1988 Volvo 740 SW from North America - Comments

Had to replace head gasket. Car overheated (bad thermostat) and warped the head gasket.

The air conditioning runs, but won't hold a charge. It has been checked many times, but I'm always told that there are no leaks.

The sunroof leaks and has stained the headliner. The head liner is also falling apart and the foam backing is disintegrating and creates dust in the car.

What a reliable car! As old as it is, it just keeps going.

I have the Turbo Station Wagon and, believe it or not, I still get comments on what a good looking car it is. The paint has really held up well and still has a nice shine. Its actually pretty sporty looking with nice rims and wide tires and no ugly luggage rack to make it look like Grandma's car.

I love the turbo. I get a kick out of coming off an off ramp and accelerating (FAST!) to get past the car that won't let me over. Sometimes I'm amazed that the car is only a 4 cylinder.

My 1988 Volvo has more options on it than my 2000 Subaru. Leather, power, heated front seats; good stereo; A/C; power windows, locks, and antenna; air bag; ABS brakes; sun roof; and huge cargo area.

My biggest gripe would be the fact that I can't drive this car in the snow (what's the point of the heated front seats?). It's an accident waiting to happen. The rear wheel drive with the light rear end makes for a driving nightmare on wet or snowy roads. It fishtails with the slightest acceleration or tap of the brakes.

Although my leather seats have held up very nicely, many other interior components are showing their age. The carpet is worn, the dash has a crack in it, the dome light is falling off, and the headliner is a mess. Everything is rattling and loose.

Mechanically it is still going strong.

Hey man, how did you get your hands on my car?

Actually, I have the sedan model, but it has all the

same quirks. The car has logged over 280,000 miles,

but I took off from Indy and drove to Windsor, Canada

last week. The car never missed a beat.

I have one bit of advice for you... Switch you're a/C

over to 134A. The retro-fit is a very simple process.

By the way, my A/C leak was found under the rubber

securing strap for the metal hose which runs along

the frame on the passenger side of the engine compartment.

Hi! I have a 1988 740 turbo intercooler. I had the same problem with the headliner which was totally falling apart, I had foam dust all over my hair and it became really gross plus I have a baby in the back seat...So, I became crafty and now my Volvo is pimped! I took all the headliner down which was really easy and after trying a lots of different adhesive. I used carpet adhesive to glue a vinyl like leather looking old, same color as the burgundy seats, it was kind of difficult to put it all up there and you have to get creative into hiding the "mistakes" but, sooo much better now. I love my Volvo!

I got my '88 SW for $800.

Cheap, yes. But it does have some disadvantages.

When I bought it, it had no headliner, just pure metal, the sunroof was leaky, the oil was constantly dripping, no interior lights worked, the dash lights were out, there are still 2 hubcaps missing from the attachments on the actual rim being snapped off.

Honestly, it needed some work. But it's a lot better now. I'm glad I got this car instead of any other. It's extremely reliable. Except for one problem. My turbo (located on the gear shifter) is broken. it's stuck, so I can't turn it off. But I can live with that.