AI Damage1988 Volvo 740: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Volvo 740 filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 38% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (38% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 4 complaints (25% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (6% 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
- 2.3 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 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.
Driving vehicle at a speed of 50mph, vehicle stalled without warning, resulting in an accident, impact 6:00 position.
I turned the ignition key and the driver's airbag deployed, striking me in the face and chest, knocking me unconscious and damaging my right eye and breast and causing chemical burns on my face and neck.
The deployment momentarily knocked the consumer unconscious. The air bag slammed into the right side of the consumer's face and left breast. The consumer sustained a bloody nose and eye, chemical burns and immediate swelling of her face. The consumer has also sustained 20% loss of vision in her right eye.
Vehicle was parked for over two hours smoke was noticed coming from hood area. Fire department came, opened the hood, and it bursted into flames. It may have been caused by a short circut of the wire harness. Volvo has not been contacted.
Battery cables failed prior to recall notice resulting in and engine fire causing the consumer to recieve burns to the arm and wrist while extinguishing the fire.
Winshield washers failed, affecting visibility. Also cruise control failure.
While driving vehicle into garagevehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. Owner turned off vehicle and vehicle started to smoke. Cause unknown.
While driving, supplemental restraining system light came on. Please describe.
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 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 740 has 14 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 16, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- 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 1988 Volvo 740?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, fuel system. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (38%), knocking, grinding or other noise (13%), stalls while driving (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 Volvo 740?
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 740 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.