RecallMyCar

Volvo 850 Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 569 owner complaints across 7 model years of the Volvo 850 (1993–2000). The most-complained-about year is 1996.

5
safety recalls, all years
569
owner complaints, all years
1997
year with most recalls
1996
year with most complaints

Pick your Volvo 850 model year

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2000 Volvo 85001
1999 Volvo 85002
1997 Volvo 8503107
1996 Volvo 8502192
1995 Volvo 8502111
1994 Volvo 850283
1993 Volvo 850073

What Volvo 850 owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 569 complaints with NHTSA. The 1996 model year has the most, with 192.

All Volvo 850 recalls (5)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Volvo 850, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

  1. Storage (fuel system)

    NHTSA 04V368000 Reported 226,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

    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.

    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.…

    Model years: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

  2. Seat heater/cooler (seats)

    NHTSA 02V314000 Reported 65,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.

    On some sedans and station wagons equipped with seat heaters, it is possible that excessive compression of the seat cushion could cause damage to the electrical wiring of the seat heater.

    Remedy: Dealers will disconnect the existing wires and install a new electronic thermostat and cable harness. Owner notification began on february 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed…

    Model years: 1996, 1997

  3. Switch (exterior lighting)

    NHTSA 99V235000 Reported 139,588 vehicles potentially affected VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the headlight switch.

    Model years: 1997

  4. Integrated jack/leveler/stabilizer (equipment) and accessory scissor/screw/bottle jack/lift (equipment)

    NHTSA 95V050000 Reported 31,315 vehicles potentially affected VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.

    Some of the jacks supplied with the vehicles do not have the necessary load capacity.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace suspect jacks with a jack meeting the load requirements for these cars.

    Model years: 1995

  5. Vehicle speed control

    NHTSA 94V173000 Reported 14,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.

    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.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the throttle body, throttle cable, charge air cooler piping and crankcase ventilation hoses.

    Model years: 1994

Other Volvo models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.