Volvo 240DL
The Volvo 240DL pictured here was a loyal partner for nearly a decade--a period of time in which the Volvo covered more than 200,000 miles, took part in two cross-continental moves, transported us and our friends to countless enjoyable endeavors, and generally became an omnipresent part of our lives. It was my wife's first car, and endured as our primary vehicle even as more modern replacements came and went.
With more than 350,000 miles on it when we sold it, our 240 lived up to the line's reputation for ground-breaking durability. The build quality was high, the construction was tank-like, and it took every beating we handed out.
So, given all that, I'm a little ashamed that I never really warmed up to the Volvo and wasn't all that sorry when we eventually sold it. I can't avoid the feeling that I've failed some fundamental personality test. So, if I could just vent a bit ...
- While our Volvo was incredibly durable, it wasn't necessarily all that reliable. I'd believe that car could drive for another few decades if maintained properly, and probably survive a near-proximity nuclear explosion. But it also cost us a ton of money to maintain and left us stranded more than once when its components gave up.
- Its burgandy paint, never particularly attractive, didn't stand up very well the pollution, heat, and humidity during the six years we lived in North Carolina. After one summer, the shine mellowed rapidly into an ashy, coagulated mess.
- Various components in the engine compartment were just loose enough to vibrate, meaning that they resonated at a variety of frequencies as the engine revved up and down. This gave the drivetrain the aural polish of a two-stroke motor.
- The car made up for that lapse of refinement with an almost utter lack of power. Brand-new, the four-cylinder engine pumped out 114 horsepower. After more than 300,000 miles of abuse, I'd be surprised if it generated anything close to that lofty figure. This, when powering a two-ton steel safety cage, resulted in a car able to drive out of a paper bag only if that bag is properly moistened.
- The most disconcerting effect of this power shortfall was its inability to hold its speed when climbing hills of even moderate grade. Even full throttle, a downshift, and an energetically squeezed steering wheel wouldn't keep hills from slowly sapping the Volvo of its forward progress. The Gran Turismo 4 racing game has a Volvo 240 Wagon in its comprehensive vehicle selection; but even that virtual 240 couldn't hold its speed when racing full-throttle along the uphill backstretch at Laguna Secar Raceway. Now that's realism.
- The transmission functioned primarily as an expensive transmission-fluid-to-nature distribution system. As soon as we sealed a leak, another would pop.
- Some guilty party--we blamed my brother-in-law's high-school friends--took the opportunity to break just about every plastic interior piece, giving the interior a warmth and atmosphere reminiscent of a supermarket in a paticularly rough part of Moscow.
- The air conditioner didn't actually cool air, but it made up for that fact by functioning as a highly efficient engine-overheating device. Of course, once the engine began to overheat, we'd have to turn on the heater full-blast to draw the hot air away from the engine.
- The Volvo didn't come with cupholders, so my wife's grandfather built a handbuilt cupholder that sat in the center console. It was a beautiful piece of work, but unfortunately it sat right on top of the toggle switches that activate the seat heaters. This meant that, depending on how the cupholder was sitting, the seat heaters were switched unobtrusively on much of the time.
- The non-functional air conditioning, usually-on seat heaters, and North Carolina heat and humidity turned that car into a sauna. Those poor front seats absorbed untold gallons of sweat. The Volvo was, hands down, the hottest car I've ever driven.
- Some low-life decided to break a window (worth a significant percentage of the worth of the entire car) to steal the $30 CD player in the dash. I don't agree with stealing expensive stereos out of luxury cars, but at least I can understand the motivation. But stealing a worthless CD player out of our worthless car ... that's a cry for help.
The Volvo's most damning crime in my eyes was that it just wasn't particularly interesting. It wasn't quirky or a great performer. It wasn't pretty or ugly enough to be interesting. It was just there and drove us around--albeit in a sweaty and slow fashion, trailing transmission fluid the whole way.
I do owe the Volvo for one thing, though. I was once pulled over for speeding in the Volvo, but the troooper let me go once he got a good look at my car. Based on the pitying look on his face, he probably didn't think my car was capable of speeding.
The top picture is the Volvo just before we sold it; the second is an early picture of the Volvo when its finish was still somewhat intact. The third picture is the forlorn hole left when the CD player was stolen.
--Chris H.
