Most common 2023 Polestar 2 problems
Share of the 116 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Polestar 2 complaints by model year
Best 2 years: 2025, 2024. Compare all years →
2023 Polestar 2 recalls (4)
Back over prevention › Software
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.
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.
Back over prevention › Software
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."
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.
Equipment › Electrical › Infotainment › Software
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."
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.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Polestar Automotive USA, Inc. (Polestar) is recalling certain 2023 Polestar 2 vehicles. The front left lower ball joint may have been incorrectly installed, allowing the control arm to disconnect from the steering knuckle.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the ball joint fastening bolt as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 10, 2023. Owners may contact Polestar customer service at 1-800-806-2504.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2023 Polestar 2:
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.
What 2023 Polestar 2 owners say
Driver assistance all 90 →
The contact owns a 2023 Polestar Polestar2. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was shifted in reverse(R) the back over prevention camera screen was black. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determine that an unknown software update needed to be performed. The software update was performed four times, but the failure persisted. The contact was provided a 2023 Polestar Polestar2 loaner, and the vehicle also experienced the same failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10.
The contact owns a 2023 Polestar Polestar2. The contact stated while reversing, the message "Camera Not Available" was displayed and the rearview camera image failed to display an image. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V280000 (Back Over Prevention), but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
Electrical system
Constant camera issues. The rear camera only works half the time and when it does go it, it'll just cut off while driving in reverse. It's completely unreliable and dangerous. New update has affected the cars acceleration. Now when its below a certain degrees outside they changed it so the car can no longer accelerate at its normal speed and instead, barely responds when you hit the gas causing a multiple second delay before the car moves. It's incredibly dangerous and makes it impossible to move out of the way if needed in an emergency. Issue was reported and was told that just how it is now and there is nothing they can do about it. This is dangerous and not the vehicle I purchased.
Starting in 2022 the car started to "black out" when I drove it. The spedeometer and screen would go completely dark, especially at speeds over 60 MPH I reported this to Polestar in 2023, they incorrectly diagnosed it as a TPMS warning when I brought it to the dealer. I called Polestar back in July 2023, but a nearby dealer was 7 hours away. I brought the car into the dealer March 2024, they had it for several days, didn't detect a problem and sent me home w car. It did it again, I was able to capture this footage on video, they then took the car back again and finally believed me. They had questioned me before. They ended up replacing the IHU
Windows, wipers & sunroof
Upon putting the vehicle into reverse, the backup camera takes an insurmountably long time to engage and when it does, the image it produces frequently flashes for several seconds before stabilizing, rendering it useless - particularly with pedestrians or vehicles behind the car. Recent OTA updates have exacerbated this problem, which poses a pretty severe safety risk in a car with such limited rear visibility, and after researching the problem online, it's pretty clear that it's an endemic issue to the car and can likely be remedied through software, but the manufacturer has thus far shown little interest in addressing it.
NHTSA Recall No. 25V-280 concerning rear camera. I have been getting the "camera is temporarily unavailable" display occasionally since late last year (2024). I had no problem with the rear camera before that. I received the above recall notice and took the car into the shop on Jul 7, 2025 for the software upgrade from 3.3.16 to 3.6.4. Since then, I am still getting "camera is temporarily unavailable" displays occasionally. The problem was not solved with this software upgrade.
2023 Polestar 2 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | FWD | 113 / 100 / 107 MPGe | 270 mi |
| Electric | Single-speed | AWD | 105 / 96 / 100 MPGe | 260 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2023 Polestar 2 a good car?
Based on 116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2023 2 rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the 2 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Polestar 2?
The driver assistance — 90 complaints, 78% of all complaints for this model year, most often about sensing system › camera. Next are the electrical system (8) and windows, wipers & sunroof (7).
How many recalls does the 2023 Polestar 2 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2023 Polestar 2, the most recent from September 15, 2025 (software). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Polestar 2?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025 and 2024. See the full Polestar 2 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2023 Polestar 2 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 25,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.