AI Damage1995 Volvo 940: common problems
Owners of the 1995 Volvo 940 filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 27
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 22% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 9 complaints (33% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 6 complaints (22% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.3 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 27 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
1995 volvo 940 was involved in a frontal accident and none of the front air bags deployed. Also with the first incident, the consumer hit another vehicle in the rear and destroyed the front of his vehicle.
The front bumper of the consumer's vehicle hit a rock and the passenger and drivers side airbags deployed. Consumer received facial injuries, a broken nose and lost 24% of hearing. Mr jg
When brakes were applied and a sharp turn was made, a hissing sound was heard. Engine began to race, resulting in a minor collision. A second similar occurrence occurred afterwards , but there was no collision. Dealer has been notified.
Vehicle suddenly accelerated in which the occupant pressed the brakes and vehicle would not stop, almost causing an accident. Happened twice. Dealer cannot determine the problem.
Consumer was involved in a less then 5 mph rear end collision in which the driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy. Also the driver's seat belt did not retract. Please give any further details.
Noticed gas smell every time I filled gas looked under car and noticed gas puddling under car. Also gas puddling after parking of car. Have not taken tank down as of yet to trouble shoot problem but believe it to be a cracked gas tank as the amount of gas put into tank before leaking has steadily decreased.
1995 volvo 940 turbo odometer suddenly became inoperative. Proceeding through school zones is primary safety issue. Internet investigation shows problem is not unique. Could not make contact at their web site to alert them. Maybe you have greater access. Odometer appears to be mechanical/electrical device.
Gasoline fumes in my garage, no apparent evidence of gas leak in car. This is a 1995 volvo sedan 940 with 80000 miles on it. I have owned it since it was new. Next day fumes grew stronger, we thought it was from lawn mower gas. On the 3rd day the gas was coming out from underneath the car.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,189 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 940 has 15 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 27, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1995 Volvo 940?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, tires, fuel system. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (7%), airbags did not deploy (4%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 Volvo 940?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1995 Volvo 940 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1995 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.