Total Complaints
8 filings
VOLVO 240 · model year
1987 VOLVO 240
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987VOLVO240 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 1987 240 is power train with 2 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and seat belts:front:retractor (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 1987 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100413EXTERIOR LIGHTING
DEFECTIVE REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP FIXTURE PARTS (NON-COMPLIANT WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS CRASH AVOIDANCE - STANDARD NO. 108 IN PART 571). THESE REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP FIXTURES (RIGHT AND LEFT) WERE PURCHASED FOR A 1987 VOLVO 240 WAGON. NOTE THESE SAME LAMP FIXTURES ARE USED IN VARIOUS TRUCKS AND RVS. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAND VERSIONS OF THESE NEW PARTS LACKED MUCH OF THE SILVER REFLECTIVE COATING AROUND THE BULB AREA, SUGGESTING THIS IS RECURRING QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEM. JPEG PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST SHOWING HEADLAMP LIGHT ILLUMINATING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE UNSILVERED PARTS OF THE REFLECTORS. SO MUCH SILVER COATING IS MISSING FROM THE LEFT SIDE FIXTURE, THE UNLIT HEADLIGHT BULB CAN BE SEEN THROUGH THE REFLECTOR! THE PARTS ARE LABELED ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE LENS AS "DJAUTO MVV111-C1RO (FOR RIGHT SIDE OR C1LO FOR THE LEFT SIDE) 14V 7H DOT SAE HR00" WITH "HB1" IN THE UPPER OUTSIDE CORNERS. THESE PARTS WERE PURCHASED FROM LA
20100413EQUIPMENT
DEFECTIVE REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP FIXTURE PARTS (NON-COMPLIANT WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS CRASH AVOIDANCE - STANDARD NO. 108 IN PART 571). THESE REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP FIXTURES (RIGHT AND LEFT) WERE PURCHASED FOR A 1987 VOLVO 240 WAGON. NOTE THESE SAME LAMP FIXTURES ARE USED IN VARIOUS TRUCKS AND RVS. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAND VERSIONS OF THESE NEW PARTS LACKED MUCH OF THE SILVER REFLECTIVE COATING AROUND THE BULB AREA, SUGGESTING THIS IS RECURRING QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEM. JPEG PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST SHOWING HEADLAMP LIGHT ILLUMINATING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE UNSILVERED PARTS OF THE REFLECTORS. SO MUCH SILVER COATING IS MISSING FROM THE LEFT SIDE FIXTURE, THE UNLIT HEADLIGHT BULB CAN BE SEEN THROUGH THE REFLECTOR! THE PARTS ARE LABELED ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE LENS AS "DJAUTO MVV111-C1RO (FOR RIGHT SIDE OR C1LO FOR THE LEFT SIDE) 14V 7H DOT SAE HR00" WITH "HB1" IN THE UPPER OUTSIDE CORNERS. THESE PARTS WERE PURCHASED FROM LA
19990923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DETERIORATING EXPOSING BARE WIRES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
19990402POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER INOPERATIVE.
19990331STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
METAL FATIGUE, CAUSING DOOR TO BREAK AWAY FROM HINGE. VOLVO REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRODUCT RELIABILITY. *AK
19970627POWER TRAIN
THE SPEEDOMETER/ ODOMETER FAILED.
19960910SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT, ONLY (77,000) MILES ON VEHICLE. *AK
19950626VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
EXPERIENCE SUDDEN ACCELERATION, VEHICLE GOES INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSTION WHEN TURN IGNITION AND PUT INTO DRIVE. TT
Compare 1987VOLVO240 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 VOLVO 240 have?▼
The 1987 VOLVO 240 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 VOLVO 240?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 VOLVO 240 is POWER TRAIN with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1987 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.