1997 Volvo 960

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/16/2004· SEAT BELTS

  DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT OUT OF THE RETRACTOR. THIS C LEAVES THE DRIVER WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINT IF INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

• 12/04/1996· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  BRAKES FAILED.

• 11/30/2011· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  THE LEAKING FUEL RAIL SPURTS GASOLINE ONTO THE HOT AUTOMOBILE ENGINE, CAUSING GASOLINE FUMES IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THERE IS RISK OF FIRE DUE TO THIS HAZARD. VOLVO DEALERS ARE AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS. I HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO NA CUSTOMER CARE BUT THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED AN ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE. THIS COMPLAINT IS AN ADDENDUM TO A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT BY ANOTHER VOLVO CAR OWNER. PLEASE SEE NHTSA REFERENCE # 10378366. *KB

• 11/27/2000· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. HAD TO PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALER DID NOT HELP CONSUMER. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

• 11/10/1997· TIRES

  TIRES BLEW OUT WHEN VEHICLE WENT OVER A POTHOLE/SMALL DITCH IN THE ROAD.

• 11/02/1998· FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER PREVIOUSLY TAKEN VEHICLE INTO THE REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, A LEAK IN THE INJECTION SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTUTER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

• 10/25/2001· AIR BAGSCrash

  CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE HIT A TREE, AND HAD FRONTAL IMPACT. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED VEHICLE HAD PREFORMED UP TO STANDARD. *AK

• 10/19/1999· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  AS SOON THE HAND BRAKE WAS RELEASED THE VEHICLE ACCILERATED FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED ON ITS OWN AND WAS ONLY STOPPED BY CRASHING INTO WALL. YH

• 10/17/2001· AIR BAGSCrash

  CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT DURING RAIN STORM AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HIT TREE WITH FRONTAL IMPACT. CONTACTED VOLVO, AND VOLVO REPLIED THAT VEHICLE PERFORMED THE WAY IT SHOULD HAD. *AK

• 09/26/2002· STEERING

  THE CENTER STEERING WHEEL COVER HAS A STICKY RESIDUE WHEN TOUCHED AND IS DIFFICULT TO WASH OFF. THE CONSUMERS EYES BECOME IRRITATED AND SKIN IS ITCHY. *SCC

• 09/08/1997· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  VEHICLE SURGES WHILE DRIVING.

• 08/03/1998· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  A PIECE OF PLASTIC FOIL DROPPED OFF AND FLEW BACK AT 75MPH FROM THE BOTTOM OF VEHICLE WITH NO INDICATION, THE AIR HANDLING SYSTEM THAT SCOOPS THE AIR IS WHERE THE PIECE CAME FROM. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

• 08/01/1997· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  FLAP IN THROTTLE STUCK IN OPEN POSITION, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION.

• 06/29/2001· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  VOLVO DEALER, UNDER WARRANTY REPLACED ALL 4 DISC BRAKE ROTORS & PADS DUE TO WARPING OF ROTORS & RESULTING VIBRATION WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 65 MPH TO 50 MPH ON HIGHWAY. THIS WORK WAS DONE ON 11/14/00 AT 39,024 MILES ON THE CAR. IT IS NOW 6/29/01 AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 43,500 MILES ON IT, IE. ONLY 4,500 ADDITIONAL MILES ON IT. THIS HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM ON OUR OTHER CARS, SO IT SHOULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO DRIVER ERROR OR OTHER DRIVER-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS. IN FACT, WE GET VERY GOOD BRAKE WEAR AND DURABILITY ON OUR OTHERS CARS WITH THE SAME DRIVERS. IN THE APRIL, 2001 ISSUE OF CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE, THIS CAR FOR THE 1997 MODEL YEAR RECEIVED THE WORST AVAILABLE RATING FOR THE BRAKES RELATIVE TO FREQUENCY OF REPAIRS FROM OWNER SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE MAGAZINE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS VIBRATION DUE TO DISC ROTOR WARPAGE CAN LEAD TO FURTHER DAMAGE IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND ULTIMATELY CAUSE A SAFETY RELATED FAILURE. I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER AND TO INQUIRE IF YOU HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM ON OTHER VOLVO 960'S OF SIMILAR VINTAGE AS CONSUMER REPORTS HAS FOUND AND ALSO AS I HAVE PERSONALLY FOUND TO BE THE CASE. *AK

• 06/20/2001· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  WITH NO INDICATION OF OVERHEATING THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND WAS DESTROYED. THE ONLY IDIOT LIGHT TO COME ON WAS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THAT WAS AFTER BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER REGISTERED OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL RANGE AND NO OTHER WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED. THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO VOLVO BUT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY STATE IT DOES NOT MATTER THAT THE GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED AND THEY CAN NOT BE TESTED ANYWAY BECAUSE THE CAR CAN NOT BE STARTED.*AK

• 05/31/2002· TIRES

  LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT DUE TO SEPARATION OF SIDE WALL. OTHER TWO TIRES ARE BEGINNING TO CRACK. SIZE 195/60R15,DOT#FUDACHYX276. *AK THE OTHER TWO TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE INSPECTION SHOWING STEEL FROM THE BELTS WERE COMING THROUGH THE SIDE WALLS. THE TIRES ARE MICHELIN MXV4. *JG

• 04/21/1998· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCrash

  AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE INTO REVERSE , THE THROTTLE STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. *AK

• 04/04/2001· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

• 04/02/2004· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN LOW COOLANT LIGHT. SUDDENLY LOST POWER DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. IT SEIZED UP DUE TO OVERHEATING. TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER REGISTERED HOT. RADIATOR NECK BROKE OFF AT NECK CAUSING LOST OF COOLANT. ENGINE RUINED. DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE CLAIMING THERMOSTAT STUCK EVEN THOUGH THEY COULDN'T PROVE THIS. *JB

• 02/14/2000· AIR BAGSCrash

  VEHICLE REAR ENDED A TRUCK AT 50MPH, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

• 02/01/1999· SEATS

  DRIVER'S SEAT LUMBAR SUPPORT CONTROL FAILED. *YC

• 02/01/1999· EQUIPMENT

  AIR CONDITIONER DOES NOT WORK ADEQUATELY FOR REAR SEATS. YH

• 01/30/2007· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  CUSTOMER 1997 VOLVO 960 ENGINE FAILED DUE TO TIMING BELT PULLEY FAILURE. **CC THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE A HEAD BOLT HAD SEIZED IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. *JB

• 01/28/2012· FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  SMELLED FUEL IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT,OPENED HOOD AND FOUND A LEAKING FUEL INJECTION SUPPLY RAIL. LEAK STEMS FROM THE END CAP USED ON FUEL RAIL TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE NEAR THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING AND PROCEEDS TO DRIP VIGOROUSLY DOWN TOWARDS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BEFORE EVAPORATING AND DRIPPING DOWN ONTO LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE AND FINALLY THE GROUND. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL COMMENTS IN THE INTERNET FORUMS RELATED TO THIS POSSIBLE DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THIS PART STATING THAT THE LEAK IS LOCATED IN THE END CAP OF THE FUEL RAIL, AND VOLVO HAS A RE ENGINEERED FUEL RAIL THAT ELIMINATES THE LEAKING END CAP AND IS CURRENTLY OFFERING THIS RE ENGINEERED PART AS A REPLACEMENT AT A NORMAL RETAIL LABOR AND PARTS RATE. SINCE MODERN VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED TO OPERATE BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL MILEAGE OF 100K , THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS NOT EXPECTING TO HAVE SUCH A SAFETY HAZARD PRESENT ITSELF BY A FAILING FUEL RAIL END CAP, IN ADDITION THE VOLVO OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT RECOMMEND ANY MAINTENANCE OF THE FUEL RAIL AT ANY SPECIFIC MILEAGE THUS MISLEADING THE PUBLIC BY THE OMISSION THAT SUCH A PART SHOULD BE REPLACED BEFORE FAILURE OCCURS. IN ADDITION VOLVO HAS RE ENGINEERED THE PART AND IS CURRENTLY PROFITING FROM THE SAFETY HAZARD THAT THIS FUEL RAIL HAS CREATED. VOLVO HAS IN THE PAST AND CURRENTLY ADVERTISED ITSELF AS RELIABLE AND SAFE, THUS CREATING A CERTAIN EXPECTATION OF HIGH SAFETY STANDARDS AND HIGH SAFETY RATINGS, AND VOLVO SHOULD (IN KEEPING WITH IT'S PUBLIC IMAGE) AT IT'S OWN EXPENSE REMEDY THIS PROBLEM BY CONDUCTING A VEHICLE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN SUCH AS NISSAN MOTOR CO. HAS DONE IN THE PAST(NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 95I006000) TO PREVENT ANY POSSIBLE INJURIES THAT MAY RESULT FROM LEAKING FUEL SYSTEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ALTERED OR MODIFIED BY CURRENT OR PREVIOUS OWNERS AND REIMBURSE THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE LEAKING FUEL RAILS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. *TR

• 01/22/1998· AIR BAGSCrash

  AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING CRASH.