1991 Volvo 240 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1991 Volvo 240, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags736.8%
- Brakes210.5%
- Driver assistance210.5%
- Electrical210.5%
- Interior & seats210.5%
- Fuel system15.3%
- Transmission15.3%
- Exterior lighting15.3%
- Body & structure15.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
"TAKATA RECALL" UNKNOWN
WHILE DRIVING AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AUTOMATICALLY AT 10 MPH IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. THERE WAS ALSO A CHEMICAL BURNING SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE, AT 5 MPH, APPLIED BRAKES AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR, HIT A CONCRETE WALL, AIRBAG DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. DEALER NOT AWARE OF PROBLEM. REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACE SEVERAL TIMES DURING LIFE OF VEHICLE. *AK
BRAKE FAILURE, WHEN APPLIED COMPLETE LOSS OF EFFECTIVENESS, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, REPLACEMENT OF DISC PADS. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THROTTLE CABLE FREEZES UP CAUSING CONSUMER TO USE EXCESSIVE PHYSICAL EFFORT TO ENGAGE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS UPON FIRST STARTING VEHICLE, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PHYISICAL EFFORT TO LOOSEN. *SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE TO STALL.
MAIN COMPUTER (BRAIN) ON VEHICLE FAILED, VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
I JUST SAW ON THE NEWS ABOUT SEATS FALLING BACK DURING ACCIDENT WHEN I WAS HIT BY A TRACTOR-TRAILER IN 2002 TWO VOLVO 240 MY SEAT WENT ALL THE WAY BACK LIKE THE NEWS SHOWED LUCKILY NO ONE WAS IN THE REAR SEAT
CAR WAS IN DRIVEWAY WARMING UP PRIOR TO DRIVING FOR SCHOOL. AFTER ABOUT 5 TO 10 MINUTES DASH CAUGHT FIRE AND FLAMES WERE COMING FOR HEATER VENTS. USED A GARDEN HOSE TO EXTINGUISH FIRE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. DASH AND INTERIOR WAS DAMAGED BUY SMOKE, WATER AND FIRE. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
"TAKATA RECALL" UNKNOWN
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
POWER TRAIN TRANSMISSION, PARKING PAWL INTER LOCKING, CAN TAKE KEY OUT IGNITION SWITCH IN DRIVE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
"TAKATA RECALL" UNKNOWN
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE REAR LIGHT WIRES ARE BEING BROKEN DUE TO METAL FATIQUE AND CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT NOT TO WORK. PLESE DESCRIBE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .