VOLVO 740 · model year

1988 VOLVO 740

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

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1988VOLVO740 carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 5 fires, 4 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 1988 740 is electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables with 3 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline (2) and air bags (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 1988 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.

16
Complaints
1
Crashes
5
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

16 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

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
AIR BAGS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1

Recent Complaints

20141204AIR BAGS

I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY AND THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED, STRIKING ME IN THE FACE AND CHEST, KNOCKING ME UNCONSCIOUS AND DAMAGING MY RIGHT EYE AND BREAST AND CAUSING CHEMICAL BURNS ON MY FACE AND NECK. I WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT AT THE HOSPITAL AND FOLLOWUP THE FOLLOWING DAY BY EYE SURGEONS AND RETINA SPECIALISTS. I SUSTAINED PERMANENT DAMAGE TO MY RIGHT EYE WHICH RESULTED IN A BLIND-SPOT. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE OR WORK FOR A WEEK. I REQUIRED EXTENSIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS AND AM STILL CLOSELY MONITORED BY THE EYE DOCTOR FOR THE DAMAGE TO MY EYE (WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY RESULT IN GLAUCOMA). VOLVO REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR MADE ANY REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGES, MEDICAL OR LOSS OF MY VEHICLE AND STALLED ALL EFFORTS THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM, EVEN AFTER INITIALLY INDICATING TO MY ATTORNEY THAT THEY WOULDN'T CONTEST SETTLEMENT. MY VEHICLE WAS 17 YEARS OLD BUT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AN

Mileage: 163,000

20060911AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

1988 740 AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED. *TS WHEN THE CONSUMER TURN ON THE IGNITION THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DEPLOYMENT MOMENTARILY KNOCKED THE CONSUMER UNCONSCIOUS. THE AIR BAG SLAMMED INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CONSUMER'S FACE AND LEFT BREAST. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED A BLOODY NOSE AND EYE, CHEMICAL BURNS AND IMMEDIATE SWELLING OF HER FACE. THE CONSUMER HAS ALSO SUSTAINED 20% LOSS OF VISION IN HER RIGHT EYE. *NM

20010523AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT, MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED AT JUST A FEW MILES PER HOUR WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING.*AK

20000905FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR OVER TWO HOURS SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM HOOD AREA. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, OPENED THE HOOD, AND IT BURSTED INTO FLAMES. IT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A SHORT CIRCUT OF THE WIRE HARNESS. VOLVO HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

19990301FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

BATTERY CABLES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE RESULTING IN AND ENGINE FIRE CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO RECIEVE BURNS TO THE ARM AND WRIST WHILE EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE.

19981030ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

RECALL ON THE INSULATION ON THE BATTERY CABLES WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SHORT CIRCUIT, RECALL NOT DONE BECAUSE OF DEALER LOCATION PROBLEMS.

19971021VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINSHIELD WASHERS FAILED, AFFECTING VISIBILITY. ALSO CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE. *AK

19971015VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE INTO GARAGEVEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. OWNER TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *NLM

19970423VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ENGINE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

19960909CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

DRIVING VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF 50MPH, VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. *AK

19960729FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

PE96-019 ACTIVE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, UNDER THE HOOD FIRE,AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE FOR 1/2 HOUR.*AK THE FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT UNDER THE HOOD, THE AUTOMOBILE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY, VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE.*JB

19960702ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

VEHICLE HAD BATTERY CABLE SHORT CAUSING ERRACTIC LIGHTING OPERATION. *AK

19960315AIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING, SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

19960119FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CAR WAS PARKED IN GARAGE FOR TWO TO THREE DAYS CAUGHT ON FIRE . TT

19950901FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CAR WAS IN PARK AND CAUGHT ON FIRE . *AK

19950504ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

HOLE BURNED THROUGH CYLINDER HEAD, CAUSING ENGINE/RADIATOR TO FAIL. *SKD

Compare 1988VOLVO740 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1988 VOLVO 740 have?
The 1988 VOLVO 740 has 16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 5 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 VOLVO 740?
The most-complained component for the 1988 VOLVO 740 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE and AIR BAGS.
Is the 1988 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.