Total Complaints
10 filings
VOLVO 740 · model year
1985 VOLVO 740
10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985VOLVO740 carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1985 740 is vehicle speed control:cables with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1) and vehicle speed control (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 740. 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.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040506VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
WHEN PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED. *AK
20040506VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
WHEN PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT WIRING HARNESS FAILED. *AK
20030811ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
THE WIRE PLASTIC INSULATION AROUND ENGINE IS CONTINUOUSLY DISINTEGRATING AND FALLING OFF. *AK
Mileage: 10,000
20010119STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
PART FAILED AGAIN 12/28/2000
20000906FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
AFTER DRIVING FROM THE GROCERY STORE, I STOPPED AT A STORE AND LET MY GRANDDAUGHTER RUN IN FOR A COKE. WHILE SHE WAS INSIDE,I LET THE CAR IDLE. WITHIN 3 MINUTES, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE MOTOR NEVER GAVE ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE PEOPLE IN THE PARKING LOT TOLD ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR ,IT WAS ON FIRE, I CUT OFF THE CAR , POPPED THE HOOD AND THEN STARTED TO OPEN THE HOOD BUT THE SMOKE WAS SO THICK, DARK TAN AND PEPPERED WITH BLACK, THAT I COULDN'T GET CLOSE. THE STORE EMPLOYEES CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE WIRING, PLASTIC CONTAINERS,HOSES, INSULATION, ETC. WERE BURNT TO A CRISP. WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!
19990713STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19990622ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THERE IS A SHORT WITHIN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH IS DRAINING THE BATTERY, AND VEHICLE WON'T START UNLESS THE CONSUMER GIVES VEHICLE A BOOST. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
19971022POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
19960819CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE POSITION, CHANGED FROM PARK TO DRIVE, VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION RPMS UNKNOWN, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION. *AK
19950721SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
PROBLEM WITH BRAKES. *AW
Compare 1985VOLVO740 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 VOLVO 740 have?▼
The 1985 VOLVO 740 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 VOLVO 740?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 VOLVO 740 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1985 VOLVO 740 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.