VOLVO 240 · model year

1986 VOLVO 240

29 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

Reviewed by PlainCars Editorial, Vehicle Safety Editorial Team · June 14, 2026

The 1986VOLVO240 carries 29 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 3 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 1986 240 is electrical system:wiring:front underhood with 3 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (2) and power train (2). 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 1986 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.

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Total Complaints

29 filings

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	Crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD	3	0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2	1
POWER TRAIN	2	0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS	2	0
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR	1	0
SEATS	1	0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES	1	0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM	1	0
STRUCTURE:BODY	1	0
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR	1	0
INTERIOR LIGHTING	1	0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR	1	0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM	1	0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE	1	0
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS	1	0

Recent Complaints

20170602FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING

I OWNED A 1986 240 GL VOLVO 4 DOOR SEDAN. ONE NIGHT LAST MONTH MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AND WITHIN A BLOCK OF OUR HOUSE SHE NOTICED A FIRE ON THE BACK OF THE CAR. THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT WAS ON FIRE. I CONTACTED VOLVO USA AND ABOUT A MONTH LATER THEY HAD AN "EXPERT" INSPECT OUR CAR. THEY WILL NOT GIVE ME A WRITTEN REPORT. THE EXECUTIVE, JOSEPH (VOLVO9@MAILMW.CUSTHELP.COM) CALLED ME AND LEFT A MESSAGE SAYING THAT WE HAD TOO LARGE OF A FUSE IN THE FUSE BLOCK AND THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. I'VE TRIED REPEATEDLY TO TELL THEM THAT TOO LARGE OF A FUSE DIDN'T CAUSE THE DEAD SHORT FIRE ON OUR TAIL LIGHT. I GOOGLED TAIL LIGHT FIRES ON VOLVO'S AND FOUND SEVERAL PAGES. I'VE HAD TO SCRAP THE CAR. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WASN'T SHOCKED TO SEE THE MELTED TAIL LIGHT ON MY VOLVO. HE TOLD ME HE HAD A 1984 VOLVO JUST LIKE MINE AS HIS FIRST CAR. HE SAID HIS TOO HAD THE SAME MELTED TAIL LIGHT FIRE AS MINE.

Mileage: 155,000

20030728SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES BRAKE PEDAL PROCEEDED TO THE FLOOR AFTER DRIVING AT LEAST 12 MILES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

20020917TIRES

WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE, CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.(NO TIRE INFO GIVEN.(OHIO CRASH TRAFFIC REPORT)*JB

20010117ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010117EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010117EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

19990923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WIRING HARNESS HAS DETERIORATED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

19990419FireSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

UPON DEPRESSING DRIVER'S SEAT WARMER BUTTON, DRIVER SMELLED BURNING ODOR FOLLOWED BY FLAMES BELOW DRIVER'S SEAT, VEHICLE TOTALLY DESTROYED, INJURY TO CONSUMER.

19990314ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WIRING IS FAILING BOTH INSIDE AND OUT,LIGHTS MOTOR ECT!!!!

19981111VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL/SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER/AIR INTAKE SENSOR/GLOVE BOX DOOR HINGE HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER INDOOR FAN/ RADIO ANTENNA/INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR/DOME LIGHT, TAIL LIGHT LENSE/CATALITIC CONVERTER/WATER PUMP/TIMING BELT/PLASTIC COVER UNDER ENGINE/WHEEL STUDS/THROTTLE CABLE/BRACKETS THAT HOLD SUNVISOR/ROCKER PANEL TRIM MOLDING AROUND WHEEL WELLS/VENT LINE FOR GAS TANK, AND ALTERNATOR FAILED.

19981111POWER TRAIN

19981111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

19981111STRUCTURE:BODY

19981111VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR

19981111INTERIOR LIGHTING

19981111EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

19981111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

19981111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

19981111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

19981111WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

Compare 1986VOLVO240 to Similar Vehicles

240 vs FORDF-150 → 240 vs FORDEXPLORER → 240 vs JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE → 240 vs FORDESCAPE →

NHTSA Investigations

AQ18005Audit QueryClosed

Discrepancies in Required CFR Reporting

DP15006Defect PetitionClosed

Ride Quality

PE13005Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Windshield Wiper Failures

RQ11001Recall QueryClosed

Volvo Sleeper glass de-bonding

PE10025Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Central Electronic Module Failure

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1986 VOLVO 240 have?▼

The 1986 VOLVO 240 has 29 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.

What are the most common problems with the 1986 VOLVO 240?▼

The most-complained component for the 1986 VOLVO 240 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and POWER TRAIN.

Is the 1986 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

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

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.