1989 Volvo 740 Reviews - Page 3 of 12

This is my second 740 2.3 GLE. It has been very reliable. Only needing a new alternator regulator, which cost only £10.

A few dashboard lights have recently gone out, such as the bulb near the petrol gauge, and the heated rear window switch bulb. Otherwise it's been perfect, and starts first time every time.

The roof headlining is sagging in a few places. I might bother to fix it one day.

I love this car. The seats are full heated leather, very comfortable and supportive. It is fast enough with a 2.3 engine, not quite as quick as modern cars, but it pulls very well.

Fuel economy isn't great, about 20-25 UK mpg in town, and 30-35mpg on the motorway.

The car sailed through its last MOT test with no faults.

I hope to keep this car for a few years more.

5th gear (push button variety) replaced multiple times.

Radio display light broken.

Headlight wiring replaced recently.

AC broke (in Kansas in June many years ago)

Headliner recently deteriorated beyond hope and I pulled it down and scraped off the crud.

Lumbar adjuster broken.

Plastic bits and pieces beginning to wear; foam insulation in air ducts has come loose and it all matted up inside the vents.

Gas gauge broke, but repaired.

Various problems over the years; well serviced and worth every penny!

This is a sports car disguised as a station wagon! The turning radius is awesome; I can do a U-turn virtually anywhere.

Handles very well in snow, keeps on plugging away even when it's scraping bottom.

Even after all these years since '89, I've never found a car with more comfortable seats than our good old Volvo leather ones.

Wonderful design if you're trying to maximize your luggage space. Especially good for boxes -- nobody makes a good boxy CAR anymore!

Reliable, reliable, reliable.

I love this car and I'm hoping for at least 500,000 miles!

Rear brake caliper stuck on; replaced with junkyard part.

Headliner (ceiling) was missing; I replaced it (tricky).

Flame trap hose broken, I replaced it (really easy).

Thermostat broken, I replaced it (easy).

Dash lights loose, fixed (really easy).

Antenna stuck 1/2 way (like all 740s!) - I replaced the antenna (not fun).

I love this car! From the heated seats to the power windows, this car still holds up strong. It's really easy to work on too. I knew nothing about car repair before I bought this car, but I did everything! www.swedishbricks.net is your friend.

I don't think it's that slow either. The turbos are much faster, but pop this down to third gear, and you get a great Volvo roar when passing.

It is a tank, and really heavy, but that's OK. Safe right?

I can get 28 mpg on the highway (after I replaced the thermostat).

People complaining about their 130k mile cars falling apart... "What? 260 THOUSAND miles?" - priceless.

Heater hose burst at 215,000kms, causing fast loss of coolant. Small part and easily remedied - $5 hose, 20 minutes of my time to replace.

Nothing else.

A real luxury/sports sedan - I've never driven anything like it.

My car has all the options except a sunroof and climate control (that said, the regular air conditioning system is less annoying anyway). Leather on the seats seems extremely high-quality, after all these years and KMs not one scratch exists on any seat. Extremely supportive, comfortable seats, the lumbar support is excellent.

The interior possesses both a simplistic/wipe-clean feel and a luxurious, expensive ambience, and I really like the two-tone black/tan colour scheme. All controls are simple, easy-to-find and within reach of the driver.

The car handles great for the size & weight, although overly enthusiastic acceleration through corners throws the rear end right out and delivers an impressive smoke show.

Goes like a total rocket - mine has the dealer-fitted Turbo+ system, which controls boost more effectively and increases it by about 35% on wide-open throttle, for a huge power/torque increase. Blows off the majority of cars on the road from the lights when running on the right fuel (98 octane).

This car has been phenomenally reliable; it runs just like new, everything works as it should, and after putting 15,000kms on it since I bought it I don't need to do anything, but an oil change & general tune-up.

I paid AU$8500 for my vehicle, which is at the upper end of the scale- and I can tell you it was worth it, most cheaper examples have a few problems, ratty interiors etc.

Would recommend one of these cars to anyone who wants a big, safe, cushy, reliable, safe and above all, quick car. Unless fuel economy is a concern - it doesn't use as much as similar cars with bigger engines (about 3 litres/100km less than a 4-litre Fairmont), but the need to use 98 octane premium makes it a bit pricey to run when fuel costs rise (has never bothered me, however).