Consistant water leak at the left front floor board. Still can't find.
A/C inoperative. Prior owner neglected the compressor failure which caused extensive damage to the a/c system which is No Fault of Volvo. Entire a/c system is required.
Headlamps stay on when switch is on the park lamp selection. Had a shop look at it, but still not repaired correctly. Unknown short in harness.
Overdrive switch located on the transmission. Common problem. Either the wire is dry rotted and not connected or the switch leaks trans fluid from the top. Easy fix, but if the overdrive switch is required it is expensive, 200.00 + or try to find a used one.
Drivers seat bottom collapsed. Common problem, but then again what seat won't after 200k miles.
Fuses don't make contact. Moisture affects the contacts. Remove fuses and use fine sand paper to clean the contacts.
Overall this is a great car. I don't look for high gas mileage as you have a 4cyl engine with large pistons pulling a 4k lb car. I choose safety & comfort vs fuel economy. I drive mine between 100 & 175 miles per day on average.
Our 1986 Volvo 240 GL wagon was purchased 10 years ago and still have the car. I refuse to sell it. The minor problems are consistant between the 240's which is not a major thing if you do your own work.
I also own a 1993 Volvo 940 GLE which is a nice quiet and smooth riding car, but not as comfortable as the 240's are. Currently having some issues with that one.. If anyone decides to move up to a 940 make sure you purchase a 94 or 95 with a Bosch Fuel Injection system as the 93 only offered a Regina fuel inj system which is not the most reliable.
Overall I won't sell either one of my 240's. The 240's are the last of Volvo's best!!!
Check your front floor pan. Subject to rusting. One problem is the a/c drain tube sometimes allows water to drain into the pan vs outside the car and the unknown water leak at the left front can cause rust.
The best car for rainy days. Tracks real good.
Yeah, the Volvo 240 has it's little problems- nothing you could really complain about. I am often on the look out for a newer car to replace my 240, something with more power and extras, but when it comes to it I don't seem to be able to let go. They just seem to grow on you...
I wish they'd bring back the 240 too! A sort of updated, improved version with a modern take on the classic 240 design. Bring back the 2.3L B230F engine, but refine it for smoother running, more power, and better fuel economy, as all sucked badly. Modify the classic design to still resemble a 240, but far more aerodynamic. Widen and lengthen the wheelbase for far better handling. Install a modern A/C system and electrical system. Improve the seat design for better lateral support and a more durable design. Add more sound insulation (was a noisy as hell car). Eliminate the fragile, snap-on exterior body trim that falls off at the drop of a hat. Class up the interior with higher quality seat fabrics, chrome, and wood trim.
If Volvo came out with a retro-new 240 with the above improvements, I'd buy one in a heartbeat! These are still really good cars and much better than the average car. Reliability, durability, and safety are definitely there, but they lack any real class, like a refined powertrain, good handling and acceleration. Braking is a plus however. All the bad aside, still a good car for the money. My '85 was a blast to own because it didn't look like anything anyone else was driving and got lots of looks, finger pointing, and people asking "What is that? Nice car." I guess the 240 is stylish in its own quirky way. I just wished it was a more efficient car, i.e. more aerodynamic for better fuel economy and lower wind noise on the highway.
If you think the 240's are great and are not the biggest fan of the 900 series, I would suggest you look into the 850's. They are simply great. If you want something very reliable and maintance free go with the GLE or GLT models. The GLE is a 2.4L 5 cyl 10 valve with 120 horsepower and the GLT is a 2.4L 20 valve with 170hp. Both require little maintance and are very reliable. The interior is much nicer and updated and the cars come with lots of extra safety features like side impact air bags.
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