NHTSA — Electrical System: Wiring: Front Underhood Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
12,167 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Volvo 850 electrical problems

electrical problem

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1996 Volvo 850 Owner Comments

problem #6

May 202004

(reported on)

850 5-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

A fire started under the hood while driving at 25 mph.

- Gurnee, IL, USA

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problem #5

Sep 242003

(reported on)

850

  • miles
Consumer noticed an odd smell inside of vehicle while traveling. Consumer pulled vehicle over and noticed smoke coming from under hood and a fire. Fire department was called and put fire out.

- Jamaica Plain, MA, USA

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problem #4

Jun 042003

850 5-cyl

  • miles
The entire alternator wiring harness was melted and destroyed before the fuseable link opened the circuit. This clearly is not an acceptable electrical design. In fact, it is my contention that if my wife had not turned the car off when she did, due to the white smoke from the fan, the wiring harness would have caught on fire. Most likely the resulting fire would have destroyed the car as the melted wiring harness is directly under and around the engineS fuel injection system. Personally inspected the electrical damage, and was appalled by how much of the wiring was fused together. If the safety design (fuseable link) of the fan circuit had worked properly the alternator wiring harness would never have been damaged to the extent I saw and more importantly my wife would never have been in personal danger.I have reported this issue to Volvo America and they contend that a loose fan mount caused this issue. The repair shop was at a lose to explain this position to me as they could not understand how this was relevent to the extensive damage caused as the wiring harness melted down.

- Bel Air, MD, USA

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problem #3

Oct 242000

850

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

No summary listed for above vehicle.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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problem #2

Oct 242000

850

  • miles
No summary listed for above vehicle.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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problem #1

Oct 242000

850

  • miles
No summary listed for above vehicle.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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