Some of the problems above seem to be due to poor maintenance.
But for design problems the Volvo 242 was the worst car I ever owned.
The air filter was tucked so far under the body alongside the radiator and there was a steel tube sticking up the middle of it. You couldn't replace the filter without folding the new one up and wiggling it in sideways.
The water pump was in the normal place bolted onto the front of the engine but the inlet and outlet were on the top where there were no bolts to close the seals. So you had to apply loads of sealant to the o rings and partly tighten the bolts while levering the pump upwards through one of the bolt holes.
The power steering cylinder always leaked. That is because the seals were made the same size as the rack so when you assembled it the rack tore up the new seals. So they sold a very expensive special tool which even the dealer didn't have.
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sj