AI Damage1987 Volvo 760: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Volvo 760 filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 25% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 5 Seats 8% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (33% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seats: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 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 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
Drove vehicle at speed 25mph, vehicle went into open throttle position, rpms unknown, impact 12:00 position, in for repair failure unknown.
Driving vehicle, coming out of side street, another vehicle, w/out lights on, appeared, volvo hit vehicle broadside, air bags did not deploy at all.
When putting the car in reverse and the foot on the brake, the car went out of control and hit 4 other cars. Please describe.
[phone]/cara: idler arm stuck causing engine to suddenly accelerate while shifting from park to reverse. Tt
Suspension bushings are rubber and they rot out due to salt and hard driving.
Vehicle would not shut down. Ignition was turned off and key removed.
Driver seat warmer caught fire. Front interior was soon engulfed in flames.
Radiator failed @ highway speed obstructing drivers vision temporary. Please describe details. 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 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 760 has 9 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 12, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Volvo 760?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine and cooling, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (17%), airbags did not deploy (8%), headlights and tail lights (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Volvo 760?
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 1987 Volvo 760 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 1987 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.