What breaks most · 1990 to 1994 model years
Volvo 240 problems by year
Owners have filed 75 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volvo 240 across model years 1990 to 1994. Three years stand out: 1992 for air bags complaints, 1990 for electrical system complaints and 1991 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 1992, 1990, 1991
- Complaints on file
- 751990 to 1994, all trims
- Worst year
- 199222 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 233 fires · 14 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 129kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 5 | 0 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 17 | 7 | 0 | Air bags (7) | |
| 22 | 7 | 0 | Air bags (6) | |
| 14 | 4 | 0 | Air bags (4) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 1992 Volvo 240
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 27% |
6 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 18% |
4 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1992 Volvo 240 |
| Tires | 14% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1992 Volvo 240 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 9% |
2 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1992 Volvo 240 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1992 Volvo 240 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1992 Volvo 240 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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While driving on highway at low speeds vehicle disengages from 4th gear, cause unknown. Please give any further details. *ak
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Consumer stated that when trying to reverse and without warning vehicle accelerated, causing an accident. Dealer notified. *ak
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Car was in driveway warming up prior to driving for school. 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. *nm
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volvo 240 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1992, 1990, 1991 carry the most filings on the Volvo 240. The 1992 alone has 22 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Volvo 240 problem?
On the 1992 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volvo 240 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volvo 240 complaints that include mileage is about 129,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.