Polestar 2 Lemon Law

Polestar recalled about 27,816 Polestar 2s (model years 2020–2024) because an infotainment software bug can stop the rearview camera image from appearing when you shift into reverse — a safety hazard exactly when you need the camera most. The defect stems from how the infotainment head unit allocates its visual memory.

What makes this a strong lemon case is that it keeps coming back: Polestar issued a first recall (NHTSA 24V477), then a second (25V280), and a further remedy after earlier fixes didn't hold — with fully updated software not expected until 2026. Many owners report the camera still failing after the "fix."

That sequence is worth stating plainly, because it is unusual and it is the heart of the case. Polestar has now attempted to correct the same defect more than once, by its own account, and has acknowledged that a complete remedy was not available when the earlier campaigns were issued. A manufacturer that recalls a vehicle, recalls it again for the same problem, and then tells owners the real fix is still coming has documented the repeated-attempt element of a lemon law claim in its own filings. You do not have to prove the fixes failed — the recall history says so.

There is a second consequence owners miss. If your camera failed, was "repaired" under the first campaign, failed again, and was repaired again under the second, that is two attempts on the same defect before you ever complained a third time. Owners routinely describe themselves as having been in "once or twice" when the recall record establishes more. Pull your service history before assuming you do not have enough.

A backup camera that goes black is easy to under-rate as an inconvenience. It is not treated that way. Rear visibility equipment is federally required, which is why this was handled as a safety recall rather than a software courtesy update — and on a defect that affects safety, two repair attempts can be enough. There is no fixed number; the seriousness of the defect informs what counts as reasonable.

Timing favors you on a Polestar. Polestar did not opt into California's AB 1755 procedures, so the tighter one-year and six-year deadlines that apply to Jeep, Ford, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz do not apply here. A Polestar claim runs on the traditional four-year statute of limitations, measured from when you discovered the defect rather than from delivery. A 2020 or 2021 Polestar 2 can still be a live claim where a same-age car from an opted-in brand would already be time-barred — which matters on a model whose recall history reaches back years.

When a manufacturer can't permanently repair a safety defect after a reasonable number of attempts, or your Polestar 2 has other unresolved warranty problems, California's Lemon Law may entitle you to a buyback, replacement, or cash settlement — with Polestar paying your attorney fees.

On a qualifying claim the buyback refunds what you have paid, less a mileage offset calculated from the miles driven before your first repair attempt — not from your current odometer. Miles accumulated while Polestar worked through three attempts at the same defect do not reduce your recovery. A replacement vehicle or a cash-and-keep settlement are the alternatives if you would rather keep the car.

A recall is not automatically a lemon — it's the manufacturer acknowledging a defect and offering a free repair. California's Lemon Law (the Song-Beverly Act) comes into play when a substantial defect can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, or when your 2 has been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days.

If your Polestar 2 qualifies, you may be entitled to a buyback (a refund of what you've paid, minus a mileage offset), a replacement vehicle, or a cash-and-keep settlement — and Polestar pays your attorney fees on a successful claim, so pursuing your case costs you nothing out of pocket.