VOLVO 745 · model year

1989 VOLVO 745

3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989VOLVO745 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1989 745 is electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables with 2 filings, followed by electrical system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 1989 745. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

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

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20080910ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 VOLVO 745. WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE BATTERY DRAINED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL WAL-MART AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED WITH A LARGER SIZED BATTERY WITH HIGHER WATTAGE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE REPLACEMENT. THE ALTERNATOR WAS TESTED AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SERVICE STATIONS, BUT APPEARED TO BE FINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE RECHARGED EVERY TWO TO THREE WEEKS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 277,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 277,250.

Mileage: 277,000

20030203ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

CONDITION EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL 96V085000 BUT VOLVO CLAIMS MY VIN NO IS NOT COVERED. MY VEHICLE FALLS WITHIN THE MODEL AND MANUFACTURING DATES COVERED BY THE RECALL. MY CLAIM FOR CORRECTION OF THE PROBLEM WAS REJECTED BY [XXX] SERVICE MANAGER HASSEL VOLVO 79 CEDAR SWAMP ROAD GLEN COVE, N.Y. 11542 THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE HAS SEVERAL INCHES OF INSULATION CHAFED AWAY WHILE THE NEGATIVE CABLE HAS COMPLETELY FAILED THRU CHAFING. BOTH PROBLEMS ARE AT THE POINT WHERE THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE ATTACHES TO THE ENGINE. MY VEHICLE - 1989 VOLVO MODEL 745 STATION WAGON. MANUFACTURE DATE - MARCH 1989. VIN NO. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

20001117FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

WHILE PARKING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE. OPENED HOOD AND NOTICED FIRE ON BATTERY CABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Compare 1989VOLVO745 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 VOLVO 745 have?
The 1989 VOLVO 745 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 VOLVO 745?
The most-complained component for the 1989 VOLVO 745 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1989 VOLVO 745 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1989 VOLVO 745; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.