2021 Polestar Polestar 2 Owner Complaints

Rear driveshaft/axle shafts failing at 39,000 miles on a 2021 Polestar 2. Symptom is a ticking/clicking noise during deceleration at low speed cadenced to wheel speed. Polestar issued Technical Journal TJ 36854.1.0 in March 2024 acknowledging this as a known issue on 2021-2023 model year vehicles with VST Operation Number 46602-2. Despite this being a documented manufacturer defect, Polestar is not covering the repair outside the bumper-to-bumper warranty period. Quoted $2,547 for both rear axle shafts at an authorized service center. This defect affects multiple vehicles across multiple model years and warrants investigation for a formal recall.

NHTSA ID

11755105

Incident

Aug 5, 2026

Center entertaiment touchscreen which provides visiblity for the rear camera as well as the backup sensors and A/C controls for front defogger went is completely blank. Polestar2 logo appears, but no longer boots. This causes the rear camera to be completely useless.

NHTSA ID

11746309

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

Well backing out of a parking space at the grocery store. My rear camera failed to activate even after several times trying to get the camera to work. I decided to try and back out by just looking over my shoulder, but could not see through the back window and collided into a shopping cart. None of the advanced systems activated no object detection, no camera and no collision warning.

NHTSA ID

11744618

Incident

Apr 14, 2025

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 sensors fail to lock out or 2. there is wiring under the seat that failed either at the harness or on the wire directly. #1 can be ruled out by the vehicle history report and the car was never in a collision. #2 is the only viable reason based on vehicle use. If this is the case, it's a design flaw that must be addressed by the manufacturer. More investigation should be conducted to find the cause (e.g. electronic seat adjustments damaging SRS wiring, faulty electrical components, OTA software patches, etc.). Regardless, it's unacceptable for customers to bear the financial responsibility of an SRS failure.

NHTSA ID

11735978

Incident

Apr 26, 2026

An update was applied last year to fix the reverse camera issue. The issue remains, sometimes the camera is unavailable, it the camera goes in to 360 degree mode. Happens about once a week or every two weeks

NHTSA ID

11727818

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

Polestar has issued two recalls and claims they fixed the reverse camera issues with a software update, but they have not been remedied. When reversing, the camera screen will still often go blank, freeze, or stutter. I am not confident that the picture I'm seeing on the screen is a real time depiction of the view behind me or is simply frozen. This presents safety issues where the screen may have frozen or gone blank just before someone runs behind the vehicle, and the driver is led to believe there is nothing behind the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11724680

Incident

Mar 16, 2026

2021 Polestar 2, consistently the rear back up camera fails to display. In my case the issue did not occur until my car was updated past 3.2.8. The issue is caused by extremely dated hardware. The processor, and memory are insufficient for the more modern software that is being released. I also believe this is why my car will slam on the brakes in reverse when there is no object behind the car while I am reversing. Polestar has released a IHU hardware upgrade in other Polestar markets, but has not given any dates or information for this to be released in the US. A further software update is not going to rectify this issue, unless features are removed to fre up resources. Not a safety concern but Media will stop playing in SiriusXM and have to be restarted after 20 minutes of driving. After parking over night the IHU will take 2-3 minutes to fully wake up to be able to set navigation or activeate Apple Car play.

NHTSA ID

11722842

Incident

Feb 11, 2026

Backup Camera still doesn't function when reversing after multiple recalls.

NHTSA ID

11722803

Incident

Mar 8, 2026

The vehicle was serviced on 2/13 at the Polestar service center in Seattle. I believe this is when software version 4.2.13 was installed. In the last week, I've noticed a new behavior. When I accelerate from a stop, the vehicle intermittently does not accelerate as it used to. For approximately 2 - 3 seconds, I have no control over acceleration and the vehicle only operates around 5 mph. This put me in a scary situation as I was making a quick turn in front of oncoming traffic, and did not have the acceleration I expected to safely make the turn. It's happened to me about six times in the last week.

NHTSA ID

11721804

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

The rear view camera fails repeatedly and the rear window is not large enough to safely reverse.

NHTSA ID

11718764

Incident

Feb 18, 2026

Cameras stopped working when backing out and collision with pole when reversing out

NHTSA ID

11717160

Incident

Dec 11, 2025

I am reaching out to bring to your attention an urgent issue regarding the backup camera in the 2021 Polestar 2. The backup camera frequently fails to work when the car is put into reverse or, even more concerning, it intermittently cuts out while backing up. Given the limited visibility when relying solely on the rearview and side mirrors, this malfunction poses a significant safety risk. The inability to see small children or obstacles behind the vehicle without the aid of the backup camera is a major concern that needs to be addressed promptly. Polestar has attempted several fixes over several years, none to date have resolved the issue. Neither Polestar or NHTSA have taken this issue seriously.

