1994 Volvo 850 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 8%of 83 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 130,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1994 Volvo 850, 8% of the 83 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 130,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Dt: while he was in a parking lot the front passenger wheel fell off. The bolts that held the front assembly broke off, and the axle broke. Dealer said he saw this problem before. Another dealer said they never heard of this problem, and gave him their phone number. Manufacturer has not been contacted yet.”
NHTSA complaint #10130550, filed 2005-07, 130,000 miles“Transmission did not engage in reverse. Car rolled forward when parked on hill; thinking that it needed more gas to go backwards I accelerated, gear engaged after five seconds sending car backwards surprisingly fast. This slippage in reverse reoccurs about 70% of the time. If a pedestrian was either at the front or back of my car this defect could have LED to an accident.”
NHTSA complaint #704906, filed 1999-03“When first started, the car will not automatically shift. Manually moved to 2nd gear will sometimes shift and then back to drive. If put into low gear the upshift light illuminates and the car acts like it is running in the wrong gear regardless of the postion of the auto gear shifter.”
NHTSA complaint #722800, filed 2000-05“The vehicle came with 16 inch wheel, repeated blowouts without tire going flat,Volvo suggested to switch to 15 inch wheel, wheel cracked around the middle. Dealer claims wheel bearing on 2 front wheels pitted.”
NHTSA complaint #818612, filed 1997-11Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 1994 Volvo 850
14 complaintsElectrical system
12 complaintsEngine cooling
10 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsBrakes
7 complaintsEquipment
7 complaintsSeats
6 complaintsTires
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsWheels
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1994 Volvo 850
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology