The rear view cameras on this car rarely function properly due to the infotainment system being underpowered. They issued a recall for this with a software update, the software update didnt work (obviously, lol. You can't solve a hardware problem with software). Anyway my car is still dangerous in reverse because the camera doesnt work.
2021 Polestar 2 driver assistance complaints
Page 4 of 5: complaints 71 to 100 of 115, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Polestars have had 2 recalls for rear view cameras not engaging upon being placed in reverse. My car has been through 2 of these recalls with the most recent being 1-2 weeks ago. The issue still remains and persists, in fact it only got worse after the last recall. I cannot trust my camera as it constantly crashes, freezes or just outright does not work. It is clear that polestar is incapable of fixing this issue via OTA or software updates as they have failed to do so twice now. I kindly ask that the federal safety agency looks into this issue and calls upon polestar to upgrade the infotainment systems in our cars, it is clear that they are incapable of handling the rearview camera as they are now. Here is a video showcasing the issue, the car is in reverse on the latest update post the second recall. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I recently received an OTA update for my 2021 Polestar 2. The update was supposed to fix a known rear view camera issue which presents as an error message on the infotainment screen, instead of the rear camera view. I am still experiencing the error message when putting the car into reverse.
Back up camera system is failing , this is after updating to software 3.6.4.
1. Poorly designed suspension system. Rough ride, clunking suspension, wooden plank ride, excessive interior noise due to unknown or undiagnosed issues. 2. Rear camera failure during backing up. This has been submitted as a recall to the federal safety agency as an update 3.6.4 by Polestar but it has not resolved the backup camera failure. The hardware in 2021-2025 vehicles is underpowered and incapable of processing information quickly enough to support rear camera activation on demand. Recommend Polestar UPGRADE the head units on all cars in the US to provide safe backup camera availability.
Back up camera malfunction
Rear camera shows "Camera is temporarily unavailable" constantly when backing up. This happens often when starting the car.
The backup camera remains unstable, unreliable, and out of spec per FVMSS111. Issues are frequent, varied, and include: Severely delayed activation upon switching to R, "Camera unavailable", unexpectedly switching from reverse to 360 view, frozen frame, complete IHU reboot (entirely black screen.) My vehicle was updated for both previous recalls (2024 and now 2025) and the issues remain. In fact, they are now more frequent and problematic with software 3.6.4 which was supposed to fix this.
Even after the most recent software updates, the rear camera does not engage when putting the vehicle into reverse which creates a safety hazard when backing up.
Despite multiple software updates to address rear view camera display issues, I still run into the same “rear camera unavailable” message when the car takes too long to bring up the rear camera feed when shifting the vehicle into reverse. The whole software bogs down and gets laggy, and the camera flickers a few times before a black screen taking over and the message popping up. This completely takes away rear visibility to see obstacles or traffic behind me when reversing. Which is why rear view cameras have been mandated for safety. Polestar has issued several software updates and recalls to fix this issue but it still persists. The issue isn’t the software it’s the processing power of the head unit to open the camera and run the necessary software.
Backup camera not available message when reversing. I have the latest version of software this has not been fixed after undergoing recall 25V‑280 still same issue. Car does not show backup view while reversing.
After being updated to the latest 3.6.4 software, I still get frequent "camera unavailable" error messages. This continues to present a major safety issue.
Multiple instances of the back-up camera not turning on in reverse, even after the 3.6.4 update.
I recently received a recall notice (NTSA Recall No. 25V‑280, Polestar Recall RP1056) where the vehicle fails to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 on "Rear Visibility." After updating the vehicle software that was supposed to fix the safety recall, I'm still having the issue where when backing the car up, I get a "camera is temporarily unavailable" on my center console display.
Received OTA that was supposed to fix the most recent recall (25V‑280). 3.6.4 OTA installed and still get "Camera is Temporarily Unavailable" message in the center display when reversing.
The contact owns a 2021 Polestar Polestar 2. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera system failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the camera displayed a gray screen and the message “Camera Unavailable”. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the rearview camera software was recently updated under an unknown recall; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
The back up camera continues to suffer from frequent bugs- where when engaging reverse the back up camera system displays a message : "back up camera unvailable," This has been an known and ongoing issue with Polestar 2, and even with the most recent software update that was supposed to address the issue, it still occurs. It occurs specifically when the car has been sitting for a while- when engaging reverse, the issue happens. If the car has been in use, the system usually operates normally.
I recently updated my vehicles infotainment system that was supposed to address the rear view camera issue where it is often "not available" when the vehicle is in reverse. After the update, I have noticed an increase of the issue, where the camera is not available more often than before the update. The issue was not adequately addressed with the latest update from Polestar.
I’m experiencing an issue with my vehicle’s backup camera. It frequently displays a “temporarily unavailable” message and often lags or freezes during use.
The new polestar update which is supposed to fix the rear view camera issue has not fixed the issue
The backup camera on this vehicle is very unreliable. Often upon selecting reverse, it will take too long to display the camera view, then it will stutter and flicker for a few moments before finally giving up with the message "Camera is temporarily unavailable". This model was recalled by the Polestar for this issue (25V‑280), and Polestar attempted to work around the issue with software updates multiple times (3.1.9 and 3.6.4) but they still have not resolved the problem even with the most recent software. This has been a well-known issue on a number of Volvo models as well which share software with the Polestar, and they were also recently recalled for the same issue (25V‑282). It is possible this issue has also not been resolved for those vehicles.
Polestar released an update to fix the rear camera unavailable issue. Update didn’t fix it on my car.
[XXX] After the car automatically switches to my user profile when I open the door, I sit in the driver’s seat and shift into reverse. At that point, the reverse camera fails to load, and an error message is displayed. Additionally, the on-screen sensor visualization (which normally shows proximity to obstacles) does not appear, making all reverse-assist features unavailable. This issue consistently occurs when the profile switch happens automatically—manual profile switching has not been tested. Tapping the camera icon and re-enabling the camera works, but it's a safety issue when in an active parking lot, or around pedestrians. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
"Camera is not available" messaging when in the process of backing up. My vehicle is updated to the most recent software update (3.5.24) which is the proposed fixed after the latest recall. This is the second software fix for the same recall concern. It's time pressure is applied to release a hardware fix for the issue.
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
Backup camera fails to open much of the time or fails to stay active when in reverse. Sensors are also disabled when the camera fails.
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.
The rear view camera in the car will say that it is unavailable about 30% of the time. The center screen just displays "Camera unavailable" despite it being a legal requirement for it to work. This is a constantly recurring issue, not a one off instance, the car also stops all cross traffic alerts due to the error, I have also had instances where the rearview camera will show up but it is completely frozen and the video does not move. I reported this to my Polestar service center as I am still under warranty and was told that this was normal. I would like to call on the federal safety agency to do a proper investigation of this, the issue does not happen every time however it happens enough for it to be a danger to everyone around you. I can't trust my rear view camera as sometimes when I start moving the camera will freeze, this leaves me looking at the screen with the car moving and the camera frozen, essentially forcing me to back up COMPLETELY BLIND. The rearview camera in that car does not work, in fact it is a HAZARD as it is so unreliable and prone to freezing. It is a direct violation of 49 CFR § 571.111. This issue has been documented extensively on the forums, updates only make it works and Polestar does not care about the safety of it's own customers.
Back up camera will be completely black and unavailable for no apparent reason.
The contact owns a 2021 Polestar Polestar 2. The contact stated while reversing, the contact became aware that the rearview camera failed to display an image, with the message "Camera Temporarily Unavailable". No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that a software update was required. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V477000 (Equipment, Back Over Prevention); the VIN was included, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
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