Engine bottom end went at 280,000.
Universal joint failed at 315,000.
Seat lumbar support broke at 268,000.
Power steering rack, leaked badly at 270,000.
Radiator blew-up at 290,000.
Floors and rear quarters rusted through.
Hatch door rusted badly around glass.
One rear brake caliper seized at 268,000, then other at 314,000.
Ignition coil failed at 298,000.
Some gears hard to shift into, 2 from 1 under acceleration.
Carburetor top blew off from a random backfire.
Luggage storage space is huge, especially with the rear seats down.
Seats very comfortable when intact.
Interior simple on the edge of austere.
Excellent visibility all around, but for a taller person.
Strong trailer puller, due to high rear end ratio.
Fuel consumption declining as mileage increases.
Strong and stiff body.
Mediocre handling with standard size tires.
Very strong suspension, it handles 3x the recommended load rating.
For an European car, parts are extremely affordable and easily available.
I am currently looking for a Volvo 240 Wagon. I have read a lot of reviews and history about Volvo, but have not seen much about how they tow. It was nice to see your car was a good tow vehicle. I plan on towing a dog trailer with my car (these are pretty easy to pull). I have read some things about how horribly slow the automatics are. Apparently it takes forever to accelerate. However, I see more automatic wagons for sale than 5 speeds. Should I continue to look hard for a 5 speed wagon, or will the automatic be enough? Thanks.
Dennis.
Go for the manual.
More reliable, quicker, better economy and of course, more fun. I've got a manual, 325 000 kilometers strong.
Automatic Volvo 240 towing: think 1950's era VW Bus, fully loaded, but just a bit faster (until a hill). Yes, it will keep going, but what's the point, when you can only get up to 60km/h up a hill?
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