1992 Volvo 960

1992 960 STALLS WHILE DRIVING. *TS THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A JERKING MOTION BEFORE SHUTTING OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO STALL WHILE PARKING. THE POWER WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED. THE BATTERY DIED IF THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 1 DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL DRAIN ON THE CIRCUIT FOR THE POWER WINDOWS AND SHIFTLOCK CIRCUIT. *NM

THE ALUMINUM ALLOY IN THE BLOCK FAILED RESULTING IN A LINE OF PINHOLES IN THE SIDE OF THE BLOCK WHICH CAUSED LOW COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR, THE LEAK CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE A GALLON OF COOLANT EVERY TEN MILES CAUSING THE RADIATOR TO BOIL RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE, OIL WAS ALSO LEAKING FROM BLOCK PARALLEL TO THOSE BLEEDING COOLANT. NLM

THE TIMING BELT ON THIS VEHICLE WAS REPLACED AT 60000 MILES SERVICE. THE SERVICE INVOICE STATES "REPLACE TIMING BELT AND INSTALL DAMPER. R/R TIMING BELT AND DAMPER AS PER BULLETIN" NOW LESS THAN 30,000 MILES LATER THE TIMING BELT HAS BROKEN WITH ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OF $ 3000. WHAT IS THE BULLETIN THEY REFER TO??? IS THERE AN IMPLIED WARRANTY FOR THIS PRODUCT REPLACED PER THE BULLETIN??? WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT NECESSITATED THE BULLETIN IN THE FIRST PLACE??? NOTE THAT SERVICE BULLETIN 2003 REGARDING THIS VEHICLE REFERS TO ENGINE REPLACEMENTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND CALLS FOR REPLACEMENT WITH A 1995 ENGINE INCORPORATING A WIDER TIMING BELT...... IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE FACTORY TIMING BELT OR ASSEMBLY THAT WOULD CAUSE REPEATED FAILURES??? ALSO...THE EXHAUST PIPE REPEATEDLY COMES APART AT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. A FRIEND HAS THE SAME MODEL VOLVO...SAME EXHAUST PIPE PROBLEM. *AK

07/11/99 DRIVING THE VOLVO +/-40 MPH - NOT UNDER LOAD - & ENGINE QUIT - METAL ON METAL NOISE - PULLED OFF ROADWAY & CALLED A WRECKER. TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN 1,250 MILES SHORT OF NEXT CHANGE. CALLED VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA - THEY STATED IT WAS A MATTER BTWN ME & DEALER WHO LAST CHANGED THE TIMING BELT. THIS DEALER (SONNY KING VOLVO, BIRMINGHAN, AL) IS NOW OUT OF BUSINESS - BUT WORK ORDER SHOWED NO EVIDENCE THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED - EVEN THOUGH THE CHARGE FOR SERVICE WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE SERVICE MANAGER QUOTED ME FOR A BELT REPLACEMENT & THE REST OF THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE. I PAID FOR THE MAINTENANCE - IT WAS NEVER RENDERED. VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA STATED "IT'S A LICK ON YOU FOR NOT READING YOUR SERVICE ORDER." I PAID $2,300 FOR A COMPLETE NEW HEAD & REPLACEMENT COSTS. GOT THE CAR BACK IN THE FALL, DROVE IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND IT STARTED SPRAYING OIL ALL OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER WHO DID THE HEAD REPLACEMENT TOOK THE CAR BACK - DID SOME REPAIR, AT NO COST & RETURNED THE VEHICLE WITHIN A WEEK. THE CAR NEVER RAN CORRECTLY AND LOST COOLANT EVERYTIME IT WAS DRIVEN. IN NOVEMBER OF 1999 - IT GOT SO IT REQUIRED MORE COOLANT THAN FUEL SO I GARAGED THE CAR UNTIL I HAD TIME TO GET IT CHECKED OUT BY ANOTHER VOLVO SHOP. USED THE VEHICLE FOR SHORT (AROUND TOWN) TRIPS - IN FEBRUARY - I NOTICED IT WAS TAKING ON MORE THAN A GALLON OF WATER TO DRIVE 16 MILES TO WORK & BACK - HAD THE VOLVO TRAILERED BACK TO THE VOLVO SHOP THAT CHANGED THE HEAD - WAS INFORMED THE ALUMINUM BLOCK HAD CRACKED AND NOW I NEED TO COME UP WITH $7,200 (ROUGHLY) FOR A NEW BLOCK. I CAN GET IT DOWN TO +/- $4,000 TO GET A USED ENGINE. VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA AGAIN NOTIFIED AND THEIR RESPONSE TO MY WIFE WAS, "YOU WERE LUCKY TO GET 100,000 MILES OUT OF THE CAR. WE DON'T MAKE THAT MODEL ANYMORE. THIS PROBLEM IS BETWEEN YOU AND THE DEALER THAT CHANGED THE HEAD." *AK