Is the Polestar 2 reliable?

The Polestar 2 scores 75/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 47% of the cars we track. That is computed from 57,401 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Polestar 2 cost?

A 2023 Polestar 2 with around 36,753 miles is worth roughly £17,750 today (typical range £15,700–£19,800). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Polestar 2 depreciate?

A new Polestar 2 typically loses about 54% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Polestar 2?

The Polestar 2 sits in insurance group 36 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Polestar 2?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Polestar 2 are: tyres & wheels (typically around 30k-60k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Polestar 2 cost to run?

Expect around 4 miles per kWh on the Long Range Single Motor RWD, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Polestar 2 ULEZ compliant?

The Polestar 2 is pure-electric, so it is exempt from the London ULEZ charge and every other UK clean-air zone, whatever the registration year.

How many Polestar 2s are on UK roads?

About 34,687 Polestar 2s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #105 car in the UK · Fastback (EV) · 5,425 units sold last year

Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 (2020 on) is the Volvo-derived electric fastback - understated Scandinavian design, solid build and a Google-based interface that pioneered native Android Automotive. A 2023 update switched the single-motor car to rear-drive and improved range. It's a calm, well-made alternative to a Tesla Model 3, less overtly sporty but more grown-up inside, and a sensible used electric choice.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: Fastback (EV)
Years: 2020–2026
Fuel: Electric
Efficiency: 4 mi/kWh
Insurance: Group 36

The short version

23/100

Forecourt score

Value 8 · Reliability 43 · Insurance 13 · catalogue percentiles

The Polestar 2 loses value faster than most cars and is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good — an MOT score of 75/100, ahead of 47% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 8% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Electric

Power

299 ps

Drivetrain

RWD

Efficiency

4 mi/kWh

The volume Polestar 2. 82 kWh NMC, 299 PS RWD, ~406 mi WLTP - the longest-range single-motor electric saloon in this class. 205 kW DC. The sweet spot of the range.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20202026

Mileage on the clock36,753 mi

0Expected: 36,753180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£17,750

Range £14,650 – £21,100

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £45,000Age-based value£20,849Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£18Market calibration-£1,931Forecourt price£18,900Private sale£16,550Part-exchange£14,550

Holdthis 3-year-old

Fair value — depreciation is moderating.

At 36,753 miles it’s about the ~36,675 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Polestar 2 loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 36,753 miles you entered above — worth about £17,750 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 12,251 miles a year.

5-year total

£17,994

Per year

£3,599

All-in per mile

£0.29

Fuel per mile

7.7p

Depreciation£4,719

Fuel / energy£4,725

Servicing£2,570

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£4,980

Best age to buy — around 2 years

A 2-year-old example loses roughly £2,350 a year — 88% less than the £18,800 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 8%

Reliabilitybetter than 43%

Cheap to insurebetter than 13%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Single Motor (RWD post-MY24)

Auto Express 2025 Family Car of the Year (post-MY24 refresh). The MY24 refresh moved motor to rear, upgraded battery, added 350kW DC. Cross-shop Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, Hyundai Ioniq 6. Pre-MY24 used cars cheaper but inferior.

New price: circa £47,000
Annual fuel / energy: £850
3-yr depreciation: 50%

Watch for

·Pre-MY24 had FWD layout (criticised for sedan/coupe context)
·Heat pump issues on some pre-2023 units (campaign-fixed)
·Software updates frequent (OTA)
·Chinese-built (Geely Luqiao)

Dual Motor / Performance Pack

AWD Polestar 2 the sensible faster pick. Performance Pack adds Öhlins/Brembo for track use. Cross-shop Tesla Model 3 Performance (cheaper, faster), BMW i4 M60.

New price: circa £56,000
Annual fuel / energy: £950
3-yr depreciation: 51%

Watch for

·Performance Pack adds £4-5k for cosmetic/dynamic upgrades
·Tyre wear quick on Performance
·Brembo brakes pricey to replace

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 36 of 50 (high — premium bracket) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£996/ year

Roughly £83 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£2,270	£2,837	£3,688
Age 26-32	£1,185	£1,394	£1,700
Age 33-39Selected	£876	£996	£1,175
Age 40-49	£744	£826	£958
Age 50+	£663	£737	£869

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage12,251 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 12,25130,000

Routine service

£290

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£280

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Electricity

£827

4 mi/kWh, 27p blended

Insurance

£996

Age 33-39, group 36

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Electric variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,593 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£120

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£360

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£780

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£1,350

per year · high risk

Tyres

205/60 R16 · 225/50 R17 · 245/40 R18

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heat pump Genuinely useful in winter; buyers increasingly look for it.	£1,000	£450	45%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Adaptive / matrix LED headlights	£900	£400	44%
Faster on-board AC charger	£800	£300	38%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Advanced driver-assistance pack	£1,500	£450	30%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%
Premium sound system	£800	£200	25%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 36,753 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Tyres & wheelsWatch now

Typical at 30k-60k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 8.6% of MOT tests 30k-60k miles — from 53,793 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 53,793 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450low severityParts high

Recorded in 1.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 53,793 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at 60k-100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 0.8% of MOT tests 60k-100k miles — from 53,793 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Seat belts & restraintsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£250low severityParts high

Recorded in 1.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 53,793 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 0.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 53,793 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Polestar 2, from its 2021 assessment.

