AI Damage1992 Volvo 240: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Volvo 240 filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 27% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 14% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 6 complaints (27% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (9% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (9% 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 22 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 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
Consumer was in an accident 12/26/95 and the air bag didn't deploy. Please describe. Tt
Involved in a frontal collision and the drivers side airbag did not deploy. Please describe. Tt
Consumer was driving and the tie rod broke causing an accident . Tt
In 12:00 position at 30mph had accident and drivers side airbag did not deploy.due to design of sensor location. Tt
Tl* the contact owns a 1992 volvo 240 equipped with yokohama avid touring s tires, size: 185/70r14 (na). While depressing the brake pedal at approximately 20 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The contact discovered that all four tires were deflated and the sidewalls of the tires were fractured.
Tl* the contact owns a 1992 volvo 240. The contact stated that he purchased a plastic fuel line (part number: 3547865) but the component failed. The dealer was notified of the failure advised that he contact the manufacturer.
Consumer states while sitting the car will accelerate without warning. Consumer stated that during the first incident, the vehicle climbed over the parking lot bumper resulting in damage to left lower control arm, left lower ball joint, stabilizer bar and both stabilizer links.
Transmission/parking brake are defective. When consumer is in vehicle there is a reminder of vehicle's safety. Dealership is aware of problem.*akconsumer states that the gear shift safety interlock cable is defective causing the key to be removed from the ignition switch without putting the transmission gear lever in…
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 7,904 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 240 has 9 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 22, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Volvo 240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, tires. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (18%), stalls while driving (9%), rollaway, parking brake (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 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 1992 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 1992 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.