VOLVO VN · model year

1996 VOLVO VN

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1996VOLVOVN carries 7 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 1996 VN is unknown or other with 3 filings, followed by suspension (2) and steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) (2). 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 1996 VN. 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

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

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
SUSPENSION2
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)2

Recent Complaints

20020514UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING DASH PROBLEMS, ONE PANEL HAS BEEN REPLACED. *JG

20020514UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE DASH, ONE PANEL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JG

20020514STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

VEHICLE'S STEERING BOX FELL OUT. *JG

20020514SUSPENSION

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING U-BOLT PROBLEM, RIGHT SIDE STEER TIRES VIBRATE AND THE ALIGNMENT IS BAD. *YH

20020508UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE DASH, ONE PANEL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JG

20020508SUSPENSION

CONSUMER HAS REPLACED 15 SETS OF STEER TIRES, HAS HAD 10 ALIGNMENTS, ALSO, 7 SETS OF BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JG

20020508STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

VEHICLE'S STEERING BOX FELL OUT. *JG

Compare 1996VOLVOVN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1996 VOLVO VN have?
The 1996 VOLVO VN has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 VOLVO VN?
The most-complained component for the 1996 VOLVO VN is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION).
Is the 1996 VOLVO VN 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.