Total Complaints
19 filings
VOLVO 240 · model year
1989 VOLVO 240
19 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989VOLVO240 carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1989 240 is electrical system:ignition with 2 filings, followed by vehicle speed control:cruise control (1) and structure:body:door (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 1989 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.
19
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20111220POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
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.
Mileage: 140,000
20101220EQUIPMENT
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.
20090624TIRES
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.
Mileage: 16,000
20001023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR SERVICES-SEE NHTSA ITEM #SB012762
20001023POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
PROBLEMS WITH SLIPPING/NO REVERSE. SEE NHTSA ITEM # SB028389 &SB025086. ALSO REFER TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ATRATB143 ISSUED NOV. 1992.
20001023VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTED. SEE NHTSA ITEM #SB023184,SB028386, SB028388, SB036283,SB019139, SB026140,SB028385. ALSO REFER TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 225913X ISSUED FEB. 1995.
20001023ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NEED NEW BLOWER MOTOR FAN AND FAN WHEEL INSTALLED. SEE NHTSA ITEM #SB015770, SB019152
19990325SEATS
CONDITION OF SEAT IS A SAFETY VIOLATION IN VA AND MUST BE CORRECTED. *AK
19981119SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
DRIVER SEAT BACK FRAME BROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACK AT AN ANGLE ON ONE SIDE. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOT A WARRANTY ITEM. *AK *ML
19981111FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR/ COMPUTER AND FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED. 0
19981111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR/ COMPUTER AND FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED. 0
19981111FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR/ COMPUTER AND FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED. 0
19980512CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, THE THROTTLE AND/OR LINKAGE STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO INCREASE IN SPEED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
19971114FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ELECTRICAL: DRIVING HOME AND VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE, GOT HOME DICSONNECTED THE BATTERY. WIRING FROM DASH TO BACK LIGHTS HAD BURNED OUT. *AK
19971106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS MELTED TOGETHER AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE VENTS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALE. R CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
19960424ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
HONR DOES NOT WORK WHEN KEY IS NOT IN IGNITION, ALSO CAN BE PLACED IN GEAR WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION. *AK
19960125ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE STALLED. *AK
19951005STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
POWER DOOR LOCK PROBLEMS. *SKD
19950131CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION SPEED UNKNOWN. REPLACED IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE. TT
Compare 1989VOLVO240 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 VOLVO 240 have?▼
The 1989 VOLVO 240 has 19 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 VOLVO 240?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 VOLVO 240 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL and STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR.
Is the 1989 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.