Polestar Recalls Nearly 28,000 Polestar 2 EVs for Rearview Camera Glitch

Polestar is recalling 27,816 Polestar 2 vehicles in the United States due to a software issue that can cause the rearview camera to fail, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall, announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affects certain 2021-2025 models.

The problem lies in a software glitch within the infotainment head unit that may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying when the vehicle is in reverse. Instead of the camera feed, drivers may see a “Camera is temporarily unavailable” message. This failure to display the rear view violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This is not the first time Polestar has attempted to fix this issue. A previous software update in June 2024 failed to resolve the problem, leading to over 100 additional complaints from owners and prompting the NHTSA to open a recall query.

The Fix and What It Means for Owners
Polestar dealers will update the vehicle software free of charge to correct the issue. The new software is designed to maintain a stable connection between the Parking Assist Camera (PAC) and the Infotainment Head Unit (IHU), and to reset the video signal hardware if a synchronization error occurs. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out by June 19, 2025.

This recall is the latest in a series of software-related issues for the Polestar 2. The brand, a subsidiary of Volvo, has faced challenges with buggy software, leading to everything from minor infotainment glitches to more serious problems like sudden power loss.

EVXL’s Take

While over-the-air software updates are a convenient feature of modern EVs, this recall highlights the potential downsides of software-defined vehicles. When the software doesn’t work as intended, it can lead to significant safety issues. The fact that a previous software fix failed to correct the problem is concerning, and raises questions about the thoroughness of Polestar’s software development and testing processes. As vehicles become more reliant on complex software, will we see an increase in these types of recalls? And what does this mean for consumer confidence in a brand that positions itself as a technology leader? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.