NHTSA has closed its recall query into rear-view camera failures on the Polestar 2 after owner complaints dropped to three reports, a 0.01% complaint rate, under the software remedy Polestar released on April 20, 2026. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation opened Recall Query RQ25004 on July 9, 2025 to assess whether the remedy for an earlier recall had actually corrected the problem. ODI had received 275 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires alleging the camera still failed to display after that repair, a defect the agency files under back-over prevention.
Highlights
- ODI logged 275 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires alleging rear-view camera failure in vehicles that had already received the remedy for Recall 25V-280.
- Since the Recall 25V-615 remedy deployed on April 20, 2026, ODI has received three complaints, a 0.01% rate.
- Three separate recalls addressed the same rear-view camera condition: 24V-477, 25V-280, and 25V-615.
- Polestar worked with supplier Volvo and began validation of the replacement software in February 2026.
Three Recalls for One Defect
Polestar first addressed the rear-view camera display on certain model year 2021–2024 Polestar 2 vehicles in July 2024, attributing the failure to a memory allocation error in the infotainment head unit. When that repair proved insufficient, the automaker filed a second recall covering model year 2021–2025 vehicles, this time targeting a synchronization error between the Parking Assist Camera and the IHU. Complaint traffic after the second remedy is what prompted ODI to open the query.
| Recall | Initiated | Root cause addressed | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24V-477 | July 7, 2024 | Memory allocation error in the IHU | OTA update shortening camera-stream retry times and removing map rendering in the driver display during backing |
| 25V-280 | April 25, 2025 | Synchronization error between the Parking Assist Camera and the IHU | OTA update holding the high-speed PAC-to-IHU signal connection open rather than toggling it by request |
| 25V-615 | September 15, 2025 | Remedy failure of Recall 25V-280 | OTA software update released April 20, 2026 with operating system stability improvements and rear-view camera bug fixes |
In filing the third recall, Polestar acknowledged that the prior remedy was insufficient and that further engineering analysis would be needed before final software development and validation.
What Owners Reported
The complaints described two failure modes. In some cases the rear-view image did not appear when the vehicle was first placed in reverse. In others, the image dropped out while the vehicle was already traveling in reverse. A camera that fails to display reduces the driver’s visibility during a backing event and increases crash risk.
How Did ODI Verify the Latest Remedy?
The agency sent Polestar an information request on July 18, 2025 covering vehicle production, field incidents, backup camera and software modifications, and the automaker’s internal assessments of the alleged defect. A second information request followed on March 25, 2026, focused on how Polestar arrived at its decision to correct the failed 25V-280 remedy. ODI also drew on materials Polestar supplied through email requests and a technical meeting during 2026.
On June 10, 2026, at ODI’s request, Polestar delivered a technical briefing on the 25V-615 remedy that included completion rates and remedy failure counts. The agency assessed both the conditions behind the earlier remedy failures and the countermeasures deployed to prevent a repeat in vehicles that received the newer software.
Monitoring Continues
ODI has tracked the 25V-615 remedy since April 2026 and reports that the failure rate has stayed low. The query closes on the basis of that manufacturer action, though the agency states it will keep monitoring the remedy and reserves the right to act again if circumstances warrant.
