1989 Volvo 240 Reviews from North America

Heater core replacement.

Rear window defroster not working.

Cargo trunk lid lock malfunctions.

Main fuel pump failed.

The placement of the inside door opener is way too far back; one needs to be double jointed to open the doors from the inside.

The seats are weak and the seat support is poor.

The driver's side door started having issues a little after I bought it; now I have to climb in through the window or go through the passenger's side.

Air conditioning was OK when I bought it, but after 3 weeks it stopped working.

The car kept melting fuses, and I constantly had to replace them and fix the tail lights.

At 162000, a rock dislodged a screw of the brake pad.

The alternator had to be replaced at 164000 miles.

There was a problem with the radiator around 167000 miles.

The passenger's side window fell inside the door; I eventually got it out, but it never sat on the track very well after that.

The heater stopped working around 167000.

The car started leaking oil and overheating at 168000, and cannot be driven for any longer than 5-10 minutes.

The brakes needed to be replaced.

The sound only worked if there is something exerting pressure on a certain part of the passenger side door (such as a passenger or a gas can wedged between the open glove box door and the car door)

The car was actually surprisingly powerful for a four cylinder car.

Unfortunately the thing got TERRIBLE gas mileage... 13 or 14 mpg on average. It seemed to get worse, too.

Despite all the problems, I really did like this car:

- The driver's seat had a seat heater that was very nice in the winter.

- The seats were pretty comfortable.

- The trunk was a good size.

- The car felt safe and sturdy.

Front wheel bearing.

Overdrive switch.

Spark plug wires.

Alternator.

A/C conversion to modern freon.

Brake pads (normal maintenance).

New hood (knuckleheaded son forgot to latch the hood and it flew open when he was doing 50!)

Rear brake lights, a Volvo design defect, one of the few.

Bought this for my sons when they started driving. It is still in use with the one son still in college. Steady, safe, reliable. The boys hate its styling, but their alternative is bicycle/bus, take it or leave it.

The only defect in this design is the bizarre electrical connection for the taillights. It appears to be soldered aluminum foil. I have a good mechanic and he finally got a good connection that has lasted. I told my sons they better be careful or cops would pull them over at will for having a "defective taillight".

Burns no oil, and the oil stays relatively clean between changes. Surprising for a car this age. The A/C is a joke, but do Swedes really need A/C?

Knucklehead #1 forgot to latch the hood after checking the oil, and it flipped up while he was doing 50. Fortunately, he was able to pull over without incident, but the hood was badly bent near the hinges. So, we went to a local Pull-A-Part and selected a "new" hood, and he learned some basic mechanics. Our car is Carolina blue and the hood was white, so he painted blue "racing stripes" on the hood to make it look a little sporty. It is now a very recognizable car around Chapel Hill.

Hopefully, their little sister will be driving this car in a few years. A beater? Yes. Reliable? Yes. Safe? Yes. Good on gas? Yes.

I bought this vehicle virtually abandoned at a mechanics shop and contacted the owner. It had sat outside for about 18 months.

Front seats wore out, and I replaced them.

Replaced front struts, tie rod ends and ball joints.

Replaced all 4 brakes with ones on my previous 240.

Replaced rear shocks and springs.

Replaced gas tank and in-tank fuel pump.

When I bought this car, I took a chance and I had no idea how it had been maintained before. It fired right up though after sitting for over a year.

It needed a tune up right away, and the brakes were really rusty from sitting. I was fortunate to have a parts car that I pretty much stripped for using in this vehicle. I probably wouldn't have bought it otherwise.

It has proven to be a very reliable and fun to drive car, and a good vehicle for towing.

Handles a lot better than I expected in the snow (with proper snow tires)!

I'm no mechanic, but I love how simple and robust these old Volvo's are!