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What to check: Polestar 2

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Ranked across all years of the Polestar 2, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this modelOn full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 2.1% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 0.1%

Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this modelWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 1.0% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 0.1%

DampersLook for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 0.7% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 2.1%

A binding brakeAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 0.4% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 0.3%

Warning lights on ignitionTurn the ignition on without starting the engine and watch the dash. Every warning light should appear, then go out once it is running. Be more suspicious of a light that never comes on at all than of one that stays on; warning bulbs have been known to vanish before a sale.Recorded on 0.4% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 0.1%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 21.6% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 16.6%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 8.5% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 7.0%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 3-5 · class average 1.4%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Reverse into a space and check the rearview camera image is sharp and appears instantly.A delayed, frozen or blank image points at the camera fault behind the 2024-2025 recalls.

Check the infotainment screen through a full boot cycle, and try navigation and climate menus.Freezing, lag or an unresponsive screen is the known Android Automotive glitch, not a hardware write-off but worth knowing about before you buy.

Ask to see the car's software update and service history, or check with a Polestar dealer using the VIN.Confirms whether the 2020-2021 propulsion-loss recall and later camera recall were actually carried out.

Drive it on a rough B-road, not just a smooth test route, and note the wheel size fitted.A harsh, fidgety ride on 20-inch wheels is normal for this car, not a fault, but it should factor into whether you want to live with it.

Pull away from a stop a few times during the test drive, including from cold if possible.Any hesitation or unexpected power cut is worth flagging even though the known software bug should be long fixed by now.

Check the DVSA MOT history for advisories, even though most Polestar 2s are still young enough to have had few MOTs.Repeated electrical or software-related advisories suggest a car that has not had its recall work done.

Full Polestar 2 reliability report