Polestar Polestar 2
Problems & Worst Years

Backup camera failure is the single most consistent complaint across all three Polestar 2 model years in this data, and it only intensifies with volume. In 2021, a backup camera malfunction leads with 58 occurrences, followed by a separate rear camera failure flagged at safety severity, a key fob unlock issue, a lane departure system malfunction, and reports that a software update failed to actually fix the camera problem — suggesting owners went through more than one attempted repair. Recalls 21V110 and 24V477 apply to this model year.

The following year is the Polestar 2's highest-volume year by a wide margin: 251 total complaints, more than the other two years combined with room to spare. Backup camera unavailability and a related camera system failure — both safety-flagged — account for 132 of those complaints between them, with software update issues, camera stuttering and blackouts, and a failing TCAM module filling out the rest. The same two recalls, 21V110 and 24V477, cover this year as well.

By 2023, complaint volume drops to 92, but the camera problem persists: rear backup camera issues remain the top complaint at 40 occurrences, tied for the year's only safety-flagged item, alongside continuing software update problems and infotainment crashes and freezes. Only recall 24V477 is listed for this final year.

Given how consistently the backup camera shows up across three separate model years and two different recall campaigns, that's the first system a buyer should test thoroughly on any used Polestar 2 — confirm both 21V110 and 24V477 were completed on the specific VIN, and check that the camera actually displays reliably in reverse, not just after a software update. The declining complaint count from 2022 into 2023 is encouraging, though it also reflects a newer car having had less time on the road to accumulate reports, so a pre-purchase inspection and full service history still matter more than the model year alone.