Mochi Mochi on March 21, 2008 at 02:58 PM
I drove a 79 Volvo 4dr white station wagon all over Scandinavia, then put it on a ferry to Rostock, in the former East Germany. Five people and a car loaded with camping gear in the back and on the roof. The East German boarder guards did not find it an amusing sight. They made us strip every out of the car and went over it with fine tooth comb - not once but twice. The experience of being eaten by dog sized Norwegian fjord mosquitos, and sleeping in tents whose water proofing was destroyed by mosquito repellant was priceless. The experience of trying to get through the iron curtain and find West Berlin was amazing and spooky. A wonderful life changing expedition, but...
I have never missed that Volvo. It was fine. It was good. It did it's job. It carried a huge load comfortably. It got us there and back. And it didn't complain when I got it hung up on a rock and had to pry it off using a nearby sign post as a lever. It was ergonomically well designed with simple nice controls. All of these things were good, but it was kind of boring I'm sorry to say. It had a miniscule turning radius, but it constantly felt like it was going to roll over. I remember the horror that I and everyone in the car felt when a sudden shift of direction was required. Load did not seem to be the issue. The car handled like a pig all the time - fully loaded or empty. It was just a big vague sloppy eraser. Like something you'd use in elementary school, trying to rub away the pencil graphite, but just making a big mess of the paper. I truly appreciate and honor this car for all it did. But man that trip would have been better with a car that could handle.
I applaud your strength for speaking out. It takes a lot of guts to speak out publicly about the down side of Volvos. I've taken a lot of arrows and had more than a few dagger-like stares from Volvo owners who were appalled at my dislike for the car. They treated me like I had killed a baby seal, or committed some horrible crime. But the truth has to be told.
Anthony Cagle on March 21, 2008 at 03:21 PM
"The most disconcerting effect of this power shortfall was its inability to hold its speed when climbing hills of even moderate grade."
I know what you mean. My aforementioned Buick Century with the 231 V6 was similar. Once I was driving back from Idaho across eastern Washington and once I hit the prairies for some reason I could just not get it to go over about 57 mph. Floored. I was afraid there was something wrong with the engine. It's losing power! How much is that going to cost me!?
Turned out there was just a very stiff headwind.
Anthony Cagle on March 21, 2008 at 03:21 PM
"The most disconcerting effect of this power shortfall was its inability to hold its speed when climbing hills of even moderate grade."
I know what you mean. My aforementioned Buick Century with the 231 V6 was similar. Once I was driving back from Idaho across eastern Washington and once I hit the prairies for some reason I could just not get it to go over about 57 mph. Floored. I was afraid there was something wrong with the engine. It's losing power! How much is that going to cost me!?
Turned out there was just a very stiff headwind.
Steaming Pile on March 21, 2008 at 03:31 PM
You forgot absolutely mediocre fuel economy. I had a 1980 Volvo 240 once, and it had the worst gas mileage of any four-cylinder car I had ever driven. 17 MPG when I was really being careful. Of course, what did I expect from a car that heavy being pulled around with great protest by a 70s vintage four-banger smaller than the one in my '99 Accord? It was a miracle that the car even moved.
Total on March 22, 2008 at 09:03 AM
"ground-breaking durability"
Um, what part of the car actually demonstrated this durability?
Gannymede on March 23, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Worst car we EVER owned. Basically a 1952 Dodge - I know, because I learned to drive in a '52 Dodge - but not up to Dodge quality. Electrical (overdrive, etc) problems, EGR problems, cooling problems, front-end problems, sound system awful, heavy and inefficient and expensive to fix.
Worst of all, an absolute deathtrap in ANY amount of snow, unable to hold the road in a dusting, and generally uncontrollable. One son totalled the thing by Blue Book, and while waiting for insurance adjustor, it was driven two miles, front end fell out and it was effectively totalled again.
It was taken away on a flatbed, and I was never so happy to see a little tailpipe moving down the driveway and out of my life.
Gannymede on March 23, 2008 at 12:36 PM
PS:
In re Moichi's comment. The 240 was routinely given a BEST BUY by Comsumer Reports (all years) in spite of having dismal repair records and atrocious performance. I suspect the accident incidence and safety figures for these cars had much to do with the fact that they were hardly ever on the open road.
PersonFromPorlock on March 23, 2008 at 12:38 PM
You missed out on one more Volvo shortcoming, living in the South: after Subarus, Volvos were the worst rust-buckets on the road (I owned two in the Northeast). And the gas milage *was* lousy, just as Steaming Pile says.
