Total Complaints
35 filings
VOLVO WIA · model year
1996 VOLVO WIA
35 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996VOLVOWIA carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, 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 WIA is suspension with 5 filings, followed by structure (2) and steering (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 WIA. 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.
35
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 5 |
| STRUCTURE | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS | 1 |
| TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140603STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 VOLVO WIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 200,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 650,000. UPDATED 3/24/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSED SPINDLE BEARING. THE DRIVER SUFFERED FROM A SORE SHOULDER AND MUSCLE STRAINS IN 2005. UPDATED 6/22/2015 *JS
Mileage: 200,000
20061208FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
1996 CONVENTIONAL CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF IT WAS ELECTRICAL. *JB
20020612SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES THE TRUCK WILL NOT STAY ALIGNED, VARIOUS PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TO KEEP THE TRUCK ALIGNED SUCH AS THE TIE ROD ENDS, THE TIRES WERE REPLACED, SHOCKS, REAR TORSION BAR, RIGHT REAR AIR BAG, TORQUED ROD ARM, REPLACED REAR SPRING PINS, LEAD SPRINGS, U-BOLTS, AIR SUSPENSION LEVEL VALVE, AND THE REAR AXLE WAS RESET. *SLC
20020612VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT DOOR WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE WINDOW WASHER WAS INOPERATIVE.*JB
20020612VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT DOOR WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE WINDOW WASHER WAS INOPERATIVE.*JB
20020612ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
CONSUMER STATED THE EXHAUST CLAMPS AND MUFFLER WERE REPLACED DUE TO LEAKING.*JB
20020612EQUIPMENT
CONSUMER STATED THE MUD FLAP BRAKCETS, DECK PLATE, DECK PLATE OVER THE BATTERY, SNOW CHAINS AND THE TV CABINET WERE REPLACED.*JB
20020612UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER STATED THE TEMPERATURE, OIL PRESSURE, WATER TEMPERATURE AND VOLTAGE GAUGES WERE ACTING ERRACTICALLY.*JB
20020612EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CONSUMER STATED THE BACK UP LIGHTS, CIRCUIT BREAKER FUSE, AND HEAD LAMP WERE ALL INOPERATIVE.*JB
20020612LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
CONSUMER STATED THE HOOD LATCHES WERE INOPERATIVE.*JB
20020612ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
CONSUMER STATED THE MOTOR WAS LEAKING OIL DUE TO THE TIMING GEAR HAVING TWO BOLT EYLETS THAT HAD BROKEN OFF, THE BOLTS WERE SCREWED INTO THE BLOCK WITH THE WASHERS TO RAISE THE HEADS UP TO THE HEIGHT OF COVER, ALSO THE WATER PUMP ENGINE SENSOR, THERMOSTAT AND 0-RINGS WERE REPLACED.*JB
20020612ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER STATED THE CHARGING SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY.*JB
20020612STEERING:COLUMN
CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WOULD NOT TILT.*JB
20020612POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH WAS REPLACED, AND ALSO THE COOLER LINES WERE LEAKING.*JB
20020612SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT AIR BRAKES WERE INOPERATIVE.*JB
20020612EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CONSUMER STATED THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS LEAKING.*JB
20020612EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER BEING OUT. *JG
20020612ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE DASH. *JG
20020612SUSPENSION
CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE U-BOLTS, BUSHINGS AND SPRINGS. *JG
20020612STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING GEAR BOX. *JG
Compare 1996VOLVOWIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 VOLVO WIA have?▼
The 1996 VOLVO WIA has 35 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 VOLVO WIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 VOLVO WIA is SUSPENSION with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE and STEERING.
Is the 1996 VOLVO WIA 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.