Menu

Volvo 242Years to avoid, problems & recalls

NHTSA has 1 owner complaint and 10 safety recalls on record for the Volvo 242.

Years to avoidNoneBased on weighted complaintsBest years—Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints1Top: SuspensionSafety recalls101975–1983 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.

Best & worst years

Volvo 242 years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 242 median. Tap a year for its full report.

'75'76'77'78'83
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1983Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1978Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1977Not rated–/1000 complaints · 2 recalls1976Not rated–/1000 complaints · 5 recalls1975Not rated–/1000 complaints · 9 recalls
Complaints by system

Most common Volvo 242 problems

All model years combined: 1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Suspension10
10 recalls

Volvo 242 recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

–Storage: tank assembly79V-132 · 1975 · May 30, 1979 · 121,000 vehicles–Storage: tank assembly79V-048 · 1975–1977 · Feb 13, 1979 · 61,000 vehicles–Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap79V-028 · 1975–1976 · Jan 18, 1979 · 57,000 vehicles–Axle assembly: axle shaft78V-062 · 1977–1978 · Mar 24, 1978 · 28,000 vehicles–Vehicle speed control: cables77V-219 · 1975 · Dec 14, 1977 · 40,000 vehicles–Rack and pinion: rack76V-107 · 1975–1976 · Jul 15, 1976 · 56,820 vehicles–Control arm: lower ball joint76V-106 · 1975–1976 · Jul 15, 1976 · 56,820 vehicles–Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap76V-069 · 1975–1976 · May 5, 1976 · 67,633 vehicles–Doors: latch75V-073 · 1975 · May 5, 1975 · 4,000 vehicles–Steering: steering wheel/handle bar74V-246 · 1975 · Dec 26, 1974 · 10,000 vehicles