RoadVitals

1988 Volvo 240 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
10
Latest Oct 22, 2014
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.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jun 26, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Volvo 240. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–10 of 10

Seat belts
Filed Oct 22, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND IT WAS DARK AND FOGGY. I WAS GOING SLOWLY AROUND A CURVE, AT THE SPEED LIMIT ABOUT 20MPH, AND A TEENAGE DRIVER, DRIVING ALONE WITHOUT A PERMIT DROVE THROUGH A YIELD SIGN FROM THE RIGHT DIRECTLY INTO MY PATH. I HAD ABOUT 8 FEET TO STOP AND COULD NOT, AND T-BONED INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON BUT I WAS THROWN FORWARD AND MY HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND MY HEAD LEFT A SWELL IN THE WINDSHIELD, LIKE A LUMP OR DENT, AND THE GLASS WAS SHATTERED SOMEWHAT BUT ALL STILL INTACT. NONE THE LESS I REMAINED CONSCIIOUS BUT STILL HAD A MINOR CONCUSSION WHICH GAVE ME HEADACHES FOR UP TO ABOUT 8 WEEKS AFTERWARDS. I SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION BUT THEY FELT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT SAID TO COME BACK IF IT GOT WORSE. I REMEMBER THAT I OFTEN WONDERED IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SEATBELT. IT WOULD SOMETIMES LOCK WHEN I PUT IT ON, BUT SOMETIMES, AND FREQUENTLY IT DID NOT LOCK IN. THAT IS EVEN THOUGH IT LOCKED INTO THE CLAMP, IT WAS OFTEN STILL LOOSE. SO ANYWAY IT WAS LOOSE AND DIDN'T RESTRAIN ME THAT TIME WHEN I NEEDED IT. I DON'T KNOW AFTER ALL THESE YEARS IF THERE ARE TOO MANY OF THESE ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10649266
Incident
Apr 7, 1992
Mileage
50,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 14, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 VOLVO 240. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR INTEGRITY, SIZE 175/70R13 TIRES. SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING NEW TIRES, THEY DEFLATED. THE CONTACT RETURNED TO WHERE SHE PURCHASED THE TIRES TO HAVE THEM INFLATED. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AND INFLATED AGAIN FIVE DAYS LATER. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE TIRES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 228,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 222,350. UPDATED 02-14-08. *KB UPDATED 02/14/08 *TR

NHTSA ID
10214783
Incident
Aug 24, 2007
Mileage
222,350 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 10, 2007

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A1988 VOLVO 240 DL. THE REAR CAMSHAFT SEAL FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH UNDER DRY CONDITIONS WHEN HE SMELLED SMOKE. THE CONTACT THEN PULLED OVER AN LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND SAW OIL LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS HOME WHERE HE FOUND THAT THE REAR CAMSHAFT SEAL HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT ORDERED THE PART FROM THE DEALER AND REPAIRED IT. *AK UPDATED 02/13/07. *JB

NHTSA ID
10178287
Incident
Jan 4, 2007
Mileage
102,000 mi
Filed Oct 6, 2005

THE OUTER FACING ON THE GLOVE BOX FELL OFF WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROADWAY. *TS THE FACING WAS ONLY SECURED TO THE METAL BACKING WITH AN ADHESIVE. THE CONSUMER FELLS THAT IF A PASSENGER HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE SEAT THEY WOULD HAVE SUSTAIN KNEE/LEG INJURIES BECAUSE THE FACING WEIGHS 1 LB 9 OZ. *NM

NHTSA ID
10139898
Incident
Sep 13, 2005
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 17, 2002

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED AND THE OUTER RUNNING SURFACE CAME OFF THE TIRE, AND IT WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. (THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS MARSHALL RADIAL TUBELESS SIZE P185/70R 14). *YH

NHTSA ID
560812
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 12, 2000
Crash reported

WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, INTO THEIR GARAGE, CAUSING VEHICLE AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE AGAIN ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY BACK INTO OUR HOME'S GARAGE, HITTING OUR SECOND VEHICLE. TWO OF OUR VEHICLES DAMAGED (INCLUDING VOLVO), TWO NEIGHBOR'S VEHICLES DAMAGED, AS WELL AS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE.

NHTSA ID
727703
Incident
Jan 5, 2000
Brakes
Filed Nov 10, 1998

WHEN THE CAR IS COOL AND THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD HOWLING NOISE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK

NHTSA ID
830562
Transmission
Filed Jun 16, 1997

TRANSMISSION: VEHICLE GETS STUCK IN NEUTRAL POSITION AND WILL NOT SHIFT TO ANOTHER POSITION. DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. DEALER HAS ADJUSTED THE CLUTCH AND THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
813093
Incident
Apr 16, 1997
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Apr 21, 1997

AIR CONDITIONER FAILED 3 TIMES.

NHTSA ID
516628
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 26, 1995

WHEN PLACING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE VEHICLE SURGE INTO REVERSE AT HIGH SPEED. TT

NHTSA ID
967717
Incident
Jun 26, 1995

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .