1996 Volvo 850 GLT review from North America
"Expensive to maintain, but comfy"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Had to replace all brakes/rotors twice in the last 40,000 miles (and brakes appear to need replacing again.)
Plastic interior of the car not able to hold up over the long haul. Plastic trim around seats has broken and dashboard has cracked.
ABS computer died at about 85000 miles. cost $600 USD to replace.
Check engine light cycled on/off repeatedly for 20K miles. Finally traced the problem back to some vacuum leaks after several trips to shop and over $1000 in repair bills.
Battery dies if car is not driven for several days.
Door hinge busted and makes horrific cracking sound.
Window switches on center console are busted and work only intermittently. Not good when window is stuck down!
In general, the car has not held up very well over time.
General comments?
The Volvo 850 is a comfortable vehicle that is adequately powered, but seems to suffer from problems due to low-grade plastics and poor interior design.
Though I have had numerous problems with the car since buying it, it still has a rock solid power-train and I am confident it will last for several more years.
Recommended reviews
  | Not one bad thing to say.. |
| It would be hard to not see this car as one of the best overall |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4L I5 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 75000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 130000 miles |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz 190 |
| Date of Entry | 9th February, 2004 |