PersonFromPorlock on March 23, 2008 at 12:40 PM
You missed out on one more Volvo shortcoming, living in the South: after Subarus, Volvos were the worst rust-buckets on the road (I owned two in the Northeast). And the gas milage *was* lousy, just as Steaming Pile says.
Flash Gordon on March 23, 2008 at 02:21 PM
My 1986 Volvo 240 DL with over 300K on the odometer will cruise at 90 effortlessly and smoothly on the interstate. It's not a rocket off the line, but traffic in general is not either. It has plenty of speed in all sorts of traffic. Gets over 20 mph in town, and up to 30 on the highway. I almost never get less than 27 on the highway, and can even get over 30 if there with a tail wind.
I don't understand the comments here about bad gas mileage. You're doing something wrong, or you have done something awful to your car at some time in the past, or you've had a bad mechanic work on it, or something.
Flash Gordon on March 23, 2008 at 02:28 PM
I forgot something, You won't believe this, but my 86 Volvo 240 DL with over 300K on the odometer still has its original clutch. Volvo's of that vintage are somewhat known for needing clutch replacement every 50,000 miles or so.
I don't know why my experience is so much better than the other commenters here. Maybe it is because I bought it new in 1986 and have put all the miles on it myself. Or perhaps, it is because I am an unlikely Volvo owner. I'm not a liberal and I don't know any college professors. I even own a gun.
Lost My Cookies on March 23, 2008 at 02:37 PM
I drove an 89 through the first 12 years of my marriage and found it to be pretty reliable if I maintained it. The only thing I couldn't keep going was the A/C. I had to recharge that every other year. The radio sucked, but the car drove and drove. I had a 120 mile round trip commute and it pulled 80 up and down I-65 day in and out for years. I sold it a year and a half ago for almost as much as I bought it for. I suspect, as with any car, there's good ones and bad ones. Mine was a good one.
ManekiNeko on March 23, 2008 at 03:57 PM
I was rear-ended by a fully loaded cement truck in a 240 wagon. it was thrown 10 feet forward.
Not only was I not hurt, I was able to drive the car away, and the insurance company had it rebuilt.
It was a no-fault state.
The comments about the A/C are correct, especially with a darker color car. Repainting a dark
car a light color made a huge difference. However, nothing could fix the design that placed the
cooling heat exchanger next to the hot water coils so that the A/C air had to heat the hot water
before blowing cool air. I don't think Volvo engineers in that era could even imagine a place
that got hotter than 90F. I had to switch to a 740 when I moved to Phoenix.
Mike in NY on March 24, 2008 at 02:51 AM
We (meaning my mom) had the 240DL Station Wagon. God was it slow, especially on the "Cut", a steep piece of the TransCanada Hwy in North Vancouver - we had to take a huge run to make it up at any sort of respectable velocity. On the upside, my mom survived two very nasty accidents, one of which would have very likely killed her in a lesser car (T-Boned by a Toyota - the Toyota was a write-off, the Volvo lived to drive for another 4 years) and another which would have resulted in major injury if not for the solidity of the Volvo.
The Volvo was the first car I was allowed to drive - not a very cool car, but it got the job done. We always joked that having the speedometer go up to 200kph was a cruel joke, since even if you pushed it out of a C-130 at 30,000 feet, its sheer boxiness would result in a terminal velocity below that number.
Chris Hafner on March 24, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Total: "Um, what part of the car actually demonstrated this durability?"
Well, I think that's the difference between reliability and durability. The car was in no way reliable. But I'd believe that human civilization could die off, cockroaches could take over the world, and that Volvo would still be sitting there, basically mechanically sound. Of course once the next generation of sentient beings arrive and try to drive the Volvo, they would need to start replacing components again.
Chris Hafner on March 24, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Flash Gordon: "I don't know why my experience is so much better than the other commenters here. Maybe it is because I bought it new in 1986 and have put all the miles on it myself. Or perhaps, it is because I am an unlikely Volvo owner. I'm not a liberal and I don't know any college professors. I even own a gun."
I'm guessing it's probably the gun. Nothing motivates a car better than the threat of a .44 caliber slug through the fender.
Chris Hafner on March 24, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Mike in NY: "We always joked that having the speedometer go up to 200kph was a cruel joke, since even if you pushed it out of a C-130 at 30,000 feet, its sheer boxiness would result in a terminal velocity below that number."
That's a great line.
Chris Hafner on March 24, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Mochi Mochi: "I applaud your strength for speaking out. It takes a lot of guts to speak out publicly about the down side of Volvos."
