1985 Volvo 240 DL 2.3 NA from North America

Summary:

Very solid car with a bulletproof drivetrain

Faults:

Completely rusted out after 14 years of harsh Midwest winters.

Finicky electrical problems over time.

Rack and pinion power steering developed a major leak after 120000 miles, and was replaced at a cost of $900.

General Comments:

Never once left us stranded.

Only major repair in 14 years of ownership was the power steering.

Volvos from this era were strong and well engineered. This was before the car division split from the truck division, and was sold to Ford.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd December, 2010

1985 Volvo 240 GL 2.1 petrol from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

These are one of the best buys in the second hand European car market

Faults:

Nothing really, the radio reception is not great, but when tuned in OK, the sound is good.

The aircon. needs to be gassed each year, but is the best I have experienced in 10 series Volvos.

General Comments:

This is a great sedan for Aussie conditions, so long as you keep pressure in air con.

Drives well, and copes with short and long drives.

The velour seats are more comfortable than my wife's 850SE, and the suspension has that old world feel of loping along.

The 240 is no sports car. It is a bit slow on the uptake and wallows a bit, even though the suspension is in good condition.

These characteristics are what makes old Volvos a bit special; every thing about them is a bit soft and forgiving.

They seem to be the new VW Beetle (old) amongst students and surfers... they have discovered that they are so daggy that they are retro cool...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th March, 2010

1985 Volvo 240 GL 2.3 petrol from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Big and boxy cruiser with safety features galore.

Faults:

New clutch at 350000km.

Power steering rack replaced.

Power steering hoses blew.

Brake master cylinder replaced at 360000km.

Wiring burnt on Alternator.

General Comments:

This car is quite powerful for something that weighs near to 2 tonnes. Gear shift is very stubborn and sometimes needs to be forced. It is a comfortable car, but the front seats are too flat and can become hard on a long trip. Very spacious interior.

It is an expensive car to keep on the road with the amount of petrol and, the fact that it is an imported car, service costs can get out of hand sometimes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th March, 2006

1985 Volvo 240 GL Turbo 5-speed turbo four from North America

Summary:

A good older car

Faults:

A/C knocked off one day after months of perfect operation.

The car developed an odd problem where it would stall when coming to a stop. Every light on the dash would come on at this point and the car had to be restarted. As the months went on and the problem could not be found, the car became more and more difficult to restart when this would happen.

The turbo was a little noisy, but nothing seemed to be wrong with it.

General Comments:

We loved this car. Even though it was older and had high miles, it drew a lot of attention and was very comfortable. It was reliable too, until the stalling problem came up, but even then it never left us stranded.

The car was very solid and well put-together. Volvo really went out of their way to stress safety in this model.

The climate system was very effective before the A/C quit. The heater was outstanding in the winter.

Very sporty for a wagon. Ours was medium metallic blue over black leather with 5-spoke alloy wheels, blacked-out trim, and front/rear fog lights. It also had the full set of gauges across the middle of the dash that I think was unique to the Turbo.

I think that the previous owners might not have taken the best care of this car, so we had to deal with the results of their neglect. Oh well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th September, 2005

3rd Jul 2013, 21:11

The stalling problem sounds like it may have just needed new plugs. Same thing happened in my 91 5 speed 240. I had a tune up and it was fixed.

1985 Volvo 240 DL turbo from North America

Summary:

Love it

Faults:

Struts blew

Overdrive started going out

Seats not too comfortable.

General Comments:

I love (d) my Volvo (or my Volvy, as I fondly called her). My dad gave me this car (well, once I learned how to drive stick, that is) after I got my license.

They aren't the prettiest cars, but they are extremely tough, reliable, and safe.

Mine was a turbo, so it had a little kick. The highest speed I ever got her up to was 130.

Unfortunately I got in a wreck last summer and kind of crushed the engine. The good thing is is that I was totally safe, even when hit almost head-on. I got away with a few bruises, while in another car (aka-not a Volvo), I probably would have been seriously hurt.

Toward the end of our time together, the 5th gear (overdrive) got a little sticky, I would have to go faster or rev the engine for it to kick into overdrive.

Other than that, I love Volvos, I would recommend them to anyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st May, 2005

2nd May 2005, 19:37

P.S. For the older Volvos, the leather seats (when not properly taken care of) get really hard and uncomfortable, and the button-things in the seat poke you.

2nd Oct 2010, 13:09

I just bought a 1985 Volvo 240 DL. I had to replace the back brakes and a fuse because it wouldn't start. I think it needs oil. I do not know where to put the oil in the engine? I do not want to drive it without oil.

Can you tell me where to put the oil? Which tank in the engine is for the oil?

The car needs the trim replaced and a paint job and new tires, but I love it.