Reported: 2002-11-19 (November 19, 2002) · Model years: 1996, 1997
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.
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE DAMAGE COULD RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT THAT COULD CAUSE A FIRE.
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 UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
19 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
31.6%Usable mileage6 / 19 records
78.9%Valid incident date15 / 19 records
100.0%Valid filing date19 / 19 records
78.9%Ordered incident and filing dates15 / 19 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
1994
1995
1996
1997
2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
350.0%ODI 710235
WITHOUT WARNING BRAKES FAILED. BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT BRAKING THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON/GO OUT AT RANDOM, AND ON TWO OCCASIONS THE BRAKE WOULD TURN TO MANUAL BRAKING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SEVEN OCCASIONS, AND CONDITION HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
114.3%ODI 10041632 · 123,000 mi
MY '96 VOLVO 855 HAS INTERMITTENT ABS FAILURE. THE ABS LIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAR HAS 123,000 MILES. AFTER A BRIEF SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS WAS TOO COMMON PROBLEM WITH ABS CONTROL MODULE. IT SEEMS THAT VOLVO DOES NOT ADMIT IT AS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN (THAT I KNOW OF). JUST VOLVO DEALERS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND INSTALLING THE NEW ABS CONTROL MODULES. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO LET MANY VOLVO CARS WITH EITHER FAILING ABS SYSTEM OR CHARGE HUNDREDS FOR THE REPAIR OF A …
THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT ABS FAILED TO OPERATE BECAUSE THE ABS MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC *JB
THE TIRE IN QUESTION IS THE "DOUGHNUT" SPARE. IT WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE SPLITS AND STRESS CRACKS WHEN I WENT TO REPLACE A PUNCTURED TIRE ON THE ABOVE DATE. I STILL HAVE THE DAMAGED SPARE IN MY POSESSION. I HAVE REPORTED THE FAILURE TO BOTH FIRESTONE AND VOLVO DEALERS. THE RESPONSE OF EACH WAS TO OFFER TO SELL ME A NEW SPARE. I HAVE REPLACED THE SPARE WITH A NEW FULL SIZE TIRE. (TIRESIZE: SPARE)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: SPARE )
IN THE FIRST ACCIDENT THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND REAR ENDED AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND DRIVEN IN THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE SUSTAINED 13000 DOLLARS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END AND TO THE REAR. THE AIRBAGS ( BOTH FRONT AND SIDE, DID NOT DEPLOY). ONE YEAR LATER THE SAME SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SECOND "NEAR HEAD ON" COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS (BOTH) FAILED TO DEPLOY AGAIN. IN BOTH CRASHES TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM VOLVO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO DEPLOY. *AK
SEAT HEATERS HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED, BUT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. VOLVO DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME ONE FOR WHICH THE RECALL IS ISSUED. *AK *CB
REPEATED INCIDENTS OF ABS/TRACTIONCONTROL WARNING LIGHT. COMPUTER READOUT SHOWS FAILURE OF ABS/TRACS COMPUTER BOARD. THIS PROBLEM IS MULTIPLY DESCRIBED ON THE INTERNET THJROUGH THE VOLVO CLUB OF AMERICA BULLETIN BOARD.*AK
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module
Too few reports for a range
119,765 mi
2 (sparse)
ODI 10041632 · 123,000 mi
MY '96 VOLVO 855 HAS INTERMITTENT ABS FAILURE. THE ABS LIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAR HAS 123,000 MILES. AFTER A BRIEF SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS WAS TOO COMMON PROBLEM WITH ABS CONTROL MODULE. IT SEEMS THAT VOLVO DOES NOT ADMIT IT AS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN (THAT I KNOW OF). JUST VOLVO DEALERS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND INSTALLING THE NEW ABS CONTROL MODULES. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO LET MANY VOLVO CARS WITH EITHER FAILING ABS SYSTEM OR CHARGE HUNDREDS FOR THE REPAIR OF A …
THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT ABS FAILED TO OPERATE BECAUSE THE ABS MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC *JB
SEAT HEATERS HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED, BUT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. VOLVO DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME ONE FOR WHICH THE RECALL IS ISSUED. *AK *CB
REPEATED INCIDENTS OF ABS/TRACTIONCONTROL WARNING LIGHT. COMPUTER READOUT SHOWS FAILURE OF ABS/TRACS COMPUTER BOARD. THIS PROBLEM IS MULTIPLY DESCRIBED ON THE INTERNET THJROUGH THE VOLVO CLUB OF AMERICA BULLETIN BOARD.*AK
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1997: 0 complaints · 2000: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
1997
0
0
0
2000
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
1997
3
0
0
2000
1
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module
Tires
Air Bags:Frontal
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/Cooler
Service Brakes, Air:Antilock
Service Brakes, Air:Antilock:Abs Warning Light
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tires
0
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
Air Bags:Frontal
0
0
0
—
0
0
0
0
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
0
0
0
0
—
0
0
0
Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/Cooler
0
0
0
0
0
—
0
0
Service Brakes, Air:Antilock
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
0
Service Brakes, Air:Antilock:Abs Warning Light
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
2 patterns with matching reports.
Warning lights and dashboard alerts
3 mentions · 15.8% of complaints
Median mileage: 72,300 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 831053
ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
REPEATED INCIDENTS OF ABS/TRACTIONCONTROL WARNING LIGHT. COMPUTER READOUT SHOWS FAILURE OF ABS/TRACS COMPUTER BOARD. THIS PROBLEM IS MULTIPLY DESCRIBED ON THE INTERNET THJROUGH THE VOLVO CLUB OF AMERICA BULLETIN BOARD.*AK