1985 Volvo 244 Reviews

Back lights work, but tend to have a mind of their own.

Seats are ripped.

Engine/tranny leaks.

I picked up this car for $350, did a full tune up and it runs great. When I got it, it overheated 3 times (thermostat stuck closed) and did no damage (compared to my LT1 Firebird that overheated once and destroyed the intake). It has a surprising amount of power for a big wagon with a 4 banger and 262k miles.

This thing does leak about 1-2 quarts of oil between oil changes (I run Lucas in it and I have noticed a big decrease in oil leaks). It really does bother me. I just have to keep a couple quarts of oil and check it weekly (I owned a aircooled VW so this is not new). I have driven this car 15k miles so far, and the only thing I have done is basic maintenance, and this is my daily driver.

Oh how do I count the headaches, and for that matter migraines I have suffered with repairing the tail lights.

My tail lights will not work. (recant)

The drivers side tail light partially works, but the flasher does not work.

Also, the right light is completely out of whack. The former owner or owners tried their hand at electrical work. To no avail they weren't good at it.

Many wires were exposed, and also connected the houses that holds the bulb.

I dismantled all of it, and it still doesn't work. Even purchased another tail light from a junk yard. What is wrong?

In addition to the lights, the speedometer has stopped working, and I'm really pulling my hair out. How will I know my speed if the piece isn't working correctly?

As I read a recent post the driver's seat is depleted. It looks like someone fell in it. Nevertheless,I'll venture out to another junk yard.

If anyone has any suggestions please send me an email: Marquerite38@aol.com

Thank you kindly.

Relays, Tail lights, and speedometer.

Water pump, timing belt, stereo, front end struts, ball joints, center bearing, belts, just normal stuff nothing ever went wrong with the engine or trans..

The VOLVO 244 DL is a fast and comfy auto to drive and is allso good looking.

They are HONDA spanking.

I like when other people ask me why I drive a VOLVO at such a young age? I reply with, I never get stopped by the law and never has the car left me broke down at the roads ends.

I replaced the steering rack on this car at 185000 miles.

Seats are getting pretty worn out internally (broken springs, etc), although the cloth upholstery looks good.

I'm starting to get a little rust, but I live in Minnesota, where that's tough to combat.

Other than that, I've only had to do routine maintenance, including the occasional new brake pads.

I love this car, and intend to drive it for 300,000 or more miles.

Living in a cold climate, I can say that the best thing about Volvos is the heat and defrost! Both kick in very quickly, and make cold winter mornings significantly easier.

The parts for Volvos are more expensive than a lot of cars, but I haven't found that I need to replace them very often. At nearly 200,000 miles, I still have the original clutch!

It's boxy, but feels very safe and comfortable.

Other Volvo 240 owners come over to talk to me in parking lots -- it's clear that 98% love their 240s. Darn good, reliable, honest cars.

I will drive this car for a long time, and then I'll go out and buy another one just like it.

The dashboard has two very large cracks in it.

It may need a new windshield wiper motor soon.

I bought my 1985 Volvo 244DL because I've heard that they are excellent cars. Volvos have a reputation for being very reliable and safe. Did you know that Volvo started testing airbags and anti-lock braking systems in this model car in 1972? Needless to say, I was very impressed when I read that.

My mother owns a Volvo and two other people I know own older Volvo's like mine. They all love their cars and drive them daily, even though all have around 200,000 miles. I think that says a lot about a car manufacturer when a car has high mileage like that and the people who own them still love them and have few or no complaints!

So far, I have no complaints. I do have to say that like most Volvos, it's an ugly car, but what should I expect from an '85 Volvo! I do love the car very much though. I'm the 3rd owner of the car and it's quite obvious it was well maintained. The exterior could definitely use a good wash and wax, but the interior is spotless... not a rip, tear or stain on the upholstery. The car only has about 134,000 miles, which is low mileage for a Volvo, especially one this old. I think it's definitely one of the best older cars you can buy for $2,500 or less. I plan on keeping this car for a very long time and putting 300,000+ miles on it. I definitely recommend this car to any person who desires a reliable set of wheels.