AI Damage1988 Volvo 240: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Volvo 240 filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 20% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 4 Equipment 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- Tires: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I had my seat belt on but I was thrown forward and my head hit the windshield and my head left a swell in the windshield, like a lump or dent, and the glass was shattered somewhat but all still intact.
When shifted into reverse, car suddenly accelerated into neighbor's driveway, into their garage, causing vehicle and property damage. When shifted into drive, vehicle again accelerated uncontrollably back into our home's garage, hitting our second vehicle.
Tl contact owns a 1988 volvo 240. The vehicle has goodyear integrity, size 175/70r13 tires. Six months after purchasing new tires, they deflated. The contact returned to where she purchased the tires to have them inflated. The tires were rotated and inflated again five days later. There were no recalls on the tires.
The contact was driving at 45 mph under dry conditions when he smelled smoke. The contact then pulled over an looked under the hood and saw oil leaking on the exhaust system. The vehicle was towed to his home where he found that the rear camshaft seal had failed.
While traveling right rear (marshall) tire experience tread separation, consumer has tried contacting manufacturer but has received no response. Tire size p185/70r14, dot number h20pyp15367.
When the car is cool and the brakes are applied the vehicle makes a loud howling noise. Dealer has not seen.
Transmission: vehicle gets stuck in neutral position and will not shift to another position. Does not happen all the time, it is an intermittent problem. Dealer has adjusted the clutch and they can't find anything wrong with it.
When placing automatic transmission into reverse vehicle surge into reverse at high speed. Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 240 has 9 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 10, about average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Volvo 240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (10%), oil leak or consumption (10%), seat belts (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 Volvo 240?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1988 Volvo 240 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1988 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.