Hello everyone.

Just bought my first Volvo wagon with low miles for it's age. I understand these cars are real workhorses, but this one has 90k miles. Are there any typical failures at this mileage point that one could expect?

The rear license plate lights and center brake light have already fizzled out and the passenger window switch on the driver's door arm rest works intermittently but MOST of the other systems seem to work.

Thanks!

 

You can expect another 200K miles outta it!!, other than routine maint. you should be in great shape. All 3 of my 240s have over 280K on them, and still pulling strong. just keep up regular maint. and you should be good to go. I have herd of people having rear caliper issues around 100K, I havent had any problems with mine. i would just keep a eye and ear out for anything seeming to need attention and take care of it and your 240 will last ya quite awhile.

 

The expensive MAF might go soon if the intake box temperature sensor is no good sending hot air into the engine all the time.

 

They are very reliable and simple to work on. The key is to be on top of maintenance, change fluids when they are recommended to be changed, perform tune ups, clean flame trap, change air filter and check under the hood periodically to spot any problems ahead of time and check fluid levels. You might have things go bad like the water pump, radiator, thermostat, an engine seal, hoses, and/or bushings but that is quite common with any car and some would consider that maintenance as well.

 

Expect your odometer to go out in the near future, unless it has already been fixed, in which case the mileage is not correct. The good news is that it's a relatively cheap/easy fix.

Re your license plate/center brake light problem, check the wires that run through the tailgate hinges on both sides. When the tailgate is closed you may notice that they are broken on one or both sides. This is an uncommonly bad design that was corrected on 740 models. If/when you find it necessary to replace these harnesses, I strongly recommend not running the wires through the hinges again; instead, run them directly to the tailgate. You may find the following helpful: Tailgate Wiring Harness

 

Expect muffler work. EVERY volvo my family has ever had pre 1995 has had catastrophic muffler issues.

 

Mufflers and tail pipes every 2 years if you live in cold climates with salted roads, FLAME TRAP a must to maintain or else oil will leak everywhere, expect left brake light problems, the heater blower to die whenever and too costly to replace by mechanic, regular auto replacement items (altenator, water pump etc) as in all cars but best thing to expect at least 300,000 plus miles!

 

This guy knows what hes talking about.

 

...to you all for your responses. Your information is quite valuable, keep them coming. I check the forum everyday for new first hand info.

 

take a look at this:
Common Issues With The Volvo 240 - Volvo Forum : Volvo Forums