Total Complaints
8 filings
VOLVO 854 · model year
1997 VOLVO 854
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997VOLVO854 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 854 is electrical system with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module (2) and steering (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 1997 854. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | 2 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20101109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
ODOMETER FAILURE AT UNDER 90,000 MILES. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT; NOT TAMPERED WITH; VEHICLE NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR
Mileage: 88,000
20030619SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
TRACS AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS. *NLM
Mileage: 95,000
20030619ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TRACS AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS. *NLM
Mileage: 95,000
20030613SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
FAILURE OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM COMPUTER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REGULAR OCCURRENCE ON THE VOLVO 850. I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY RELATED ISSUE, AND A RECALL INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. *NLM
20021213SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
MY VEHICLE IS A 1997 VOLVO 850R, I'M THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE VOLVO IS A SOILD CAR BUT THE 850 SERIES HAVE A DEFECT WITH THE ABS/TRACS MODULE, THIS SETS A CODE ON YOUR OBDII AND IT CLEARS WHEN YOU RESTART THE CAR. THE ISSUE AT HAND IS THAT IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CONTROL MODULE SEES A FAULT AND DEACTIVATES THE ABS/TRACS CONTROL MODULE AND YOU NO LONGER HAVE AN ABS ON THE VEHICLE AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS IF IT'S RAINING, SNOWING OR A SUDDEN STOP ON THE FREEWAY. THE WHEELS WILL LOCK GIVING YOU A GREATER CHANCE TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. SO FAR I'VE BEEN LUCKY, I SPOKE TO THE VOLVO DEALER DIRECTLY TO SEE IF THEY CAN CHANGE THIS UNIT UNDER THE VOLVO VIP WARRANTY AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED AND THE NEW UNIT COST AROUND $600.00 WITHOUT LABOR. I FEEL THAT VOLVO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IN CHANGING THIS ABS/TRACS CONTROL MODULE, LOT'S OF VOLVO 850'S AND S70 OWNERS HAVE CHANGED THIS PART WITH VEHICLES IN THE 40,000 TO 60,000 MILE RANGE. THE CAUSE IT'S A HAIR LINE FRA
Mileage: 33,210
20010907ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
THE BATTERY HAS RECHARGED/REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES, DUE TO THE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING.*YH
20010717ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT 3000 MILES AFTER PURCHASE BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED EVERY 5000 MILES UNTIL THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE CAUSE WAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *YH
19990930STEERING
THE BELT THAT DRIVES THE POWER STEERING AND ALTERNATOR PERIODICALLY SLIPS WHEN WET. THIS OCCURS REPEATEDLY AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN GOING THROUGH EVEN SMALL PUDDLES. A KIT WAS ADDED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT ABOUT 10K MILES. THE DEALER CLAIMS THE PERSISTENT LOSS OF POWER WITH THE KIT IS NORMAL. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR FOR A FEW SECONDS UNTIL THE BELT STOPS SLIPPING. IT ALSO IS UNEXPECTED TO FIND THE CAR DIFFICULT TO STEER IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN AND COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL.
Compare 1997VOLVO854 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 VOLVO 854 have?▼
The 1997 VOLVO 854 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 VOLVO 854?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 VOLVO 854 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE and STEERING.
Is the 1997 VOLVO 854 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.