Polestar POLESTAR 2 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
591 owner complaints analyzed
7 distinct recall campaigns
15,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 to 2025 model years. Data snapshot: . 9 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera is the most frequently named component, appearing in 393 of 591 complaints (66.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 29 | 4.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 23 | 3.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 9 | 1.5% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 1.4% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | 393 |
| Unknown Or Other | 67 |
| Electrical System | 65 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 42 |
| Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking | 27 |
| Back Over Prevention: Warnings | 22 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 16 |
| Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection | 12 |
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera: 393; Unknown Or Other: 67; Electrical System: 65; Visibility/Wiper: 42; Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking: 27; Back Over Prevention: Warnings: 22; Fuel/Propulsion System: 16; Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection: 12
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 7 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 582 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 34 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 63 |
| 2025 | 424 |
| 2026 | 60 |
2022: 34; 2023: 10; 2024: 63; 2025: 424; 2026: 60
Pattern summary
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 29 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 23 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 9 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11594930 · 2024-06-17 (June 17, 2024)
Camera constantly lags and glitches in and out when reversing, emergency brakes will activate without warning or any reason to do so.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11594930 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11617798 · 2024-10-03 (October 3, 2024)
I recently started noticing a clicking/tapping noise coming from the rear. It is only when I’m braking under about 20mph. I’ve done some research and it seems other people have had similar issues. It may be caused by the axles in the car but not totally sure.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11617798 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11649390 · 2025-03-20 (March 20, 2025)
Around 50% of the time, the rearview camera video is not available when shifting into reverse.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11649390 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11654446 · 2025-04-14 (April 14, 2025)
Since the latest OVER THE AIR software update (3.3.18) the backup camera fails to work properly when shifted into reverse well over 50% of the time. When the camera fails, I only see a warming message that indicates "camera is temporarily unavailable" The car already has poor rearward visibility, due to a very small rear window and small exterior mirrors.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11654446 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11688975 · 2025-09-22 (September 22, 2025)
Car was stopped, battery died
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11688975 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11735978 · 2026-05-06 (May 6, 2026)
Vehicle Info: 2021 Polestar 2 74,765 mi Software version 5.0.10 About 2 weeks ago, I updated to the newest OTA update 5.0.10, which may be unrelated. 1 week ago, the normal start-up safety procedure flagged the airbag and instructed me to find a service station immediately. I scheduled an appt and I was charged $300 diagnostic fee. It's unclear if the airbags would deploy in a collision based on the fault. The service manager shared with me that there are two reasons for the issue in his experience - 1. the vehicle was in a collision and the…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11735978 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11673106 · 2025-07-13 (July 13, 2025)
Reverse camera does not come on sometimes. When it does come on it can take anywhere from 5- 30 seconds to finally come on. When lane keep assist is activated the car will randomly yank the steering wheel to the right and pull me out of my lane, even with my hands on the wheel. It’s incredibly dangerous.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11673106 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11689180 · 2025-09-23 (September 23, 2025)
When vehicle is behind driven, and adaptive cruise and steering assist are active the vehicle regularly falsely interprets road lines. When this happens the vehicle veers quickly. This has happened multiple times veering the vehicle into oncoming traffic, off the road, or onto the shoulder. It can be corrected by driver intervention but the car maneuvers quickly when falsely reading road signs
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11689180 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 |
2021: 5; 2022: 4; 2023: 4; 2024: 5; 2025: 2