2023 Polestar Polestar 2 Complaint Log

When I put the car in reverse and begin to back up, roughly 20% of the time, the backup camera does not work. Sometimes it blinks on and off. Often, it shows a "Camera temporarily unavailable" message. This prevents me from being able to adequately see cars passing behind me. I was notified of a recent recall for this issue. Polestar notified me of a software update to fix this issue. I have updated the car using the software update, and the issue remains.

Reverse Backup Camera is failing. Rear Backup camera is worse with the latest recall (ID: 11669313) fix announced June 25 2025. My car has been updated with the software that was suppose to fix the issue (version 3.6.4) but the recall issue happens more frequently now. The symptoms are the same: When first driving the car, if I put it into reverse, I either immediately get a “Camera Temporarily Not Available” warning or more often the rear camera comes on and then a few seconds later while backing up the camera turns off with the same error and does not automatically comeback on. Sometimes however will while backing up it may sometimes switch to 360 view which is not suppose to happen while in reverse. When the camera does this, I can manually toggle the camera back on/off via the cars user interface and it will display OK and may or may not turn off again with the error message. Car has been in the shop twice before for this issue this past year because the recall issue and each time newer software, at Polestar’s insistence, was installed. Their service center was also able to reproduce. The latest update v3.6.4 was installed over the air and was suppose to ‘finally’ fix it but it did not.

The reverse camera fails when backing up very frequently with the words "camera is temporarily unavailable". This is the same issue as NHTSA Recall No. 25v-280 but the recall work has already been done on my vehicle (I am already on software 3.6.4). I have had the updated software for only a few days and already had this failure at least three times. How was this allowed to be considered fixed? This is the second time polestar and the NHTSA have failed to do anything substantial about this issue and it has been an issue for multiple years. Please get your shit together.

When starting the car and reversing the display for the reversing camera that shows on the center console occasionally freezes and errors out. This happens about 1 in 4 times. This makes reversing hazardous when it happens as the camera is necessary to see all angles of the car as mirrors are not sufficient for full sight.

Most recent recall has not resolved the issue of backup camera failing to operate properly. Often, the camera says”unavailable “ as the uploaded pictures show. Other times, the camera image freezes and turns off , causing a safety hazard for reversing. The open recall states that the software update will fix this. My software has been updated and these issues still persist.

Backup camera continues to have random issues. Sometimes message pops up saying camera not available while in reverse.

My Polestar 2's rear camera consistently malfunctions, either displaying a glitchy image or a 'rear camera unavailable' message. This issue occurs multiple times a week, significantly reducing rear visibility and creating an increased safety risk, especially when backing up or maneuvering in traffic. This defect presents a serious hazard and requires a reliable resolution

ACC is fine, but Pilot Assist's lane cornering cannot be trusted to stay within the lines. Oftentimes, it believes it's got everything under control (the Pilot Assist icon stays yellow) but the Lane Keeping Aid icon lights up. It's like there are two separate systems that don't talk to each other: LKA says, "You're over the line," but Pilot Assist says, "No, everything is okay." Most egregiously, when Pilot Assist knows it doesn't have everything under control, there's no audible alert. The Pilot Assist light just turns off silently, which is extremely dangerous.

Multiple times following the latest recall for backup camera issues I have experienced the “camera not available” error when backing up that renders the backup camera useless.

Back up camera routinely doesn’t work. Displays a message saying it’s temporarily unavailable. I’m running the latest software that was supposed to fix this, 3.6.4

When shifting the vehicle into reverse the rear view camera fails to activate.

Backup camera either lags or shows camera not available when driving car shortly after starting

I was notified of NHTSA RECALL 24V-280 - RP1056 of my vehicle. Polestar said this issue was fixed by going to software 3.6.3. My Car skipped this update and went straight to 3.6.4 which is past that release. But the same issue is present and works no better. I still get frequent messages in the console saying "camera is temporarily unavailable"

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.

Rearview camera consistently fails, and will show "camera temporarily unavailable" despite the over-the-air update to software versions 3.6.4

The parking assist camera reports an error when trying to reverse. I have already received a recall notice (25V-280) and had the software updated at the dealer to v3.6.4. However, I still get an error that the "Camera is temporarily unavailable" when putting the car in reverse. This error does not happen every time, but it typically occurs when I put the car in reverse immediately after getting in the car (ex. when getting into the car to back out of my garage).

