Used Polestar 2 Rearview-Camera Problems: What to Verify Before Buying

Key facts

• Model: Polestar 2, a five-door fastback (liftback) EV, not an SUV.
• Current recall: 25V-615 (Polestar code RP1069), NHTSA acknowledged Sept 19, 2025; manufacturer report dated Sept 15, 2025.
• Scope: 2021-2025 model years, 27,816 units. No trim differentiation; Single Motor, Dual Motor, Long Range and Performance Pack are all in scope.
• Defect: The rearview camera image may not display when reverse is engaged, attributed in trade coverage to a synchronization error between the Parking Assist Camera (PAC) and the Infotainment Head Unit (IHU), plus an IHU video-hardware synchronization error.
• Safety standard: FMVSS 111 (Rear Visibility); component listed as Back Over Prevention: Software.
• Remedy: Free dealer software update. Interim safety-risk letters mailed Nov 7, 2025; final remedy software anticipated Q1-Q2 2026.
• History: 25V-615 replaces recalls 24V-477 (June 2024) and 25V-280 (April 2025), whose remedies proved insufficient.
• Reports: NHTSA's recall query RQ25-004 (opened July 18, 2025) cited 193 reports of camera image problems during a backing event; earlier mid-July 2025 press reported 109 complaints.
• Harm: No crashes, injuries, or deaths linked, per the recall record.

What is the Polestar 2 rearview-camera problem?

The Polestar 2's rearview camera image may fail to display when the driver shifts into reverse. Owners report the screen going blank, flickering, freezing, or showing a Camera Unavailable warning during a backing event. Because this reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, it raises crash risk during low-speed reverse and backing maneuvers and implicates FMVSS 111, the federal rear-visibility standard.

The original 2024 recall (24V-477) traced the failure to Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) software that could prevent the camera image from displaying. Trade coverage of the current recall attributes the root cause to a synchronization error between the Parking Assist Camera (PAC) and the IHU, plus a synchronization error in the IHU's video-receiving hardware. The defect is software and electronics-based, not trim-specific hardware, so it affects every variant in scope.

Which Polestar 2 model years are affected?

The defect spans 2021-2025 Polestar 2 vehicles. The current recall, 25V-615, covers 27,816 cars across model years 2021-2025 and replaces two earlier recalls that covered overlapping ranges. The original 24V-477 recall covered 2021-2024 cars built between July 9, 2020 and January 19, 2024; later recalls extended coverage into the 2025 model year.

There is no trim-level differentiation. Scope is defined by model year and build date, not by trim. Any 2021-2025 Polestar 2 should be checked by VIN regardless of motor or pack configuration.

Why has Polestar recalled the same camera three times?

Polestar has recalled the rearview camera three times because the first two software remedies did not resolve the problem. Recall 24V-477 was issued in June 2024 with a free software update. When that fix proved insufficient, Polestar issued 25V-280 in April 2025, requiring even previously repaired cars to be re-done.

Reports of camera failures continued after the second remedy. On July 18, 2025, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened recall query RQ25-004 to examine the loss of the rearview camera image after the 25V-280 remedy. The ODI letter cited 193 reports of camera image problems during a backing event; earlier mid-July press coverage reported 109 complaints. That query was functionally resolved when Polestar issued the third recall, 25V-615, in September 2025. Each new recall supersedes the prior remedy, so vehicles previously repaired must receive the latest fix.

Is a used Polestar 2 still likely to be unfixed?

Yes, many used 2021-2025 Polestar 2 vehicles are likely still unremedied. The final 25V-615 remedy software was only anticipated for Q1-Q2 2026, and the recall record does not confirm that the final fix has shipped or that final owner letters have been mailed. Interim safety-risk letters went out November 7, 2025.

For a buyer in mid-2026, that timing matters: a car may carry the open recall with no completed repair, either because the owner never returned to a dealer or because the final software was not yet available. Treat any 2021-2025 Polestar 2 as potentially carrying an open camera recall until a dealer confirms otherwise.

How do I check a used Polestar 2 by VIN?

Start with NHTSA's free recalls-by-VIN tool at nhtsa.gov/recalls, which shows whether an open recall is attached to that specific VIN. For broader history, a Zilocar VIN check screens the same recall presence and adds accident and damage records, salvage and junk-auction records, odometer/rollback checks, theft (NICB) data, ownership history, and past and current sales listings, all useful context alongside the recall.

To confirm whether the camera fix was actually performed on a given car, and whether the final 25V-615 software is even available yet, contact a Polestar dealer with the VIN. Neither NHTSA's free tool nor a Zilocar check shows remedy status; only the dealer can confirm the repair was completed.

On a test drive, shift into reverse and watch the center screen. Confirm the rearview image appears promptly, stays stable, and does not go blank, lag, freeze, or display a Camera Unavailable warning. Cycle reverse a few times, since the failure can be intermittent.

What a VIN check can and can't tell you here

A VIN check is genuinely useful for a used Polestar 2, but its limits matter on this specific defect. It can confirm a recall is attached and surface the vehicle's history; it cannot prove the camera software was flashed or track NHTSA's investigation. Those belong to NHTSA's VIN tool and a Polestar dealer.

Prior rear-end or backing damage is a meaningful flag here: a camera that goes blank or lags in reverse raises low-speed reverse collision risk, so a car's accident history is directly relevant context. The honest sequence is to screen the VIN for recall presence and history, then take the VIN to a Polestar dealer to confirm whether the camera remedy was completed.

Sources

• NHTSA Recall 25V-615 acknowledgement (current recall, 27,816 units) — regulator
• NHTSA ODI Recall Query RQ25-004 information request letter (193 reports) — regulator
• NHTSA Recall 25V-280 acknowledgement (second recall, FMVSS 111) — regulator
• NHTSA recalls-by-VIN tool — regulator
• Polestar 2 official model page (confirms performance fastback) — manufacturer
• Insurance Journal: US regulator opens recall query into 27,000+ Polestar 2 — trade
• Cars.com Polestar 2 recalls hub — trade

Last verified: 2026-06-19