How reliable is the Polestar 2 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Polestar 2, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 87.5% across 13,952 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Polestar 2?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 58.2% of failed Polestar 2 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Polestar 2?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.5% of all Polestar 2 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Polestar 2 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 40,504 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Polestar 2 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 13,952 recorded MOT tests of the Polestar 2, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 13,952 MOT tests, 87.5% of Polestar 2 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Polestar 2 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre seriously damaged, which appears in 58.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 40,504 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

87.5%unadjusted, not comparable13,952 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the 2. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 13,952 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

Electric car

How the 2 compares with other electric cars

At 3 to 5 years old the Polestar 2 passes 86.9% of MOT tests, from 12,223 tests in that age band. Petrol and diesel cars of the same age pass 89.9%, so this model sits 3.0 points below that baseline. Among electric cars it ranks 26 of 43.

There is no emissions test for an electric car and the MOT does not check the battery. Electric cars as a group fail slightly more often than same-age petrol cars, almost entirely on tyres and suspension, because they are heavier and deliver full torque instantly.

Every electric car ranked, and what fails · What the MOT tests on an electric car

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Polestar 2 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre seriously damaged58.2%
919 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged30.9%
487 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements14.3%
225 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.1%
144 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
5.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage5.3%
83 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen4.8%
75 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning4.6%
72 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged2.6%
41 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
9.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction2.2%
34 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
10.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative2.2%
34 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Polestar 2 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.5%
2,864 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.2%
862 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged6.0%
842 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged4.3%
598 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.5%
487 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.7%
377 tests
7.Nail in tyre2.5%
354 tests
8.A tyre seriously damaged0.9%
130 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Polestar 2

The 19 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The 2 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 40,504
Fuel mix of tested cars: Electric100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (9)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

2 EV FWD
2 PILOT PLUS
POLESTAR 2 EV AWD
POLESTAR 2 EV FWD
POLESTAR 2 EV RWD
POLESTAR 2 PILOT PLUS EV AWD
POLESTAR 2 PLUS EV AWD
POLESTAR 2 PLUS EV FWD
POLESTAR 2 PLUS EV RWD

Check a specific Polestar 2

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Common questions

How reliable is the Polestar 2 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Polestar 2, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 87.5% across 13,952 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Polestar 2?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 58.2% of failed Polestar 2 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Polestar 2?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.5% of all Polestar 2 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Polestar 2 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 40,504 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.