Polestar 2 - Reliability and safety
Polestar includes lots of safety kit, and the brand did very well in the latest Driver Power customer satisfaction survey
The Polestar 2 shares its platform and running gear with the electric Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, so we don’t expect reliability to be too much of an issue.
Even in the short time they’ve been around, it appears the Polestar 2 and the Polestar brand as a whole have made quite the impression on UK buyers, based on the results of the 2023 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. The Polestar 2 managed to finish 17th on our best cars to own list based on owners’ feedback – ahead of the Tesla Model 3 in 22nd place. Meanwhile, Polestar made its debut on the best car manufacturer rankings in second place – ahead of Tesla in third, and only behind Porsche. Owners liked their cars' performance and running costs, but they weren’t so keen on the ride, which is a major issue we have with the Polestar 2.
Industry experts Euro NCAP released its crash-test results for the Polestar 2 in March 2021, and it performed very well. The electric fastback was awarded the organisation’s maximum five-star overall rating, scoring 92 and 89 per cent for adult occupant protection and child protection, respectively. That rating still applies despite the change from front to rear-wheel drive for Single Motor variants.
The 2 also received an 86 per cent score in the safety assistance category, and comes with a full suite of safety systems as standard. Every Polestar 2 comes with a collision mitigation system, which uses front and rear-facing radars to take 'preventative measures' such as applying the brakes if a crash is likely to occur and the driver doesn’t react quickly enough. Other standard kit includes driver-awareness systems like blind-spot information with steering support, rear collision warning and mitigation, and a 360-degree parking camera.
More features are available as part of the optional Pilot Pack, which includes 'Pilot Assist' lane-keeping assistance, Pixel LED headlights, LED front fog lights with cornering function and adaptive cruise control.
Warranty
Polestar offers a three-year/60,000-mile warranty for the 2, while Tesla provides a four-year/50,000-mile warranty for the Model 3. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 has no mileage limits on its five years of coverage.
Like most electric cars, the Polestar’s battery is covered by a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.
Servicing
The Polestar 2 needs servicing every two years or 18,600 miles, whichever comes soonest. Servicing can be carried out at a Volvo dealer because Polestar has ‘close ties with the Volvo Car Group’.
