Total Complaints
8 filings
VOLVO 240 · model year
1985 VOLVO 240
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985VOLVO240 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1985 240 is engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads (1) and power train:automatic transmission (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 1985 240. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
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.
Mileage: 188,192
19980514ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
POOR WIRE INSULATION FOR ENGINE WIRE HARNESS CRUMBLES AWAY.
19960319CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
19951102ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILURE.
19951102SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
REPLACED BRAKE PAD.
19951102POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
19951102ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
TURBO-CHARGER FAILURE.
19951102SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
REPLACED BRAKE ROTOR.
Compare 1985VOLVO240 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 VOLVO 240 have?▼
The 1985 VOLVO 240 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 VOLVO 240?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 VOLVO 240 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1985 VOLVO 240 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.