NHTSA ID

11712423

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

The backup camera fails to activate, freezes up, or turns off while backing up. The rear window of this vehicle and the height of the trunk block visual sight lines making the camera essential. I am a software engineer, it is clear to me that the combination information screen has an underpowered processor and memory. Polestar have attempted software updates which have been ineffective. Other aspects of the system also struggle to load and be responsive as well such as switching modes from bluetooth audio to radio or loading the navigation system. I see that there is a second recall but it appears this is a software based update as well. I doubt that software can fix what is very likely a hardware performance issue.

NHTSA ID

11706054

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

Intermittently, when shifting into reverse, the rear camera does not work, with error stating that the camera is unavailable. Dealer states there is no fix.

NHTSA ID

11704442

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

When the car is put into reverse the rear camera activates and then goes dead. There is no image from the camera and an error appears on the screen saying camera is temporarily unavailable. There have been multiple recalls on this issue and the updates have not resolved the issue. My car is on software 3.6.4

NHTSA ID

11704119

Incident

Dec 7, 2025

Under regen braking the car has very loud ticking in the rear and feels as if the axles are sheering themselves. Looking into the issues with other owners the culprit is the ERAD motor turns to recoup the energy. It looks like this component is used in a wide variety of Volvo based vehicles like this one and other models report the same issue. The worry comes with failure, as this is a braking component, failure while braking would be highly dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11703806

Incident

Oct 16, 2025

Back up camera not available. Again.

NHTSA ID

11703572

Incident

Dec 7, 2025

The backup camera on my 2021 Polestar 2 has never functioned reliably. It frequently fails to activate when the vehicle is placed in reverse and instead displays an error message. This is a manufacturer defect. Although the vehicle was recalled for this defect and I had the recall repair performed, the issue persists. The repair did not fully resolve the problem, and the backup camera continues to malfunction intermittently. Reduced Rear Visibility: Without a functioning backup camera, drivers lose critical visibility directly behind the vehicle, especially in blind spots not covered by mirrors. Risk to Pedestrians and Children: Backup cameras are designed to prevent accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists, or children who may be behind the vehicle. A malfunctioning system increases the risk of striking someone. Parking and Maneuvering Hazards: In tight spaces, garages, or crowded parking lots, the lack of a reliable rear camera increases the likelihood of collisions with other vehicles, walls, or objects. False Sense of Security: Drivers may assume the camera is functioning and rely on it, only to discover too late that it has failed. This inconsistency creates unpredictable and unsafe driving conditions. Non-Compliance with Federal Safety Standards: Backup cameras are federally mandated safety equipment. A defective or unreliable system means the vehicle does not meet required safety standards. Incomplete Recall Remedy: Since the recall repair did not fully resolve the defect, the vehicle remains unsafe and the manufacturer has not provided an adequate remedy.

NHTSA ID

11703206

Incident

Jun 2, 2025

The back up camera constantly fails to turn on. It appears to be a known defect of the car. Service centers seem to have no fix for the issue.

NHTSA ID

11703151

Incident

Nov 29, 2025

Rear camera constantly “unavailable”

NHTSA ID

11703092

Incident

Dec 4, 2025

ever since I bought the vehicle, I would often get an alert when putting into reverse that the rear reverse camera "Camera is Temporarily Unavailable". I did have the recall linked to this issue executed on the car. While the issue occurs less, it still does occur.

NHTSA ID

11702979

Incident

Nov 21, 2025

The On-Board Charger failed under normal conditions, leaving the car unable to be charged by any AC charger, this is a common issue that I have seen reported on several forums, and should be addressed.

NHTSA ID

11700701

Incident

Nov 17, 2025

When making a sharp left turn at full steering lock the car makes clicking noises. Service center states it is CV joint related and several cars with this performance suspension have this problem. It may be a safety hazard should the CV joint fail and it is a known issue.

NHTSA ID

11700631

Incident

Nov 19, 2025

1 - The rear axles have failed. 2- A rear axle failure while driving presents extreme safety hazards, including sudden loss of vehicle control and stability, potential wheel separation, and abrupt loss of drive power, greatly increasing the risk of a severe accident 3 - Polestar has created a report on 3/4/24 regarding the issue AND IS AWARE OF IT - Technical Journal 36854.1.0 - Ticking noise during deceleration at Low Speeds. My car is 2 months out of Warranty and is a 2021 model and has 48,000 miles and they refuse to cover the cost of the repair Polestar owners have confirmed this online in various Polestar forums. 4- The Polestar dealer inspected it. 5- No warnings

NHTSA ID

11698361

Incident

Oct 5, 2025

Backup camera constantly unavailable

NHTSA ID

11698211

Incident

Aug 1, 2025