-5K MILES. *AK
SERVICE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE TIMING BELT PER VOLVO MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS REQUIREMENT - LUCKILY THE BELT BROKE WHEN I WAS STOPPED - 5 MIN PRIOR I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH ON FREEWAY. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS UPON ACCELEATION. NLM
POTENTIALLY FATAL DESIGN FLAW DISCOVERED - AIR BAG WIRING HAS FAILED THROUGH POOR DESIGN. ACCORDING TO DEALER SERVICE, THE AIR BAG POWER WIRE HAS SLIPPED INTO THE TILT WHEEL MECHANISM AND PINCHED IT TO THE POINT OF SHEARING THE WIRE INSULATION AND CAUSING A SHORT WHICH HAS DISABLED THE ENTIRE SRS. THIS IS A NON-CONTACT, NON-WE…
Read full complaint
POTENTIALLY FATAL DESIGN FLAW DISCOVERED - AIR BAG WIRING HAS FAILED THROUGH POOR DESIGN. ACCORDING TO DEALER SERVICE, THE AIR BAG POWER WIRE HAS SLIPPED INTO THE TILT WHEEL MECHANISM AND PINCHED IT TO THE POINT OF SHEARING THE WIRE INSULATION AND CAUSING A SHORT WHICH HAS DISABLED THE ENTIRE SRS. THIS IS A NON-CONTACT, NON-WEAR PART AND HAS FAILED SOLELY DUE TO POOR DESIGN. COST TO REPAIR IS PROHIBITIVE. VOLVO USA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE ANY FATALITIES!!! *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA03008 · Fuel Tank Leaks
Opened Jun 11, 2003 · Closed Jul 28, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage
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 NHTSA SAFETY RECALL NUMBER 04V368.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
PE03003 · Fuel Tank Leaks
Opened Jan 16, 2003 · Closed Jun 11, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
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.