1988 Volvo 740 Ti review from North America
"A high-maintenance money pit"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Mysterious oil leak which no one could identify, and was so incredibly severe I had to sell the car because the cost of oil was too high.
Leaked coolant.
Head warped for no reason (didn't overheat) at 155K miles.
Turbocharger failed at 145K miles.
Many, many electrical problems.
Transmission designed very poorly, none of the gears are wide enough.
Headliner made of very poor quality material.
Engine bay heat so hot from poor turbo placement and crude engine design, a radiator hose almost melted.
Horrible, noisy, dirty, crude engine - the 2.3L inline four. Truly awful.
Handled so poorly in the rain and snow, I did double-takes. And this car is from SWEDEN?
General comments?
The turbo 2.3L four was fast as lightning - 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds or so if timed perfectly.
Handled great in dry weather.
Leather seats very comfortable.
Nice, boxy style.
Recommended reviews
| 1988 - 740 Turbo Intercooler 2.3 Liter $ cylinder Wonderful when operational.. |
|
| 1987 - 740 GLE Wagon 2.3L non-turbo Reliable and capable "stuff mover" |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3 turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 144000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 164000 miles |
| Previous car | Volvo 240 |
| Date of Entry | 15th May, 2002 |