2025 MOT results
Polestar 2 common problems
The most common reason a Polestar 2 fails its MOT is a cut tyre, on 38.7% of its 1,676 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a split joint boot at 7.2% of failures against 0.6% expected; a rear fog lamp out at 4.4% of failures against 0.6% expected; a leaking damper at 4.7% of failures against 1.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 12,857 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 13.0% 1,676 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 28.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Polestar 2 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Polestar 2 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 38.7% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 20.8% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.4% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 7.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.8% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 4.7% |
| Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.1% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 2.5% |
| SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 2.2% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 1.9% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 1.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Cut tyre
38.7% of failures 18.1% expected 2.1 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
20.8% of failures 9.6% expected 2.2 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.4% of failures 11.0% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Split joint boot
7.2% of failures 0.6% expected 12 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
4.8% of failures 15.4% expected 3.3 times less often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Leaking damper
4.7% of failures 1.8% expected 2.6 times as often
A damper leaking its oil, so it no longer controls the spring.
A wet, dirty streak down the damper body, or a corner that keeps bouncing after you push it down.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Polestar 2, on 69.2% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 45.1%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 69.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.3% |
| Visibility | 8.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.6% |
| Suspension | 6.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.4% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1.7% |
| Brakes | 1.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
28.2% of Polestar 2 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Polestar 2s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 4.0% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 3.6% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.5% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.4% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 0.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.9% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 0.6% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.5% |
| Service brake performance: fluctuating, but not excessively Brakes | 0.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 0.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Polestar 2 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Polestar 2?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords” is the most common: it appears on 38.7% of failed Polestar 2 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 69.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Polestar 2 fail its MOT?
13.0% of Polestar 2 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 12,857 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 50 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Polestar 2 than on other cars?
Yes. “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 7.2% of its failures against 0.6% for cars of the same age, and “Rear fog lamp: not working” appears on 4.4% of its failures against 0.6% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Polestar 2 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 12,857 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.