IllustrationAFTER TURNING THE IGNITION CAR WHEN UP IN FLAMES. VOLVO CLAIMS THAT THE DAMAGE WAS SO SEVERE THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE. *AK
1992 Volvo 960
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 960 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports2 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
21 reportsAFTER TURNING THE KEY SMOKE CAME UP FROM UNDER THE FRONT HOOD. IN SPITE OF TAKING THE KEY OUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO MAKE NOISE. OCCASIONALLY THE ENGINED STOPPED, BUT THEN STARTED AGAIN. EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHEN UP IN FLAMES. I WANT TO REPORT THIS AND FOUND OUT IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *A…
Read full complaint
AFTER TURNING THE KEY SMOKE CAME UP FROM UNDER THE FRONT HOOD. IN SPITE OF TAKING THE KEY OUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO MAKE NOISE. OCCASIONALLY THE ENGINED STOPPED, BUT THEN STARTED AGAIN. EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHEN UP IN FLAMES. I WANT TO REPORT THIS AND FOUND OUT IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *AK
ENGINE BLOCK LEAKS COOLANT TO THE OUTSIDE. AT FAILURE THE ESCAPING COOLANT PRODUCED SMOKE AND ENGINE OVERHEATES. YH
THE ORIGINAL CYLINDER BLOCK CRACKED IN THE SAME SPOT AS THE REPLACEMENT. VOLVO HAS TWO SERVICE BULLETINS ON REPLACING DEFECTIVE/DAMAGED CYCLINDER BLOCKS FOR THIS MODEL: 221943 MARCH 97 AND 221945 JUNE 97. VOLVO IS UNWILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR A POSSIBLE DESIGN DEFECT.
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND SMOKE POURED FROM FROM UNDER THE HOOD. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND THE INTACT MANIFOLD HAD BEEN FORCIBLY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE, THE MAIN FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL DISTIBUTER WAS SEVERED, AND A CUP OR MORE OF FUEL LAY PUDDLED UNDER THE VEHICLE.
TIMING CHAIN BROKE CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL.
THE ENGINE BLOCK IS CRACKED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LEAK OIL AND COOLANT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR STOPPED WITH NO WARNING, DEALER SAID IT WAS THE TIMMING BELT . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
VEHICLE STALLS /VIBRATES IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA94015 · Inadvert. Air Bag Deploys
Opened Apr 20, 1994 · Closed Oct 12, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
There is no summary currently available