Volvo2401992Overview/volvo/240/1992/base/

1992 Volvo 240

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 240.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1992 Volvo 240 is a passenger car built on a legacy platform, equipped with a fuel-efficient automatic 4-speed transmission that delivers EPA-estimated fuel economy of 18/23/20 mpg across city/highway/combined driving cycles. Maintaining the straightforward engineering philosophy of its predecessors, the vehicle requires approximately 4.0 quarts of engine oil within a flexible viscosity range of 15W-40, 10W-30, or 5W-30 API-certified grades. In terms of owner satisfaction across the model's extended production run from 1990 to 1994, the 1992 model falls between the peak complaint year of 1990 (21 complaints) and the post-production low of 1994 (2 complaints), suggesting a gradual refinement in build quality and reliability as the platform matured, with only one documented recall during this period and Air Bags emerging as the primary complaint category.

Model year1993199219911990

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/23/20 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.6 in
Overall width67.3 in
Overall height57.5 in
Wheelbase104.3 in
Curb weight2954 lb

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 23 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume90 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.0 qt of 15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, GL-5 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilGL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.4 Pints, non_mvc
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil15W-40 · API · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 10,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 10,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Clutch Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft U-Joint (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 20,000 miBattery (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Driveshaft Support Bearing (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · EGR Valve (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 50,000 miTiming Belt (replace)
At 60,000 miEGR System (inspect) · EGR Valve (inspect)
Every 60,000 miFuel Filter (replace) · PCV System (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1992 Volvo 240 sits in a steeply improving federal-record arc: complaints fell from 21 in 1990 to 17 in 1991 and just 2 by 1994, while TSBs dropped from 64 to 64 to 10 across the same span, with zero recalls recorded in any year. The 1992 model's leading complaint category was Air Bags with seven reports, followed by Tires, Power Train, and Electrical System at three each; the data does not specify root causes for these issues. Crash complaints totaled eight for 1992 with no fire complaints reported. Investigations declined from one in 1990 to two in 1991 and none by 1994, suggesting regulatory attention was also waning. Positioned between the higher-complaint early years and the very clean 1994 outcome, the 1992 likely reflects the generation's improving reliability trajectory but carries a notable Air Bag complaint concentration. This is a reasonable year to buy if the air bag system has been verified functional, though the downward trend makes later models statistically cleaner.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
65
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
28
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 28 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags7
Tires3
Power Train3
Electrical System3
Engine & Engine Cooling,Vehicle Speed Control2
Visibility2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
Fuel System, Gasoline1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 65 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
356EN012022-02-09EquipmentVIDA QR Scanner Mobile App
Service Manager2022-02-03Electrical SystemShipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery…
ST-001-2020-09-12020-09-18EquipmentMandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians…
ST-001-2020-06-22020-07-02Equipment Adaptive/MobilityMandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians…
ST-001-2020-01-22020-01-30EquipmentMandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific 240. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1992 240 take?

4.0 qt of ABOVE 0 degrees F: 15W-40 API, -14 degrees F TO 104 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 68 degrees F: 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1992 240 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 240 get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 23 highway / 20 combined mpg.