They claimed to fix the rear camera issue with a recent recall fix but it is still a problem. I regularly get a 'camera not available' message when I put my car in reverse.

Software update received from recall did not fix issue with backup camera. Still receive "Camera is temporarily unavailable" message about 50% of time.

I'm the original owner and curenthly the ODO reading is 25316 I have multiple ''Camera temporarily unavailable'' messages for back up camera on all previous software but I was ingnoring them and not fill up any complain to NHSA and on the last software update 3.6.4 that suppose to fix this is happening almost evrytime time. Not sure how long would take them to fix the issues.I belive is even a safety recall for this Software update but is not working.(a least in my car).

When placed into reverse, backup camera fails to initialize. Displays message "Camera is temporarily unavailable". System software is 3.6.4

After OTA update 3.6.4, I am still seeing a "camera not available" error when putting my car into reverse. The backup camera does not appear, so I only have my mirrors and windows available to see behind me. Update 3.6.4 was supposed to fix this issue, but I still occasionally get the error when I put my car into reverse. The error was not confirmed by a dealer, manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives due to me just receiving the OTA update this past week.

The software update to fix recall issue of 'rear visibility' did not work and the problem continues in which the back up camera is not activated by putting the car in reverse gear.

Backup camera will say “camera temporarily unavailable.” Manufacturer says it’s working on a fix.

After getting the update to fix the rear camera not being available, I still got the message stating camera is temporarily unavailable while I was backing out of the driveway.

Rear camera continues to stop working while reversing the vehicle. Latest software has been installed (3.6.4). This problem happens frequently, and makes parking and maneuvering dangerous.

I have received the latest OTA update (3.6.4) and I am still having rear camera issues. I believe that the CPU unit on these cars are faulty as I see many in online forums reporting the same.

I have a Polestar 2 and it has been recalled for an over the air update to correct backup camera failing to activate. The current software version for the computer in the car is 3.6.4. I am writing to notify your agency that the issue is uncorrected despite this “patch” or over the air update and that the rear backup camera still does not activate when switching in to reverse. This is a safety problem because the car has bad visibility when using mirrors and much of the rear of the car can not be viewed with mirrors.

The vehicle refuses to acknowledge the keys to the vehicle and refuses to shift to D or N. This is happened to my vehicle multiple times. The dealership from Polestar Austin refuses to repair the issue.

Backup camera says camera not available and does not work ~50% of the time while trying to back up.

A recall was issued April 25 because the rear camera fails. It is supposed to be addressed by OTA software update. I have NOT received an update, and I've been unable to get an appt to have it installed by Service. It's been 4 months, and I'm told there are no appts for several more months. This seems very dangerous...

The backup camera some times does not work for a minute when the car first starts up.

- Every time I back up within ~30-60 seconds of getting in the car, the backup camera turns off and switches to a screen that says "Camera unavailable". This is a major safety issue and has led to some close calls while backing up. Someone could have been hit. - This is an extremely common issue that most Polestar 2 owners have (at least for <=2023 models), the service center has been unable to do anything. - This has been happening since I got the car in January 2022

The rear camera freezes or doesn’t work at all.

The car consistently has issues with the rear view camera failing when reversing with a warning stating "Camera is Temporarily Unavailable." When backing up the camera sometimes stutters, making it impossible to notice a person or object until it's too late and then it fails completely to a black screen and presents a warning that the camera is unavailable. This is an example incident that has occured every day this week, when backing out of our driveway the camera will take almost a minute to turn on as the infotainment system boots up although the car is already in reverse. As you reverse, it stutters for a few seconds before failing completely. The rear collision warning will kick and slam on the brakes as we almost backed into traffic while the camera was blacked out. The issue is further exacerbated because the design of the car is based on leveraging the rear view camera and has limited visibility if trying to back up using the rear window. The car also lowers the side view mirrors when reversing and when the camera fails, the sideview mirrors remain dipped. Usually don't notice until we get on the highway and try to change lanes and realize we can't check if there's a car in our blind spot and need to readjust the mirrors while trying to drive on Atlanta highways. We have complained multiple times and Polestar keeps insisting they have fixed it with the latest software update but nothing has changed. They have utilized insufficient hardware power for critical safety systems. We have multiple complaints recorded with Dyer and Dyer Volvo to address the issue with no resolution. This has been occurring since the car was new.

