The ecm went out just before about 166500 miles; I hear that is common with 1989 240 series. I bought the car. I had to replace an oxygen sensor after driving the car approx. 1k miles. Not bad considering how many miles are on it. I had to recharge the air conditioner and a fitting on a transmission line came lose and had to be retightened.
I love this car. It handles like it's on rail. When you take a sharp curve in this 4000lb sedan it feel like you are driving an expensive sports car.
This car is very reliable! Aside from the minor repair I have made to it, it has provided me with nothing, but excellent service! At 177k miles it still cranks on the first attempt. The engine runs so smoothly at idle it could rival a Rolls Royce.
This car is very comfortable. The plush seats and supportive lumbar make it a joy to drive long distances especially for me. I have a bad back and the lumbar is a real life saver! The seat heaters are awesome; they really keep you from getting frostbite and in summer they are great when my back hurts! However there are a few things I wish Volvo had added to this car. No cruise control makes a long drive hard on your legs and the lack of cup holders is an inconvenience. I use the space between the hand brake and seat, it hold a 20 soda bottle nicely!
This car is not very fast on take off. You could compare its acceleration to that of a lead sled. However once this car gets moving it likes to walk until you reach about 80mph then it's a real push to 100 mph.
This car stops on a dime. When it comes to brakes Volvo has the right idea. It is the only sedan that weighs 4k lbs that stops like a Honda Prelude that I have seen.
If you are looking for safe car then this one is for you. I feel extremely safe driving this car. It is 4000 lbs of solid steel! I would hate for any one to hit it. I believe if it were hit by a Mack truck going 65 mph I would walk away unharmed! This model does not have air bags which suits me just fine!
When it comes to gas mileage this car is OK. Considering the weight and size of the vehicle, it is actually very good. It gets about 22 mpg on the highway and 16-17 in town. It is by no means a gas saver. However it does not drink gas like it is going out of style either. I would say it is just average, nothing to write home about.
Very good review, however there is one thing that I have to disagree. we owned a 85 240 station wagon and we beat the crap out of the thing. 258,000 miles the engine was still good however the florida air rusted to body. the seats are the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on. maybee it was just me. besides that is was the best car we ever owned. we baught it in 95 WITH A CREDIT CARD. we expected it to last 2 years untill we bought a new car. but it never died untill 2005. you can see our volvo at the daytona beach airport abandoned : (very true unless they towed it away it should still be there.
You have made an excellent choice in the purchase of your car. The 240 series produced by volvo can be said to be the best car ever to come out of volvo's factories. My family is still using my late father's 1983 model 240 - carburetted. It's got over 500,000.00 km on it. A very reliable car that you can take on long trips without fear of being stranded by the roadside! I have driven this car non-stop for about 7 hours and ended the journey with no backache, no overheating and no problems whatsoever.
Had an accident once. Rear ended by an old Datsun 120Y. Came away with only some scratches on the bumper. The other car was totalled and had to be towed away. The 240 is the ultimate car for safety and comfort. Enjoy your ride!
R.Yogananthan, Malaysia
ryogananthan@yahoo.com.
"When you take a sharp curve in this 4000lb sedan it feel like you are driving an expensive sports car"
Oh please, come on.
It actually weight right around 3000 where did you get 4000 from?
I bought my 1988 240DL with 30K miles in 1990. I now have 197,000 miles. Great car! 24 mpg on highway, and 21 in the city. It's been the most dependable car I've ever owned. I was rear-ended by an SUV about 5 years ago. After considerable repairs to the trunk and rear of my car, it's still been very dependable. I've only had to charge the AC three times that I can think of. As you might expect, I had to replace some plastic parts on the interior... map pockets, dome light, but nothing major to date. Faithful preventative maintenance is the key to longevity!
Our 1992 Volvo 240 wagon is a trusty old battleship. We bought it new in June of '92. It handles fine -- but not like a sports car -- and it goes through snow (with snow tires only -- it's lousy without them) very well. Little has ever gone wrong with it (last real repair was a new air-co compressor 3 years ago). At 205,000 miles it still looks good, starts easily even in below-zero F. temps., and I don't hesitate to take it on long trips. The driver's seat is worn out, but we're going to have new foam and new upholstery put on. If they still built 240s, we'd buy another in a heartbeat. This type of long-haul reliability makes it the ultimate economy car.
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