RoadVitals

2021 Polestar Polestar 2 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
147
Latest Aug 5, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
12
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Polestar Polestar 2, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Suspension42.6%
  • Fuel system31.9%
  • Airbags21.3%
  • Seat belts21.3%
  • Steering21.3%
  • Engine10.6%
  • Brakes10.6%
  • Interior & seats10.6%
  • Powertrain (other)10.6%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

116
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jun 24, 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 · filed Jun 16, 2026
All 116 reports naming driver assistance

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

13
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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

NHTSA ID 11717160 · filed Feb 11, 2026

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 · filed Dec 19, 2025
All 13 reports naming visibility

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

9
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed May 6, 2026

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 · filed Nov 20, 2025
All 9 reports naming electrical

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Nov 20, 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 · filed Nov 8, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Mar 3, 2026

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 · filed Dec 8, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed May 6, 2026

While driving and using my horn the vehicles horn and airbag module fell off. Rendering the horn inoperable and the airbag dangerously loose. Trying to get Polestar to replace the whole module.

NHTSA ID 11493745 · filed Nov 16, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Our front driver seat belt will not lock occasionally and has been increasing in issue not locking. In addition to the obvious safety concern, the vehicle will not operate cruise control, adaptive cruise, lane departure, etc when not locked in. Thus this compounds the safety concern

NHTSA ID 11662020 · filed May 20, 2025

Vehicle failed to alert visually and with a sound if you don’t wear your seat belt and start driving. When you start the vehicle, it will tell you to buckle your seat belt. If you fail to do this and start driving, the alert will disappear and there is no warning light or chime telling you to fasten your seat belt for the rest of the drive until you restart the vehicle

NHTSA ID 11450295 · filed Feb 3, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Nov 20, 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

NHTSA ID 11689180 · filed Sep 23, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Dec 8, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Dec 8, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

When using the key fob to unlock the car, I have to push the unlock button 30-40 times before the car unlocks. When locking the car after using it, it usually locks the first time pushing the button on the key fob, but definitely locks after 3-4 presses. This is an issue because I am often parked on the side of the road, and when I'm pressing the button many times, I'm often standing at the door waiting for it to unlock while traffic drives past me because I can't get in the car. I will also pull the door handle, because the car has proximity sensors to unlock, but that also doesn't work right when I walk up to the car. So I usually stand at the driver's door pressing the key fob and pulling on the door handle until it unlocks. The only other issue with the car is the backup camera becoming unavailable when first turning on the car. I'm not sure if these are in any way related.

NHTSA ID 11672842 · filed Jul 11, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Aug 5, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .