While driving my 2022 Polestar 2 Dual Motor, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion without any prior warning. The vehicle decelerated rapidly, as though the brakes were being applied. During the incident, I heard a loud clanking sound. After the vehicle lost propulsion, the dashboard displayed the warning message “Propulsion System Failure.” Following the incident, the vehicle would not engage Drive and remained in Park. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Polestar service center in North Hills, California, for diagnosis. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined. I am concerned that this sudden and unexpected loss of propulsion, accompanied by rapid deceleration, could create a serious safety hazard, particularly when traveling at highway speeds or in heavy traffic. I request that the federal safety agency review this incident to determine whether it represents a potential vehicle safety defect.
The worst 2022 Polestar 2 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Driver assistance217
- Electrical47
- Visibility20
- Fuel system10
- Brakes5
- Transmission5
- Acceleration4
- Suspension4
- Lights3
- Body2
- Airbags1
- Engine1
- Locks1
- Seat belts1
- Steering1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2022 Polestar 2
Recalls 4
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Polestar Automotive USA, Inc. (Polestar) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Polestar 2 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
- Risk
- A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 4, 2026. Owners may contact Polestar's customer service at 1‑800‑806‑2504. Polestar's number for this recall is RP1069. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning April 20, 2026. This recall replaces previous the federal safety agency recalls 24V477 and 25V280. Vehicles previously repaired under those recalls will need to have the new remedy performed.
Recall number 25V615000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Polestar Automotive USA, Inc. (Polestar) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Polestar 2 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2025. Owners may contact Polestar's customer service at 1‑800‑806‑2504. Polestar's number for this recall is RP1056. Vehicles in this recall that were previously repaired under 24V‑477 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall number 25V280000 · Recall details
Equipment: electrical: infotainment: software
- What is wrong
- Polestar Automotive USA, Inc. (Polestar) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Polestar 2 vehicles. The Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) software may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview camera image that does not display decreases the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Polestar has released an over-the-air IHU software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Polestar customer service at 1‑800‑806‑2504. Polestar's number for this recall is RP1016.
Recall number 24V477000 · Recall details
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery: management system/energy control module (bms/becm): software
- What is wrong
- Polestar Automotive USA, Inc. (Polestar) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Polestar 2 vehicles. The Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) microprocessor may reset and cause the high voltage system to disconnect.
- Risk
- A disconnected high voltage system can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Polestar will notify owners, and the software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 23, 2021. Owners may contact Polestar customer service at 1‑800‑806‑2504. Polestar's number for this recall is R10079.
Recall number 21V110000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2022 Polestar 2
Defect investigations
Loss of rear-view camera image
On July 9, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query (RQ) 25004 to investigate and review the effectiveness of the remedy for Recall 25V‑280.Polestar initiated Recall 25V‑280 to address shortcomings in the remedy for Recall 24V‑477, which intended to address rear camera outage conditions. Consumer complaint traffic reporting rear-view camera outages after receiving the remedy for 25V-280prompted the RQ opening. On July 7, 2024, Polestar initiated Recall 24V‑477 to address issues with the rear-view camera display in certain Model Year (MY) 2021-2024 Polestar 2 vehicles. According to Polestar, this failure was due to a memory allocation error in the IHU. To address this error, the remedy, provided by an over-the-air (OTA) software update , shortened the retry times of the camera streams and removed the rendering of the map in the driver display during backing events to release the graphic memory for the rear-view camera. On April 25, 2025, Polestar initiated Recall 25V‑280 to address similar issues with the rear-view camera display in certain MY 2021-2025 Polestar 2 vehicles. The recall remedy consisted of an OTA software update intended to correct a synchronization error between the Parking Assist Camera (PAC) and the Infotainment Head Unit (IHU). The updated software would maintain the high-speed signal connection between the PAC and IHU, instead of toggling on and off by request. ODI has received two hundred seventy-five (275) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) alleging failure of the rear-view camera to display after receiving the remedy for Recall 25V‑280. Consumers