There are very few things a car can’t do these days, but the only thing it really needs to do is stop and go when we want it to. But it looks like all of the 2,200 currently delivered Polestar 2s will be recalled because they’ve been completely shutting down fo their own accord and failing to start again.
The initial report has come from Swedish publication Dagens industri, which notes that a series of glitches and software errors have been causing the car to completely stop while it’s in motion. Dagens industri reports that three Swedish customers have been affected, which has thus resulted in the Swedish-Chinese company recalling all 2,200 models that customers currently have in hand.
Brent Ellis from Polestar’s PR department confirmed to Dagens industri that things like brakes and steering still work after the cars shut down, so owners have been able to avoid serious accidents. They’re just not able to get the car restarted and have to have it towed.
And while Polestar hasn’t really revealed to anyone which exact components stop functioning, Ellis did confirm that the impacted components are “very safety-critical.” In other words, some very important features are shutting down. It makes sense that Polestar will thus recall all 2s.
We’ve also reached out to Polestar for comment and will update as soon as we hear back.
G/O Media may get a commission
A few Polestar 2 owners wrote in to Inside EVs to share their own experiences. One says that he was told by the “Polestar Space Manager” that the impacted part is “a safety device linking the high voltage and rear engine,” which has resulted in the rear drivetrain being dismantled.
Some Polestar 2 owners received a defect message warning regarding problems with the “drive system” before their car shut down. Others didn’t see anything.
While the Tesla Model 3 had a similar issue after its release, Polestar’s situation seems to be more complicated. In Tesla’s case, the battery just needed to be replaced. In Polestar’s, Ellis has noted that not all impacted cars are having a problem with the battery. The problem remains to be fully identified.
