Total Complaints
2 filings
VOLVO VOLVO · model year
1981 VOLVO VOLVO
2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981VOLVOVOLVO carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1981 VOLVO is tires with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:front underhood (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 23 investigation files overlapping the 1981 VOLVO. 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.
2
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030829ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
SINCE THE EARLY 80'S, AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL TROUGH 1989, VOLVO'S HAVE A CONTINUOS PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, THE INSULATION AT THE FIREWALL PAR T OF THE WIRING, DESINTEGRATES, NO MATTER HOW WELL YOU TAKE CAE OF YOUR CAR. THIS IS HAPPENING WITH MY 1981 240, AND IT ALSO HAPPENED WITH MY 1984 {THIS ONE CAUSE FOR THE COMPUTERS TO FRY} HOWEVER @ THAT TIME VOLVO OF AMERICA PICKED UP PART OF THE TAB, I BELIEVE IT WAS OVER $2000.00. IT IS A DANGEROUS THING, AS IT QUITS RUNNING ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, AND I DO BELIEVE IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE , IF THE ENGINE IS NOT CLEAN. THE PROBLEM IS SO WELL KNOWN , THAT THESE WIRING HARNESSES ARE READELY AVAILABLE, FOR CARS THAT ARE 20 YEARS OLD. THIS IS A SHAME, AS THEY ARE GREAT CARS OTHERWISE. THE DATE BELOW REFLECTS MY NOW PROBLEM AGAIN, WITH THE 1981. THE 1984 WAS FIXED AROUND 1995.I DO NOT KNOW IF ANYONE HAS BEEN INJURED.BUT DO KNOW OF THOUSANDS OF VOLVO OWNERS , IN NEWSGROUPS, WHO ARE/HAVE RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE.*AK
19960904CrashTIRES
LEFT FRONT TIRE CAME OFF, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (NEW JERSEY POLICE REPORT)*SD
Compare 1981VOLVOVOLVO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 VOLVO VOLVO have?▼
The 1981 VOLVO VOLVO has 2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 VOLVO VOLVO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 VOLVO VOLVO is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1981 VOLVO VOLVO 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.