Faults:

Firstly the starter motor decided to run with the engine, consequently the starter died after 4 months. I broke down in traffic, I laughed, not many people did.

Top hose on the radiator split today, called out a patrol truck from automobiles association to repair the fault.

Other than that the car has been fine and not given me any other trouble.

General Comments:

I find the Volvo a little thirsty at times, but if you keep the revs when driving under 3,000 I find no problem with the fuel economy.

The power is lacking sometimes especially when pulling away in hot weather, however in rainy conditions the Volvo drives fine.

I find the suspension a little boat-like at times, but its to be expected with a bigger, heavier car. I like the suspension as it is very smooth on uneven road surfaces.

One point though, where are the cup holders?. Everytime I have a drink in the Volvo I'm at a loss as to where to put it so it won't spill.

Other than that I like the Volvo a great deal, I may only be 20 but I would definetly buy another 340 if and when this one decides to put its wheel's into the air hehe.

Faults:

The boot shock absorbers have broken so the boot needs to be propped open with a stick.

Heated seats broke.

General Comments:

A LOT of vibrating at speeds over 65 mph. Top speed of under 100 mph.

Very very quick acceleration 0-60 for such an old car.

Engine hums sweetly.

Seats are very comfortable.

You feel extremely safe inside.

Rear end is prone to tail-sliding especially on damp roads.

Faults:

Boot doesn't stay open.

Boot lock fell out.

Radiator needed replacing.

New clutch.

New radio as the original gave up.

New carb seals as the originals perished.

Heater controls stay on full heat.

General Comments:

A fantastic present from my Grandparents who owned it from new. Despite lots of niggles when I first had it, it has proven to be a very capable and flexible car - albeit 'angular' in design.

Huge load carrying capability - can transport 2 bikes + windsurfer on the roof or a minimal surfboard inside with the front seat flat.

Despite being an insurance write off twice it is still going strong and refuses to give up the ghost. Nothing on the market to rival the 340 in terms of comfort, safety, durability.

Undesirable image allows it to be left without worry of theft.

1.4 engine is same as the Renault 5 GT Turbo (but without the turbo block), tempting to get it modified.

Would be ideal if it had 5th gear for long motorway work, as it can be noisy and heavy on the juice.

Faults:

Periodic carburettor blockages causing rough idling.

The propshaft had to be replaced at 74,000 miles.

General Comments:

Comfortable and generally reliable.

Fuel economy not great as it's a heavy car - but I've had 40mpg on dual carriageways.

Faults:

Had a tendency to stall and cut out when idling, which was indescribably irritating, almost vomit inducing when in stop-start traffic. Having dismantled the carburettor it was found to be a blockage which was preventing the petrol from flowing freely (not bad for such a huge mileage).

Chucked out a lot of black smoke when giving it some welly (which was 99% of the time).

General Comments:

Its main faults were the fact it was driven by a a 1.4 carb engine which generated the bhp fit only for a car weighing as much as a small rodent. Unfortunately, the old Volvo weighed in at about 17 tons which meant performance was by no means a redeeming attribute.

This huge mass of pig iron, powered by such a viciously under-powered engine also led to a pitiful fuel consumption of about 12 MPG around town.

Unfortunately it doesn't end there. Driving in the wet was on occasions, but when you simply want to travel from A-B when it is raining it became quite irritating/life threatening. As it is rear-wheel drive the back end became very tail-happy when you turn into a corner on the gas. As the enormous weight transfer and body-roll is pushed over to one side the back just kicks out and with such a savage lack of power, it is hard to correct. On more than one occasion this happened and on one occasion I span the thing about 240 degrees on a round about.

On the plus side however, it has got a tough old engine that can take a battering and it was good for 112 mph down hill with a tail-wind (although it was delivering about 2.5 mpg at the time).

Oh, and you have to be built like a boxer to park it!