RoadVitals

1989 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.
17
Latest Dec 20, 2011
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.
0
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.
0
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.
3

Overview

Our database contains 17 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Volvo 240, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and interior & seats categories. 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

  • Electrical527.8%
  • Driver assistance316.7%
  • Interior & seats211.1%
  • Fuel system15.6%
  • Other / unspecified15.6%
  • Powertrain (other)15.6%
  • Tires & wheels15.6%
  • Body & structure15.6%

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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

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

Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 20, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 VOLVO 240 DL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DIFFERENTIAL FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THE FAILURE AND ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION NEAR THE REAR AXLE AND DIFFERENTIAL COVER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID
10440562
Incident
Dec 17, 2011
Mileage
140,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Dec 20, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 1989 VOLVO 240 DL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE GASKETS OF THE WALKER PART NUMBER 35145 EXHAUST RUBBER INSULATOR HANGERS FOR THE REAR MUFFLER HAD CRACKED AND DISINTEGRATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID
10371830
Incident
Dec 17, 2010
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 24, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 VOLVO 240. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR EAGLE GPH TIRES, SIZE P195/65/R15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE SOUND WAS SIMILAR TO A FLAPPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN PERFORMING DIFFERENTLY. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS SHREDDED AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS LISTED FOR HER PARTICULAR TIRE SIZE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE P195/60/R15 SIZE TIRE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 16,000.

NHTSA ID
10274830
Incident
Jun 23, 2009
Mileage
16,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 9, 2000

NEED NEW BLOWER MOTOR FAN AND FAN WHEEL INSTALLED. SEE NHTSA ITEM #SB015770, SB019152

NHTSA ID
733804
Incident
Jan 18, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 9, 2000

REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTED. SEE NHTSA ITEM #SB023184,SB028386, SB028388, SB036283,SB019139, SB026140,SB028385. ALSO REFER TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 225913X ISSUED FEB. 1995.

NHTSA ID
733799
Incident
Jul 12, 2000
Transmission
Filed Oct 9, 2000

PROBLEMS WITH SLIPPING/NO REVERSE. SEE NHTSA ITEM # SB028389 &SB025086. ALSO REFER TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ATRATB143 ISSUED NOV. 1992.

NHTSA ID
733796
Incident
Jul 12, 2000
Brakes
Filed Oct 9, 2000

I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR SERVICES-SEE NHTSA ITEM #SB012762

NHTSA ID
733779
Incident
Jul 12, 2000
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 25, 1999

CONDITION OF SEAT IS A SAFETY VIOLATION IN VA AND MUST BE CORRECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
704901
Incident
Jan 1, 1993

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
1989Viewing170040.4
1988100144.8
1987601
1986121156.8
1985412
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.