FaultScore

Worst years for a Volvo 850

Owners have filed 732 complaints about the Volvo 850 with NHTSA across model years 1993 to 2000. More of them are about the brakes than anything else.

Avoid

1996 Volvo 850

235 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly brakes.

Cleanest on record

1997 Volvo 850

142 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Volvo 850 year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2000 1 0 0 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1999 2 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1997 C 142 7 8 90,000 Brakes
1996 D 235 14 27 100,000 Brakes
1995 C 148 12 10 116,953 Transmission & Drivetrain
1994 C 108 7 3 127,722 Fuel & Propulsion
1993 C 96 5 3 85,500 Transmission & Drivetrain

What breaks on a Volvo 850

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Brakes 117 16.0%

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1993

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Tires 45 6.1%

Worst in 1995

Airbags 42 5.7%

Worst in 1995

Seats 37 5.1%

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1995

Seat Belts 30 4.1%

Worst in 1996

Steering 25 3.4%

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Acceleration & Cruise Control 21 2.9%

Worst in 1997

Exactly what failed on a Volvo 850

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 51 20.1%
Automatic Transmission 43 16.9%
Tank Assembly 29 11.4%
Seat Heater/Cooler 26 10.2%
Frontal 26 10.2%
AIR Conditioner 22 8.7%
Control Unit/Module 17 6.7%
Gasoline 15 5.9%
Engine 13 5.1%
Ignition 12 4.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Volvo 850, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 18 Nov 2018

Volvo 850 problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Volvo 850

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.