U.S. agency reopens inquiry on cross-border Polestar EV recall

A Polestar electric vehicle is at the New York International Auto Show in New York on Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

A software glitch affecting the back-up cameras on thousands of North American Polestar EVs may still be a problem even after an update by the manufacturer, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says.

The issue was previously identified by Transport Canada in Polestar 2 models from 2021 to 2025, as well as 2025 Polestar 3 SUVs.

According to recall notices dated from June 2024 up to this May and affecting more than 14,000 vehicles in all, the on-board screens could display the wrong camera view, or no view at all, failing to satisfy Canadian automotive regulations and increasing the risk of a crash.

At the time of the recall notices, Transport Canada noted that Volvo, a partnered company of Polestar, would notify owners by mail and deploy a “wireless over-the-air software update” to resolve the issue. Owners could also bring their car to a dealership to have the update applied manually.

Similar recalls were announced in the United States for more than 30,000 Polestar 2s and 3s, also noting the software update.

According to NHTSA records, the U.S. agency began receiving additional consumer complaints about some models in June, including for vehicles that had already received the updates.

“Rear-view cameras were nevertheless continuing to fail in the same manner that they had previously,” a notice published Wednesday reads, adding that Polestar acknowledged to the NHTSA that an April software update “did not correct the original issue.”

The U.S. agency says it has re-opened its recall query for the affected models.

In response to a CTVNews.ca inquiry, Transport Canada encouraged drivers to report any suspected defects affecting safety by phone at 1-800-333-0510 or online at the department’s recalls page.