When first starting the vehicle the camera routinely does not work and gives an error message "Camera is temporarily unavailable". This typically happens in the first minute or two. I have brought up this issue with the service center and they confirmed all software updates had been performed. Due to the design of the vehicle it's very hard to see out of the back so the camera is very important. The issue occurred today, 2/18/25, so I am entering that date although it has happened the entire time I have owned the vehicle (Late October 2023). Current mileage is approximately 21,000 miles.

Rear backup camera has consistently failed to initialize since I purchased the vehicle in September 2023. Infotainment system states: “Camera is temporarily unavailable”

Almost everyday I back out of my driveway and the backup camera either doesn't start at all (it says 'temporarily unavailable' - but oddly seems to work a few minutes later). Or it flickers so badly and slowly between an overhead view and backup that its hard to see. This has caused multiple near misses. The rear window is nearly useless so I can't even overcome this there was already one recall on this system and it actually made the number of times the camera goes unavailable worse, not better.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The reverse cameras don't function. It doesn't turn on with a message on the center screen saying. The camera system is temporarily unavailable. Yes, it is available for inspection upon resuqest. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The rear visibility while reversing is not adequate, causing multiple issues when parking into tight spaces without the camera, Additionally the ADAS Forward collision warning brakes randomly resulting in unintentional brake checks on highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The dealer blamed the issue on a connected dashcam. This is not confirmed by Polestar or Volvo. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, Volvo of austin. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO

While in reverse, the backup camera frequently goes blank and an onscreen warning appears stating that the rear camera is temporarily unavailable.

Backup camera continues to fail. Upon starting the car and putting it in reverse, the camera will briefly show, freeze and then a message appears stating "Camera is temporarily unavailable." The camera will not turn back on. There was a recent software update to v 3.1.9 to try and alleviate this issue, but it still persists. This is dangerous when the camera flickers, freezes and then completely is lost. TCAS and infotainment systems have been reset. Same results.

Rearview Backup Camera is frequently unavailable when putting car in reverse. On 8/9/24 I brought the car to dealership for diagnosis. I was told that the camera system is performing as expected. This morning backing out of driveway, the camera was again unavailable.

Often when getting in the car and backing up to leave a garage or parking space the backup camera will not display anything and posts the message “Backup Camera Temporarily Unavailable.” sometimes the backup camera may work for a second or two before displaying the message and sometimes it immediately shows. The message will stay until I manually toggle off and on the camera OR the car triggers its 360 camera if near another object. When the 360 view happens it stays in that view which uses the same rear camera and from that screen I can also then just show the rear camera. This started happening Since Aug 2024 AFTER a fix for a software recall for the backup camera “flashing” black for long periods of time a new and very related problem emerged that happens almost as often, maybe 50% of the time when I first backup out of my garage and 20% of the time later in the day when backing up after getting in the car in a parking lot. I have a video of the entire sequence which I can’t upload but would be happy to provide.

The backup camera flickers and goes dark repeatedly while reversing the car. Super dangerous. This has been a continuing problem with this car since I purchased it and has gotten worse with the most recent software update.

Rear camera functionality keeps failing. Camera either won't load at all or flickers on and off for a couple minutes before it'll load. Rear visibility of vehicle is very poor, so need for camera is essential for safety.

The backup camera never works. There was a recent update that made it much worse. The visibility is terrible out of the back window so the camera is pretty important. It always just says it’s unavailable which is very frustrating. No inspections or warning lights but it seems to be a software issue that many people are experiencing

When putting the car in reverse, the rear camera displays briefly. As you start to reverse, the camera cuts in and out and you're unable to see what is behind you on the screen. It flashes to black for at least a minute, so you're unable to use the backup camera for up to 60 seconds after you put the car in reverse.

The vehicle was driven to a shopping mart in my locality for less than 10 miles. When we got out of the vehicle it started showing all sorts of errors like Propulsion system failure, Parking Brakes unavailable, Breaking system not available. The car was taken to Polestar Austin and after keeping the vehicle for 15 days they informed me that they can't find the issue hence have only done a SW update. They suspected a DashCam connected to the camera WILL DEFINATELY cause propulsion and brake failure. The EV reached a temperature of about 161F and was frantically trying to cool itself.

My rear cameras are blacking out as I back up (I have video) or at times switching to an overview 360 visual. I have let the dealer know this, but its taken 3 weeks to get an appointment. They have switched out the IHU a couple of months ago but this problem is still occurring. Polestar is refusing (corporate) to speak with me about this.

The backup camera seemingly blinks just as you begin backing up and at random times as the vehicle is backing up causing vision to be lost

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.