reported that the rear-view camera failed to display once the vehicle was initially placed in reverse, as well as losing the rear-view image while the vehicle was traveling in reverse . Failure to display the rearview image will reduce the driver’s visibility in a backing event, increasing the risk of a crash. On July 18, 2025, ODI sent Polestar an Information Request (IR) letter requesting data for vehicle production, field incidents, and any modifications related to the backup camera and its software. ODI also requested information pertaining to Polestar’s internal assessments, problem resolutions, and their assessment of the alleged defect. On September 15, 2025, Polestar issued Recall 25V‑615, which sought to remedy the failure of Recall 25V‑280. Polestar acknowledged that the prior remedy was insufficient and that further engineering analysis would be required for final software development and validation. Polestar worked with its supplier (Volvo) and began validation of the new software in February 2026. On April 20, 2026, Polestar released the remedy for Recall 25V‑615 via an OTA software update. The update provided general stability improvements to the operating system, as well as bug fixes for the rear-view camera. Since the deployment of the 25V‑615 remedy, ODI has received only 3 VOQs alleging a rear camera outage, yielding a complaint rate of 0.01% for Recall 25V‑615. ODI assessed the conditions that led to the 25V‑280 remedy failures and the countermeasures deployed to prevent recurrence in vehicles that received the remedy for 25V‑615. To measure its efficacy, ODI analyzed materials produced by Polestar in its responses to ODI’s July 18, 2025, IR letter and additional materials Polestar furnished in response to email requests and a technical meeting in 2026.ODI also reviewed information Polestar provided in response to another IR letter the federal safety agency sent on March 25, 2026, requesting additional information related to the decision-making process for correcting the remedy failure of Recall 25V‑280. On June 10, 2026, at the request of ODI, Polestar presented a technical briefing of the remedy for Recall 25V‑615, which included both completion rates and remedy failure counts. ODI has monitored the remedy for Recall 25V‑615 since April 2026 and has observed the failure rate to remain low. ODI is closing this RQ following manufacturer action in the form of Recall 25V‑615. The Agency will continue to monitor the remedy and reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
RQ25004
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Technical service bulletins for the 2022 Polestar 2 135
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
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- This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 3 png files and 1 mp4 file CSD Stuck in Recovery Mode, iCUP....
- This is a TJ
- This is a Technical Journal
- This is a Technical Journal: Headlamp condensation inside lens
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- This is a TJ text only no attachments
- This is a Technical Journal: Headlamp condensation inside lens
What 2022 Polestar 2 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
When getting into the vehicle to drive, there are instances where one is unable to put the vehicle into drive. Center driver screen displays an issue “remove charge cable before start” and there is no charging cable connected to the vehicle. I have been put in situations in which I have been late to events, deliveries I had to drop off have been late, and I have been stuck/stranded in random places. Not just the grocery store parking lot or even at home, but peoples driveways while performing deliveries. I would imagine other drivers have been in similar situations. Polestar knows this is an issue and I was quoted $900 for a software fix (which could truly not lead to the fix if there actually is a hardware issue). I feel this should not be an issue I have to PAY for especially if it is simply software based. I believe a recall needs to be initiated to help myself and other drivers avoid having to pay for this issue.
Driver information display has not been turning on when car wakes from sleep on hot days, typically over 105 degrees and parked for over five hours. Driver unable to see current speed, current state of charge, etc. Display turns on, with no issues, the next morning or after the car is parked in the shade for more than 30 mins.
Electric vehicle DC charging pins have defective insulator on its tip. The insulator freely rotates, is loose, and one has fallen off or can get stuck in charger handles. The easily detachable insulator, if not present, can cause shorting and arcing of high voltage at the charge port. Polestar has specified the charge port is an important safety related component in communications with them. With the defective charge port DC insulator easily falling off, this could lead to electrocution, fire at charge port due to melting pins from arcing, damage to charging station plugs. The service center the vehicle has been taken to claimed damage was caused by a defective charging handle at charger but did not have any proof that was the cause. Google search on forums has shown this is a common fault and show electrical melting of the DC charger pins. There were no warning signs there was anything wrong till the insulator fell off. Once one insulator fell off, that’s when the remaining insulator was found to be loose and rotates freely. Vehicle is available for inspection if requested.
