FaultScore report
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 1997 Volvo WIA with NHTSA between 1997 and 2003. The largest single group is the suspension. Across this model's run it ranks 3 of 3 worst.
FaultScore 15/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Volvo WIA.
How this is worked out12
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
FRAME BENDING
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Brakes
On certain vehicles, the double check valve disc incorporated into the brake manifold dash valve can become brittle over time and crack. If this condition exists and there is a single point failure in either the primary or secondary air system, loss of all service braking could result without warning with the potential for a vehicle crash. Correction: Manifold dash valve will be replaced.
Brakes
On certain vehicles, the air ride suspension control valve supply line is not plumbed through an air pressure protection valve. In the event of an air suspension bag failure, there will be loss of air pressure in the "b" system which supplies air pressure to the front steer axle brakes. This could result in loss of front steer axle brakes and increased stopping distances. Correction: Air pressure protection valve will be installed.
Suspension
THE STEER AXLE WHEEL BEARING JAM NUT LOCK WASHER MAY NOT HAVE BEEN BENT OVER THE JAM NUT AFTER THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE ADJUSTED. IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE JAM NUT AND THE WHEEL BEARING ADJUSTING NUT MAY BACK OFF THE SPINDLE, ALLOWING THE WHEEL AND BRAKE DRUM ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. CORRECTION: VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED AND IF REQUIRED, THE STEER AXLE WHEEL BEARING WILL BE ADJUSTED AND THEN THE JAM NUT LOCK WASHER WILL BE BENT OVER THE JAM NUT.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
SUSPENSION
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE STEER TIRE WEAR.*AK
NHTSA complaint #565176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE TRUCK STARTED TO PULL VERY HARD TO THE LEFT AND CONSUMER HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME STOPPING THE TRUCK, ONCE THE TRUCK WAS UNDER CONTROL, CONSUMER GOT OUT AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT STEER TIRE WAS WORN DOWN TO THE VERY OUTSIDE EDGE TO THE THREAD, ON A SEPARATE OCCASION THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK WAS VIBRATING SO BAD THAT THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER, CONSUMER STATED THAT IN FEBUARY 1998 THE REAR SUSPENSION WAS REBUILT.
NHTSA complaint #565912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF REPLACING HIS 6TH SET OF STEER TIRES.
NHTSA complaint #565638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE
CONSUMER STATES SLEEPER WALL SIDE SEAMS LEAK WATER.(VOLVO TRUCK 64TWIA)
NHTSA complaint #565031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
THE DRIVERS WINDOW IS LOOSE AND WILL NOT STAY IN.(VOLVO TRUCK 64TWIA)
NHTSA complaint #565031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAD A WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM UNDER THE DASH. (VOLVO TRUCK 64TWIA)
NHTSA complaint #565031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE
CONSUMER STATES SLEEPER WALL SIDE SEAMS LEAK WATER.(VOLVO TRUCK 64TWIA)
NHTSA complaint #565031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
THERE IS CONSTANT SHAKING IN FRONT END OF VEHICLE AND IN STEERING WHEEL, AT ANY SPEED. DEALER HAS REPLACED TIRES AND ALIGNED VEHICLE. DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. NLM CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE VEHICLE IS STILL SHAKING VIOLENTLY.
NHTSA complaint #8007839 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR UNDER A LOAD ,THIS TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT NOV 2000 FOR THIS PROBLUM. IT STARTED AGAIN IN NOV.2001. OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE TRANSMISSION TELL ME THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLUM. THERE IS NOTHING AS DANGEROUS AS A TRUCK GEARING DOWN ON A HILL , AND HAVING THE TRANSMISSION JUMP OUT OF GEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NHTSA complaint #759990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THERE IS VIBRATION WITHIN THE FRAME, TIRE IS WORN OUT. VECHICLE ISN'T STAYING ON TRACK, IT KEEPS GOING INTO OTHER LANES. ALSO, FRAME IS BENT. *AK THE CONSUMER POINTS OUT THAT THE APPEAL FORUM IS HELPFUL BUT THERE SHOULD BE A METHOD FOR CONSUMERS TO REACH THE MANUFACTURERS EASILY. *YH CONSUMER STATES THE PROBLEM IS PROXIMATE TO THE CROSS MEMBERS WITHIN THE FRAME RAILS, THEY ARE OF INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO KEEP THE FRAME RAILS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE FLEXIBILITY PARAMETERS, THIS CAUSES A TEMPORARY BREECH IN THE CONTACT POINTS BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE FORWARD DRIVE AXLE, THIS RESULTS IN THE FORWARD DRIVE AXLE BECOMING MISALIGNED WHEN CLOSED AND CAUSES A THRUST PROBLEM TO THE STEER AXLE AS THE FORWARD DRIVE IS NOW PUSHING IT AT AN ANGLE TO A FORWARD STRAIGHT LINE, THERE IS STRESS ON REAR SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY, THE NET RESULT IS COMPONENT BREAKAGE, PREMATURE WEAR, AND A TRUCK THAT DRIFTS AND WANDERS, VOLVO REPLACED THE REAR SUSPENSION, FRONT BUSHINGS, STRAIGHTEN FRAME, AND THEY ALSO BENT THE STEER AXLE AND ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IT FURTHER BACK THUS NECESSATING THAT THEY BENT THE STEERING ROD. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #845406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THERE IS VIBRATION WITHIN THE FRAME, TIRE IS WORN OUT. VECHICLE ISN'T STAYING ON TRACK, IT KEEPS GOING INTO OTHER LANES. ALSO, FRAME IS BENT. *AK THE CONSUMER POINTS OUT THAT THE APPEAL FORUM IS HELPFUL BUT THERE SHOULD BE A METHOD FOR CONSUMERS TO REACH THE MANUFACTURERS EASILY. *YH CONSUMER STATES THE PROBLEM IS PROXIMATE TO THE CROSS MEMBERS WITHIN THE FRAME RAILS, THEY ARE OF INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO KEEP THE FRAME RAILS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE FLEXIBILITY PARAMETERS, THIS CAUSES A TEMPORARY BREECH IN THE CONTACT POINTS BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE FORWARD DRIVE AXLE, THIS RESULTS IN THE FORWARD DRIVE AXLE BECOMING MISALIGNED WHEN CLOSED AND CAUSES A THRUST PROBLEM TO THE STEER AXLE AS THE FORWARD DRIVE IS NOW PUSHING IT AT AN ANGLE TO A FORWARD STRAIGHT LINE, THERE IS STRESS ON REAR SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY, THE NET RESULT IS COMPONENT BREAKAGE, PREMATURE WEAR, AND A TRUCK THAT DRIFTS AND WANDERS, VOLVO REPLACED THE REAR SUSPENSION, FRONT BUSHINGS, STRAIGHTEN FRAME, AND THEY ALSO BENT THE STEER AXLE AND ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IT FURTHER BACK THUS NECESSATING THAT THEY BENT THE STEERING ROD. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #845406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE THERE IS A VIBRATION IN THE WHOLE TRUCK .
NHTSA complaint #808886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.