2025 Polestar Polestar 3 Recalls & Complaints

Incident: September 22, 2026 · Filed: September 23, 2026

I was driving south on the Palisades Interstate Parkway and started to exit at Exit 9E when the automatic emergency brake engaged and the seat belt tensioners engaged. There were no vehicles in front of me or very close to me. The stop was jarring. There was no apparent reason for this to happen.

Incident: June 22, 2026 · Filed: June 23, 2026

Since taking delivery of the vehicle, multiple electronic and computer-related systems have failed or malfunctioned. Initial issues included unreliable phone synchronization, dropped phone calls, and failure of the driver memory profile system, including seat and side mirror memory settings. Over time, the problems have become more serious and now involve safety-related systems. The vehicle intermittently displays SOS system failure warnings. The center and steering wheel display screens have gone black while the vehicle is in operation, resulting in the loss of vehicle information and audio alerts. During these incidents, it is difficult or impossible to confirm the status of certain vehicle functions through the display. The vehicle has also generated false occupant detection warnings indicating that a person has been left in the vehicle when no person or object was present. In addition, seat belt warning alerts repeatedly activate for a properly installed child safety seat. These warnings appear even when the child restraint is correctly secured. The failures occur intermittently and have been ongoing for months. The problems are particularly concerning because the vehicle is regularly used to transport young children. The combination of SOS system failures, display screen outages, and false safety warnings has significantly reduced confidence in the vehicle's ability to reliably communicate safety-related information to the driver. Multiple attempts have been made to obtain assistance and repairs through the manufacturer and service channels, but the issues remain unresolved. The vehicle should be available for inspection upon request.

Incident: June 12, 2026 · Filed: June 16, 2026

Unable to access brand new vehicle for several days. Would not respond to any keys (including the app). First tow company didn't have proper equipment. Spoke with Polestar support two days later and they sent out another tow company after trying some troubleshooting they suggested. Tow truck driver was able to get doors to open after jumping the 12v battery (which others have reported problems on). Upon starting vehicle, received electric system warning. Recommended to tow to nearest dealership.

Incident: May 30, 2026 · Filed: June 2, 2026

On-Board Charger not working on L2 charge

Incident: April 30, 2026 · Filed: April 30, 2026

I am submitting a complaint regarding my Polestar 3, which is subject to two open NHTSA safety recalls: 26V-037 and 25V-555. I attempted to have these recalls addressed on March 7, 2026, at Volvo Manhattan (an authorized Polestar service provider). Upon arrival, I was informed that no qualified Polestar technicians were available to service my vehicle, and I was told I would receive a follow-up call. No follow-up occurred. On April 30, 2026, I contacted the Polestar service desk at Volvo Manhattan again. I was informed that they currently have only two Polestar technicians, that they are unable to schedule a service appointment, and that no timeline can be provided for when recall service will be available. As of today, I have been unable to obtain any appointment to remedy these safety recalls, nor any estimate of when the defects will be corrected. I am concerned that Polestar is failing to meet its obligations under federal law to provide a timely remedy for safety recalls. My vehicle is approximately one year old and remains in service with unresolved safety issues. I request that NHTSA investigate whether Polestar is complying with recall remedy requirements in the United States, particularly with respect to service capacity and availability.

Incident: March 10, 2026 · Filed: April 10, 2026

On [XXX], while driving, the car issued a warning that stated, “driving performance reduced. Book a service” and an icon of a turtle. Then on [XXX], while driving on [XXX], the car suddenly slowed dramatically that me, my husband and our frenchie in a dog crate behind us lurched forward violently. Estimated 30 mph sudden drop in speed then the turtle icon appeared briefly. I took the car to the Polestar 3 service department in North Hills, CA on March 12 and it is now April 10 without any resolution in site. Notably, this Polestar 3 also would not unlock the morning of [XXX]x only one night after we signed a lease contract. It had to be towed from our Los Angeles house’s garage. Then on [XXX], it would not charge and had to be in service for almost four weeks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: January 20, 2026 · Filed: April 8, 2026

Vehicle has multiple ongoing defects, most critically a malfunctioning occupant detection system causing the alarm to activate randomly, including overnight when the vehicle is empty. This creates a safety concern and repeated public disturbances. The issue has not been resolved despite multiple service attempts. Additional issues include persistent propulsion system fault messages, repeated major service warnings, and intermittent system errors. The vehicle experiences charging failures, with inconsistent ability to charge at home or public stations. Infotainment system is extremely slow and unreliable, and both the center display and driver screen reset unexpectedly while driving or parked. Driver-side window intermittently reports as open or cracks open without input. Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay connections are unreliable. Driver profile settings do not consistently adjust seating and mirror positions. Mechanical issues include a glove compartment that does not open, premature wiper failure, and a front wheel center cap that detached while driving. Vehicle has required multiple tows and has been in service for an extended period (approximately one month) without resolution. Issues persist despite repeated repair attempts by an authorized service center. Polestar corporate has ghosted me and no longer will help.

Incident: April 4, 2026 · Filed: April 6, 2026

The driver-side rear taillight assembly suffers from a persistent seal failure, allowing significant moisture accumulation and water droplets to build up inside the lamp housing. This defect was documented by the Polestar Delivery Specialist at the time of vehicle handover and has persisted despite two prior warranty replacements of the lamp assemblies (authorized under Polestar TIE case 01943145). The manufacturer now claims this is a "natural phenomenon" due to a vented design; however, the volume of water accumulation is sufficient to obstruct the clarity and brightness of the safety signaling. Repairs: The vehicle has had the taillight assemblies replaced twice (August 2025 and December 2025) with no permanent resolution.

Incident: March 13, 2026 · Filed: March 20, 2026

Failed to schedule recall RP1063 repair with dealer Boston Polestar (617) 925-7300 for my Polestar 3. I contacted Boston Polestar several times to schedule the recall RP1063 repair, but I was unable to get an appointment. The call operator redirected me to the Polestar service department, which was always busy. The operator left notes for the Polestar manager and promised I would receive a call back, but no one called back. Please help. Best, Jun

Incident: December 1, 2025 · Filed: March 4, 2026

The vehicle has experienced repeated failures of the high-voltage charging system that prevent normal charging. The first failure occurred at approximately 511 miles, with warning messages related to the charging/high-voltage system and inability to charge reliably using normal AC charging equipment. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer/service center and the issue was confirmed. The vehicle was out of service from December 1, 2025 to January 9, 2026 for diagnosis/repair. After being returned, the same charging-related failure reoccurred. The vehicle again went back to the authorized service center and has been out of service from February 10, 2026 to March 4, 2026 and counting. (the issue remains unresolved / parts are on order). Total time out of service is approximately 63 days for the same defect. Current mileage is approximately 1,070 miles. In addition, when attempting to charge using DC fast charging, charging performance was also abnormal. The DC fast charging rate was significantly reduced and it took approximately one hour to add only a small amount of range/energy. This defect creates a safety risk because the vehicle cannot be charged reliably, increasing the risk of being stranded without the ability to safely operate the vehicle as intended, including being unable to travel to a safe location if the battery becomes depleted. The authorized dealer/service center has reproduced/confirmed the problem and the affected components are available for inspection at the service facility upon request.