AI Damage1991 Volvo 240: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Volvo 240 filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 41% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 24% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 7 complaints (41% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (24% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (12% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 17 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 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 just saw on the news about seats falling back during accident when I was hit by a tractor-trailer in 2002 two volvo 240 my seat went all the way back like the news showed luckily no one was in the rear seat
When pulling into parking space, at 5 mph, applied brakes and they went to the floor, hit a concrete wall, airbag deployed. Vehicle was totalled. Dealer not aware of problem. Rear brake pads and rotors have been replace several times during life of vehicle.
Could not blow the horn due to the location, deployment of the airbag from the same place that operated the horn.
Consumer was driving down the road and another car was pulling out of the driveway, to avoid hitting the other car, vehicle hit a pole and the driver's side air bag didn't deploy .
After about 5 to 10 minutes dash caught fire and flames were coming for heater vents. Used a garden hose to extinguish fire and fire department was called. Dash and interior was damaged buy smoke, water and fire.
There was also a chemical burning smell inside the vehicle. The srs light illuminated intermittently.
Throttle cable freezes up causing consumer to use excessive physical effort to engage accelerator pedal.
Power train transmission, parking pawl inter locking, can take key out ignition switch in drive.
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 8,820 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 240 has 9 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 17, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Volvo 240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (12%), smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), airbag warning light (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 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 1991 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 1991 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.