5/5

TEST YEAR2021

Current rating · valid to 2027

A blind-spot information system (BLIS) was standard equipment on the Polestar 2 when it was originally launched.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014. Euro NCAP ratings run for six years from publication; a lapsed rating means the protocol has moved on, not that the car performs any worse than it did on test.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 57,401 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

89.5% at 3yr → 83.7% at 6yr

A 3-year-old 2 passes its MOT 89.5% of the time; by 6 years that has slipped to 83.7%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

Not enough older examples yet to gauge longevity.

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a 2 registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 18,750 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels7.7%
Driver's view0.7%
Suspension0.5%
Lighting & signalling0.4%
Seat belts & restraints0.3%
Identification & other0.2%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a 2 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr36,675
4 yr44,398
5 yr52,926
6 yr55,662

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

75/ 100

Good

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (18,750 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

85%first-time pass rate

47th percentile — Below catalogue average

Based on 2,702 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01The post-2023 single-motor rear-drive car is the efficiency and range pick; dual-motor adds pace.
02The built-in Google interface is slick and well-integrated - one of the better EV infotainment systems.
03Built on a combustion-derived platform, so the rear seat and boot are good rather than class-leading - check space.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Polestar 2, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Higher-value cars like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Lower

As an electric car it has no catalytic converter, so the most common parts-theft vector doesn't apply.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Polestar 2 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

EV reality check

64 kWh

Winter range

290 mi

Cold-weather realistic

DC charge 10–80%

28 min

Typical

Heat pump

Standard

Standard fit

Battery chemistry

NMC

Higher energy density, faster charging, charge to 80% daily

Cost to charge

~£17

full charge · ~£6.75/100mi

Winter range estimates assume ~5°C ambient with cabin heating; figures from manufacturer cold-weather testing where available, otherwise derived as a fraction of WLTP. DC times are manufacturer-claimed 10–80% on the headline charger; real-world sessions on UK rapids can be slower. Charging cost is a full battery at the home/blended electricity rate; public rapid charging costs more.

UK charging network

119,080 public chargers across the UK

As of 2026-04-01, the UK has 119,080 publicly available EV chargers, up 12.6% on the prior year (13,281 added in 2025). 23% of those are rapid (50 kW+) or ultra-rapid (150 kW+), so the network can support both home and on-route charging.

3-8 kW

50%

Standard

8-50 kW

27%

Standard plus

50-150 kW

12%

Rapid

150 kW+

11%

Ultra-rapid

Source: Department for Transport / Zapmap · Released 2026-05-21 · DfT statistics

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Polestar is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~18

Limited network

Direct-sale EV

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Polestar is 0.4% of all franchised outlets)

A limited network — you may need to travel for main-dealer servicing, though independent specialists can often help.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,700 mm

Width

1,840 mm

Height

1,450 mm

Kerb weight

1,900 kg

Boot

460–480 L

Battery

64 kWh

How many are still out there

How the UK Polestar 2 fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

34,992

Currently taxed & on road

34,687

99% of all registered

SORN (off road)

305

1% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2020 to 2025

+15.8% vs 2024

83434,687

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

Same underpinnings

Built on the Volvo CMA platform

Smaller sister to SPA, co-developed by Volvo and Geely for compact premium cars and SUVs. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Volvo
XC40

Compact Modular Architecture · Volvo Cars / Geely

Common questions

Polestar 2, answered from the data

Is the Polestar 2 reliable?: The Polestar 2 scores 75/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 47% of the cars we track. That is computed from 57,401 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Polestar 2 cost?: A 2023 Polestar 2 with around 36,753 miles is worth roughly £17,750 today (typical range £15,700–£19,800). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Polestar 2 depreciate?: A new Polestar 2 typically loses about 54% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Polestar 2?: The Polestar 2 sits in insurance group 36 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Polestar 2?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Polestar 2 are: tyres & wheels (typically around 30k-60k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Polestar 2 cost to run?: Expect around 4 miles per kWh on the Long Range Single Motor RWD, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Polestar 2 ULEZ compliant?: The Polestar 2 is pure-electric, so it is exempt from the London ULEZ charge and every other UK clean-air zone, whatever the registration year.
How many Polestar 2s are on UK roads?: About 34,687 Polestar 2s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.