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Hello All,
If I was sitting at a bar, I would be crying into my beer. I own a 1996 850 GLT Wagon (5-speed manual) naturally aspirated engine, that I purchased new. Today it has over 430,000 miles. I recently invested "crazy money" having the engine rebuilt, with the hope that maybe I'll put another 200,000 miles on it. Yesterday, I went to put the rear passenger seats down so I could put luggage in the rear of the car. As I put the back of the seat down (the seat directly behind the driver) in the folded position, the spindle that the seat back rotates on, separated from the body frame. When I examined the seat I found that the spindle where it attached to the body frame had become severely rusted and the surrounding area had "bubbled up" and had spontaneous broken off. I then examined the seat back on the other side (the passenger seat behind the front passenger seat) and the same condition existed. The spindle on that side had spontaneously separated from the frame due to rust that had "bubbled up" to where it was attached to the frame.
Now I imagine I could go to an auto body shop and it could cut out the rust and install new metal to re-attach the bracket that secures the spindle. That may be a big assumption. But then I began to worry this rust, which I was completely surprised to see (notwithstand I am driving a 26 year old Volvo in a New England climate) could be just the "tip of the iceberg" of more rust throughout the car body, that I cannot see. Almost like a silent cancer?
I have some questions:
1) Has anyone else experienced this rust problem on your 850 wagon?
2) If you have, were you able to get it fixed? If "Yes", how?
3) Is the presence of this interior/internal rust a sign there may be widespread rust throughout the rest of the body, that exists, even though I can't see it (yet)?
Thank you in advance to all who reply. I really wasn't expecting this problem, but with your help I want to make an informed decision on how to address it. Personally, I hope this rust is a localized issued that can be repaired. Since getting my 850 back, I really appreciate how it drives now. It's like meeting an old friend again. But I can't allow emotion to blind me. Thanks to all who respond.
Hugh
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