1989 Volvo 240 DL from North America - Comments

The ecm went out just before about 166500 miles; I hear that is common with 1989 240 series. I bought the car. I had to replace an oxygen sensor after driving the car approx. 1k miles. Not bad considering how many miles are on it. I had to recharge the air conditioner and a fitting on a transmission line came lose and had to be retightened.

I love this car. It handles like it's on rail. When you take a sharp curve in this 4000lb sedan it feel like you are driving an expensive sports car.

This car is very reliable! Aside from the minor repair I have made to it, it has provided me with nothing, but excellent service! At 177k miles it still cranks on the first attempt. The engine runs so smoothly at idle it could rival a Rolls Royce.

This car is very comfortable. The plush seats and supportive lumbar make it a joy to drive long distances especially for me. I have a bad back and the lumbar is a real life saver! The seat heaters are awesome; they really keep you from getting frostbite and in summer they are great when my back hurts! However there are a few things I wish Volvo had added to this car. No cruise control makes a long drive hard on your legs and the lack of cup holders is an inconvenience. I use the space between the hand brake and seat, it hold a 20 soda bottle nicely!

This car is not very fast on take off. You could compare its acceleration to that of a lead sled. However once this car gets moving it likes to walk until you reach about 80mph then it's a real push to 100 mph.

This car stops on a dime. When it comes to brakes Volvo has the right idea. It is the only sedan that weighs 4k lbs that stops like a Honda Prelude that I have seen.

If you are looking for safe car then this one is for you. I feel extremely safe driving this car. It is 4000 lbs of solid steel! I would hate for any one to hit it. I believe if it were hit by a Mack truck going 65 mph I would walk away unharmed! This model does not have air bags which suits me just fine!

When it comes to gas mileage this car is OK. Considering the weight and size of the vehicle, it is actually very good. It gets about 22 mpg on the highway and 16-17 in town. It is by no means a gas saver. However it does not drink gas like it is going out of style either. I would say it is just average, nothing to write home about.

Very good review, however there is one thing that I have to disagree. we owned a 85 240 station wagon and we beat the crap out of the thing. 258,000 miles the engine was still good however the florida air rusted to body. the seats are the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on. maybee it was just me. besides that is was the best car we ever owned. we baught it in 95 WITH A CREDIT CARD. we expected it to last 2 years untill we bought a new car. but it never died untill 2005. you can see our volvo at the daytona beach airport abandoned : (very true unless they towed it away it should still be there.

You have made an excellent choice in the purchase of your car. The 240 series produced by volvo can be said to be the best car ever to come out of volvo's factories. My family is still using my late father's 1983 model 240 - carburetted. It's got over 500,000.00 km on it. A very reliable car that you can take on long trips without fear of being stranded by the roadside! I have driven this car non-stop for about 7 hours and ended the journey with no backache, no overheating and no problems whatsoever.

Had an accident once. Rear ended by an old Datsun 120Y. Came away with only some scratches on the bumper. The other car was totalled and had to be towed away. The 240 is the ultimate car for safety and comfort. Enjoy your ride!

R.Yogananthan, Malaysia

ryogananthan@yahoo.com.

"When you take a sharp curve in this 4000lb sedan it feel like you are driving an expensive sports car"

Oh please, come on.

It actually weight right around 3000 where did you get 4000 from?

I bought my 1988 240DL with 30K miles in 1990. I now have 197,000 miles. Great car! 24 mpg on highway, and 21 in the city. It's been the most dependable car I've ever owned. I was rear-ended by an SUV about 5 years ago. After considerable repairs to the trunk and rear of my car, it's still been very dependable. I've only had to charge the AC three times that I can think of. As you might expect, I had to replace some plastic parts on the interior... map pockets, dome light, but nothing major to date. Faithful preventative maintenance is the key to longevity!

Our 1992 Volvo 240 wagon is a trusty old battleship. We bought it new in June of '92. It handles fine -- but not like a sports car -- and it goes through snow (with snow tires only -- it's lousy without them) very well. Little has ever gone wrong with it (last real repair was a new air-co compressor 3 years ago). At 205,000 miles it still looks good, starts easily even in below-zero F. temps., and I don't hesitate to take it on long trips. The driver's seat is worn out, but we're going to have new foam and new upholstery put on. If they still built 240s, we'd buy another in a heartbeat. This type of long-haul reliability makes it the ultimate economy car.

We bought a 1989 240 dl wagon a year ago with 302,000 miles on it. Exterior is flawless except for a small black strip of decal that runs along the bottom of the windows. I scraped it off and taped it up and painted it so it looks original again. The white paint is glossy. I replaced the front grill because it was missing the emblem and I found a new grill on EBAY for 40 bucks. The only rust is an area around the rear hatch near the bumper that you can only see when the hatch is opened. Will fix it soon. The engine purrs like a kitten and only drips a small amount of oil. I add a quart every couple months. I replaced the blower motor a few months ago. It was 50 bucks off EBAY and I got the instructions off the web. Blue leather? interior is in new condition, map pockets are perfect. I have put 20,000 miles on it this year without any problems for a total of 322,000 miles. We even tow a 2800 lbs boat down the street and load it in and pull it out of the water with no problem. People stand there looking at us like we're crazy when we back the 22' cabin cruiser down the ramp with the 240. No one can believe it. Barely hit the gas and we are rolling right up the ramp. That's where the 3000 lbs weight of the 240 comes in handy and also the monster pistons on that beast.

We are going to try to break 500,000.

We own a dark blue 1988 240 DL wagon with about 200K on it. It was given to us as a spare car. I'm very impressed with it...

It's built for durability and safety and has out-lasted all other vehicles we have owned. One day I actually read the manual and figured out the mysterious button that makes the rear lights brighter so I can be seen going over the foggy mountains. Only Volvo could think of that one.

Starts out like a lead-covered snail at the green light, but rolls-along nicely once it gets going. We've hauled all sorts of furniture and stuff in it. Lots of cargo space w/the seats folded down.

Leather seats are nice, heated seats are awesome when it's 0 degrees outside. I bought a cheap cup holder I hang from the glove compartment and aim the vent at it to keep my coffee warm. It's not great in the snow, but I'll just add snow tires to it. The paint is almost perfect.

I have to replace the stereo speakers and some of the plastic parts I have broken, but if this car was re-issued, I would buy it again. A very durable, well-built, battle-wagon!

I own a 1988 grey volvo 240 DL and "Tin Man" is a bloody beast. I've run through many deer unscratched, into many snowbanks, and pushed many of my friends cruddy Volkswagon's and Toyota's out of many predicaments. Its got over 300k miles on it and I'm definitely keeping it until 500k. Many electric additions such as subs, and a system, and the electric is a tough one to tackle because of the Germans and their ways, has been done. This car is phenomenal and if you take care of it, it can look nice and be as reliable as the Guiness flowing in Ireland. The review about it turning fast is completely bogus. The backseat can be slept in if had to and is spacious and comfortable. Get one if you don't have one!

My 1988 Volvo 240 wagon, bought new, is still fabulous at this date. Outside looks great, no rust. White paint is perfect. A little slow up hill but otherwise no problems. I have the original engine and automatic transmission! I am looking for new seat covers for the front... which have just begun to tear on the seams. This car has over 300,000 miles. Driven across the US numerous times and and in deep snows of Boston and Buffalo winters (with snow tires/chains). We have four other Volvo cars (three kids have one) and we bought a new 2004 S60 but we all refer to the 240 as the "good Volvo". Only Volvo lovers understand such love for a car!