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#BS-1986-VOL240-6408

1986 Volvo 240

Based on reports from 29 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Recalls

TSBs

🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 29 complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, and 1 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.7x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Electrical System:wiring:front UnderhoodHIGH

3 owners reported electrical system:wiring:front underhood issues — failures commonly reported around 155K miles.

!Inspect the Speed ControlMED

Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure

+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood (3 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood3 (10%)

Speed Control2 (7%)

Drivetrain2 (7%)

Exterior Lighting:tail Lights2 (7%)

Lights2 (7%)

Seats1 (3%)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages1 (3%)

Structure:body1 (3%)

1986 Volvo 240: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood Issues

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1986 Volvo 240, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 155,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 155K-mile mark.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1986 Volvo 240, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1986 Volvo 240, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Exterior Lighting:tail Lights Issues

Exterior Lighting:tail Lights complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1986 Volvo 240, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to exterior lighting:tail lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1986 Volvo 240. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (1 recall)

86V129000Oct 1986

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

IN THE EVENT OF A LOW SPEED FRONTAL IMPACT, ENGINE MOVEMENT COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE CABLE SLEEVE TO BE PULLED OUT OF THE ADJUSTING FITTING AND NOT RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION OR IDLE POSITION. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THIS OCCURS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE SPEED WOULD RESULT, MAKING CAR DIFFICULT TO CONTROL IN A POST COLLISION ENVIRONMENT, WHICH CAN CAUSE MORE SERIOUS DAMAGE AND/OR INJURIES.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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1986 Volvo 240 vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

Class avg

1.7x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 29 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Volvo 240 Model Years

1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975

View all Volvo 240 years →

1986 Volvo 240: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1986 Volvo 240?

The most commonly reported issue with the 1986 Volvo 240 is related to the electrical system:wiring:front underhood, with 3 complaints filed with NHTSA.

Is the 1986 Volvo 240 reliable?

The 1986 Volvo 240 has 29 complaints, 1 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 1.7x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.

How much does it cost to fix 1986 Volvo 240 problems?

Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.

Does the 1986 Volvo 240 have any recalls?

Yes, the 1986 Volvo 240 has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

What mileage do Volvo 240 problems start?

Based on 1 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 155,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.

What’s in the full report?

10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.

How is this different from free NHTSA data?

NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.

How is this different from Carfax?

Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.

What if the report isn’t useful?

100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.