Car recalls can be very scary, after all, it is a bitter pill to swallow to know that our vehicle is not safe to drive, but nowadays most recalls are not that serious as there are a lot of quality controls to ensure that once they come out of the factory they are on as perfect a condition as they can be. Having said that, no amount of prerelease testing can accurately predict what will happen once a massive fleet of vehicles hits the road, and so recalls happening is not that weird. The latest recall has seen around 30,000 vehicles pulled back due to problems linked to software, showing just how common tech-based recalls have become.
While it is not always a straightforward process, they usually happen when a driver notices something off with their vehicle and takes it to the dealership to get it sorted out. Since dealerships keep records of issues with their vehicles and they are shared amongst other facilities, when a pattern emerges the company starts investigating. Once they have investigated, if hey determine that there is a true issue that could affect more vehicles, they start acting on it and notifying the authorities, in this case the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Once the NHTSA the company starts notifying all the potentially affected customers, usually within 60 days, and arranging for the issue to be corrected for free at their local dealership. Sometimes it is the customers who alert the NHTSA before even getting the company involved, and it is then the Administration’s job to launch an investigation into the issue and ensure that the manufacturer is solving the problem in a timely fashion.
The latest recall that affects 30,000 vehicles
Polestar, the Swedish electric car company, is currently dealing with not just one, but two recalls in the U.S. They are a relatively new company and have not been selling long in the States, but they are growing fast, having sold over 13,000 vehicles just last year. And they are not showing any signs of stopping, in fact, since they have partnered with Volvo, they have managed to double sales in just three years as now they have access to a larger network of dealerships and mechanics, which is something customers value.
The first recall affects about 27,800 Polestar 2 models, spanning from 2021 to 2025. According to report 25-280, the issue lies in the backup camera, as when the car is in reverse the camera stops showing an image. The second recall is quite a lot smaller, involving just 3,664 Polestar 3 vehicles that have the same issue.
Considering that this issue, while important to fix is not crucial for the functioning of the car, drivers should not be too concerned. Those who purchased the Polestar 2 model should expect the notice recall by June 19 and those who own the Polestar 3 should look for it around July 1.
The fact that these recalls are software-related is not surprising given how tech-heavy modern vehicles have become, especially electric ones. These give a lot more trouble because of the nature of the beast, but most of the issues can be fixed by just connecting your car to a Wi-Fi and getting a software update. In case that is not an option, taking it to the dealership and getting it fixed should not take a lot of time.
This does not mean we should not be demanding better, safer cars with more testing done on their tech features, but it does mean that we need to have a lot more patience and understanding and perhaps forego some of the flashier and useless features that can complicate a build.