When starting the vehicle and placing it in reverse, the center screen was frozen and did not show the backup camera or other sfaety information. Safety was put at risk because reverse visiblity / backover prevention were impaired. Other functions such as reverse auto brake were likely unavailable, or a least unmonitored (rear cross traffic allert was definitely unavailable as it depends on the center screen). This was resolved by re-parking the vehicle and rebooting the infotainment system / center screen. It has not been independently reproduced or inspected, as it's presenting as random flakiness and the driver stopped and took troubleshooting steps (out of an abundance of caution). There were no warnings or other issues, though it does correlate with switching diriver profiles and may be yet another safety issue caused by the vehicle's underpowered IHU. (The IHU was upgraded for 2026 models, and is backwards compatible, but no upgrades have been made available in the US)
There was as turn signal malfunction. It is not clear if the issue was purely internal or external, or confirned to the sound versus also impacting the lights. The turn signal sound was slow / irregular, missing beats, and appeared to slow down and catch up. it is unlclear if safety was at risk as I can't see the outside of the vehicle to verify whether this was just an audio issue or a signal issue. It hasn't been independently reproduced, and can't be consistently reproduced, though there is a correlation with switching users (possibly due to the underpowered IHU). The only other symptom was an unusably slow IHU (like taking more than a minute to pull up recent destinations on the center screen).
The rear view camera malfunctioned, despite complying with the recent recall. It is available for inspection upon request. Safety was compromised by reduced rear visibility due to the lack of a rear view camera. This is an intermittent issue, not reliably reproducible for a dealer or service center. There has been no third party inspection, and no warning. The failure correlated with switching drivers; this may be part of oingoing issues with the underpowered IHU not handling driver switching well. If you are trying to reproduce the issue on a sample vehicle, I encourage swapping a few times between two drivers.
Polestar has issued the 3rd recall for issues with the Rear Camera not responding quickly enough on vehicle start up. They have claimed they will provide a software fix but that is what they claimed the last 2 times without any improvement in the operation of the camera. They offer a paid upgrade to a newer CPU that actually fixes the issue but they do not want to spend the money to provide this as a free upgrade to actually fix this problem. They should be forced to offer the hardware fix as the software fixes up to this point have not worked.
Car was charging normally and all of a sudden it stopped charging both level 2 and DC. No warning nothing and seems like a common occurrence in this car and after warranty is over. Have ready many have this happen to them. Shop says that it’s the OBC needs to be replaced which isn’t a cheap replacement. Usually a car would give a warning and not completely die on you. Most say that Dc would work and not the level 2. Which should be part of the the propulsion related part and covered on the 8year/100k warranty. But they say it’s not.
Since software update 5.x the behicle it throws a false "Disconnect Charging Cable" message on the dashboard display even though no charging cable is attached to the vehicle. This leaves the vehicle immobilized. Multiple instances since approx [XXX]. I checked codes and there is a fault code VCU1-U116E00. Further research indicated that prior reports to nhtda resulted in 2 seperate service bulletins. My guess is that prior 4.x fix was not included in 5.x major software update [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Compare the 2022 Polestar 2
Other model years
Questions about the 2022 Polestar 2
Is the 2022 Polestar 2 reliable?
Owners have filed 306 complaints about the 2022 Polestar 2, 2.1 times a typical Polestar 2 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2022 Polestar 2 year score?
The 2022 Polestar 2 scores 47 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Polestar 2: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2022 Polestar 2?
Driver assistance and stability, with 217 complaints. Next is electrical (47).
How many recalls does the 2022 Polestar 2 have?
4 recalls, covering back over prevention, equipment and electrical system.
Was there a recall on the 2022 Polestar 2 driver assistance?
Yes, 2 recalls: 25V615000, 25V280000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Polestar 2 have the most driver assistance problems?
The Polestar 2 model years with the most driver assistance complaints are 2022 (217 complaints), 2021 (115 complaints) and 2023 (90 complaints).
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