You don't know the half of it - if I'm really unfortunate, my wife will read my comments about her beloved Volvo. *That* could get ugly.
Some Guy on March 25, 2008 at 10:43 PM
I've got an 87. I am going to get rid of it, but only for need of a 4 wheel drive out where I live.
I don't think it really takes courage to speak out against the volvo 240. Even volvo lovers admit to its many shortcomings. As for me, mine has tolerated being absolutely driven into the ground quite well. When I once bothered to maintain it it was a fantastic car, since I don't care if I'm going fast. The gas mileage comments are odd. I regularly get 27 mpg even in the shoddy state the car is in. I have a manual trans, of course, but if you're expecting to get good gas mileage out of an 80s car that is built like this one then you'd better not be driving an automatic. It's ridiculous to expect good figures if you are.
As for reliability, I've at least found that it is not prone to stranding me. Only once did I come close when the hose from the coolant reservoir started gushing, but it was a simple matter to cut the end off and reattach it. Basically, anyone who is somewhat mechanically inclined should have an immensely easy time working on this car. Plenty of room under the hood and everything is really quite simple (with the exception of the electrical system--my biggest gripe). As for creature comforts, it doesn't have many. Anyone who is interested in this type of car shouldn't expect any. No cup holders? Never bothered me. I have better things to do, like drive. Although I do enjoy a coffee every rare now and then on the road, and most cups seem to fit perfectly in that tray on the door, if you're willing to extend your hand twelve inches to grab it.
Bottom line is that this is a no-frills car. It has an outstanding safety record and is just dang simple. With a manual, it gets tolerable gas mileage. With a little bit of very simple maintenance, it will probably never strand you. If you want to go fast and look cool, it's probably not for you.
And by the way, I've had absolutely no rust problems with the car. If I remember correctly, much of the car is galvanized. I can't think of one spot on the car where I have even noticed any substantial rust. It's got over 300k on it and goes all over the northwest. Holds a good 35 mph up the steepest hills I can think of having driven up. So yeah, I think it's a pretty good car. Nothing fancy nor is it meant to be.
Rob the SVX guy on March 27, 2008 at 02:01 PM
So the places where you drive were uninhabited before the popularity of AWD cars in the 90s? Sorry. Not very many people NEED 4wd. My subie is AWD and I kinda hate it actually. It kills my MPG and performance.
Bailey on April 27, 2008 at 11:02 PM
I've got an '88 240 Wagon and it's great. With routine maintenance and a couple of upgrades, it's turned into a great car for me. I get good gas mileage (25-30mpg) and it's reasonably fast.
In the two years I've owned it, I've had two problems:
First, the fuel pump relay went out and I didn't have a spare...easy fix though once I got the part.
Second, the alternator went out, pretty rare, but I was able to get the part for $50.
It handles beautifully for me, I put Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks and struts on it...and plan on putting larger, IPD anti-sway bars on it.
Hills, not too bad, sure I have to downshift to get up them at speed, but other cars are the same, but I can climb the Ryegrass grade on I90 near the Columbia River in WA at 70mph and I just have to drop it into 4th.
It hauls a lot of cargo, looks good, seats 4 adults comfortably, though the back seat is more comfortable than the front...*(what gives?)
Okay...the stock stereo does suck, but what car, made in the 80's had a good stereo? With a little work, you can put some 6x9s in the back door and viola, sounds great.
My Air Conditioner doesnt work, but so what, I don't use it and it doesn't kill my MPGs, rob power, or overheat engine. Of course I live in Eastern Washington state and the heat is only obscene for a few months, at which point I can gloriously roll down the windows.
It totally makes up for lack of AC by totally owning the snow. Record snowfall and I didn't get stuck once...not even on the unplowed roads of the south hill. (6" deep)
Just had studded snow tires on it. (heat works great too)
I did, however, push a Honda Odyssey, Ford Explorer, Toyota Tercel, and a GMC Sonoma...though to be fair, none had snow tires and the Ford got stuck for sheer stupidity.
All in all, the car takes the abuse I hand out to it gloriously, performs well, is comfortable, and looks good. Simple updates, wheels, suspension, tune ups, paint, taillight assemblies, stereo...
To each their own.
(See URL for photos of my beautiful ride)
Marilyn on June 14, 2008 at 10:10 AM
I currently have my son's 1987 Volvo 240. He "loaned" it to me and took my car when he got a job in Fort Worth, TX and ended up commuting 40 miles every day. It's all about the air conditioner...
