1983 Volvo 240 GL review from Australia and New Zealand

Something in transmission is chipped, causes huge clunks at random. Gearbox would need replacing to fix this.

Intermittent setting on windscreen wipers never worked.

Tyres have a habit of falling off the rims when maneuvering to avoid accidents (has happened 4 times so far).

Rear seat belts do not retract properly.

Engine takes almost 2 minutes of cranking and throttling to start on cold days.

Idles very, very rough, even after tune-up.

Numerous interior plastics are simply falling apart.

Driver's seat foam/springs collapsed.

Driver's seat lumbar support collapsed.

Electric antenna no longer goes up and down.

Glove box latch broke, unable to open.

Hood release mechanism faulty, takes a lot of effort to open and extremely difficult to close.

Car will not run with less than a half-full petrol tank, runs rough for a while and then starts to cut out.

Large clunking noises from rear of car when starting/stopping/turning.

For a Volvo at 165, 000kms, this car is pretty much just run-in - and a real disappointment.

Ride quality is terrible, it shudders and jumps over the slightest imperfections on the road. Passengers absorb every bump, not the suspension.

It really goes when pushed, it can hose almost any other car built in the 1980s including a few V8s. It handles nicely, only gets upset through corners when you throttle or brake much too hard. A really fun car in the wet. Revs out to 8000rpm, although redline is at 7000 - screams like a banshee after 4000rpm and really takes off!

Lots of interior space for such a small car (240s look big, but they're really not that much bigger than 3-series BMWs).

Comfy seats all round, apart from driver's seat which has worn out.

Overall, could be a nice car if built to last, and suspension is the worst I've ever seen in a car. Just a big disappointment really, the shiny, expensive-looking exterior hides a very badly built vehicle.