RoadVitals

1985 Volvo 240

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest Apr 29, 2004
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Sep 15, 1986
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Volvo 240, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 64 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical233.3%
  • Brakes116.7%
  • Driver assistance116.7%
  • Engine116.7%
  • Transmission116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
86V129000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Sep 15, 1986
89,587 units potentially affected
The defect: IN THE EVENT OF A LOW SPEED FRONTAL IMPACT, ENGINE MOVEMENT COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE CABLE SLEEVE TO BE PULLED OUT OF THE ADJUSTING FITTING AND NOT RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION OR IDLE POSITION. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THIS OCCURS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE SPEED WOULD RESULT, MAKING CAR DIFFICULT TO CONTROL IN A POST COLLISION ENVIRONMENT, WHICH CAN CAUSE MORE SERIOUS DAMAGE AND/OR INJURIES.
The remedy: REPLACE THROTTLE CABLES.
VOLVO OF AMERICA CORP.View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP89009ClosedDefect Petition

FUEL SYSTEM RELIABILITY

Opened Jun 13, 1989
Closed Oct 18, 1989

FUEL SYSTEM RELIABILITY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
PE86050ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

SUDDEN ACCELERATION

Opened Apr 28, 1986
Closed Oct 1, 1986

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:A SEARCH OF THE ODI FILES FOUNDNO RECALLS AND ONE SERVICE BULLETIN DATED JUNE 1985, PERTAINING TO 1980740'S THAT ARE PREWIRED.THE BULLETIN GIVES THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR WIRINGIN THE CRUISE CONTROL PEDAL SWITCH CONNECTION.ANALYSIS:THE REVIEW OF THE OWNER COMPALINTS INDICATES THE POSSIBLEEXISTENCE OF A DEFECT IN WHICH THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS A SUDDEN ACCELERATIONWITH NO DRIVER INPUT.PROPOSED ACTION:OPEN A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGESLed to recall 86V129000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed Apr 29, 2004

FOLLOWING MULTIPLE BREAKDOWNS FAILED INSULATION ON EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM AND ALTERNATOR WERE FOUND. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH COULD LEAD TO FIRE AND HAVE TAKEN THE CAR OFF THE ROAD PENDING REPAIR. I SEARCHED GOOGLE FOR VOLVO BAD WIRING AND CAME UP WITH MANY HITS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY RELATED DESIGN FAULT RELATED TO THE TYPE OF WIRE USED ONLY IN CERTAIN YEARS IN THE EARLY 1980'S. EARLIER AND LATER CARS SEEM TO BE OK. IT SEEMS THE WIRE IS NOT HEAT RESISTENT.

NHTSA ID
10068043
Incident
Jan 1, 2004
Mileage
188,192 mi
Electrical
Filed May 14, 1998

POOR WIRE INSULATION FOR ENGINE WIRE HARNESS CRUMBLES AWAY.

NHTSA ID
535608
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 19, 1996
Crash reported

WHILE BACKING OUT, WITH FOOT APPLIED TO BRAKE, WITHOUT PRESSING GAS, SUDDENLY ENGINE SURGED THEN ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, HITTING A HOUSE, IN REVERSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
980883
BrakesEngineTransmission
Filed Jul 13, 1995

RADIATOR FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
484165
Incident
Jul 13, 1995

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

356EN01

EQUIPMENT

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Service Manager

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Shipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery Solutions (GBS)

ST-001-2020-09-1

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly diagnose and repair Volvo cars. They are used in development of Volvo labor operations and repair methods, and promote safety and quality repairs in a timely manner. Tools are classified as mandatory because associated repairs and/or diagnostics cannot be completed properly without them.

ST-001-2020-06-2

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly diagnose and repair Volvo cars. They are used in development of Volvo labor operations and repair methods, and promote safety and quality repairs in a timely manner. Tools are classified as mandatory because associated repairs and/or diagnostics cannot be completed properly without them.

ST-001-2020-01-2

EQUIPMENT

Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly diagnose and repair Volvo cars. They are used in development of Volvo labor operations and repair methods, and promote safety and quality repairs in a timely manner. Tools are classified as mandatory because associated repairs and/or diagnostics cannot be completed properly without them.

TJ31946.1.2-2019

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is a Technical Journal: Swapping control modules from vehicle to vehicle for diagnostics should be avoided. Swapping control modules may result in consequential damage to the swapped control module and in certain cases several other control modules in the vehicle. Swapping the Driver Information Module (DIM) is strictly forbidden as the DIM it is the main carrier of the odometer function, and will, in case of swapping, result in manipulated odometer value. Service: Please do NOT swap any control modules from vehicle to vehicle for testing, unless instructed to do so in a Vehicle Report by the Technical Helpdesk

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volvo 240 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1994200—
1993140149.3
1992220148.9
1991170254.2
1990200149.0
1989170040.4
1988100144.8
1987601—
1986121156.8
1985Viewing412—
1984500—
1983600—
1982200—
1981000—
1980100—
1978000—
1976100—
1975010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.