I have no idea how many miles it has on it, as the odometer broke at 135,000 7 or 8 years ago. My son commuted to community college in it for a year and then was back and forth (quite often) between home and a university 200 miles away. Except for the A/C, it's still running great and gets better gas mileage than my 2004 Chrysler... The trick is to find a decent mechanic. We did, after someone else really screwed up a tune-up.... It will soon be retired for a new car, but it got him through 5 years of college with barely a problem, and by the time we bought it, it had an estimated 200,00 miles on it... Probably at least 300,000 by now. Yeah, I really NEED a cupholder, and I'm just too used to power door and window locks and A/C, but it's a great little car...We'll miss it when it's gone... I'm amazed at how many of these little cars I still see on the road. They really were awesome. The paint is still good (it's white) but the previous owner waxed it frequently and kept it in a garage with a quilt over it when she wasn't driving it. (No, it wasn't a little old lady who only drove to church on Sunday--she put at least 150,000 miles on it herself...)
Chaotic Symphony on July 05, 2008 at 04:39 PM
Well folks, i just bought a fairly well maintained 84 240 for the incredible price of $300, and i LOVE this car! I'm a hot-rodder at heart, and hot rod this car ain't! But, it is fun if you enter into it with the right frame of mind. I cleaned it up (to which it responded relatively well, i'll say), the paint's a little worse for the well from the years of those Satan-designed automatic carwashes, but without even waxing it, it still made for a decent 20-foot car (it's silver, so the scratches from the brushes don't seem to show too badly), and it's got all the chrome wheel trim, which after polishing with simichrome looks amazing! The stereo did suck, as many have alluded to, but a simple Sony cd player with two 3-way 6" speakers in the doors, and 2 6x9s in the back with boxes under the package tray made a ginormous difference in the sound inside! as for sound OUTSIDE...(you gotta remember, I'm a hot-rodder...and any Volvo purists are gonna groan here...) i promptly cut out the TWO anemic sounding factory mufflers and replaced one with a section of straight pipe, the other received a Cherry Bomb straight-thru glasspack! (big evil grin appears on face here). While the thing ain't exactly gonna strike fear into the hearts of mortal men, I kinda like the pseudo-throaty exhaust note. One other thing i did to really p!$$ of the purists is I *gasp* lowered the car by about 3 inches in the front, and brought about an inch and a half outta the already sagging rear springs. it gave the car a more aggressive(?) look, but it sits level, so it gets a lot of double-takes...kinda like 'is that thing lowered??' anyway, it's not a hot rod, or even what i woulda chosen if i had my choice, but the price was EXCELLENT, it's a great running car, it's not bad looking at all, it's actually fun to drive (if you're not too stuffy or serious about the fact that you're driving a brick with wheels)and it's been fairly well taken care of. i've had the car for a short while, and I'm so impressed with it that I've decided (and told them) that my two girls who are VERY close to driving age will both receive their own 240s for their 16th birthdays (unless i find another 240 or possibly an earlier 140(?) that i like more...in which case, one of the girls will inherit Gertie...) So, the input of another atypical Volvoian is that if you find one that hasn't had the shnot beaten out of it, these are GREAT little cars, and can even be...FUN?!?!?!!!!
TBA on July 06, 2008 at 03:15 PM
I just don't get it, I love volvo's they are quirky, comfortable, safe and bulletproof! Even at gas nearing 1.50 a litre I can still afford to drive this swedish tank, mine isn't slow at all and I have never driven a car that feels so solid and safe on the road. I wouldn't trade my volvo for anything, if you treat them right they will look after you get you from point a to b safely over and over and over. Ask any mechanic, the Volvo 240 is easily a 400,000K car, and if well maintained, have been known to make it into the millions, I'd like to see a chevy cavalier do that unnnnnliiiikkely!
Eliott on July 12, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Reliability? Durability? yes to both. A 1966 Volvo P-1800S holds the Guiness world record for the highest mileage car in the world. The car has 1,882,559 miles, recorded in 2001. The owner made a daily commute of 124 miles (201 Km) round trip to work everyday.
My first car was a 1984 Volvo 240 DL we paid $800 for it and ranked up thousands of mile over three years with few problems. It was T-Boned on the drivers side by a brand new Jeep. The Jeep's plastic grill, bumper and headlights were compleately shattered. My Volvo saved me from any serious injuries, the car sustained minor damage. However it was sold as scrap for $100. I currently own a 1989 Volvo 240 DL.