Sweden · NHTSA recalls & complaints
Polestar VIN decoder
Polestar is a Swedish electric-car brand that began as Volvo's performance division. Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC has been listed on Nasdaq since June 2022; its largest shareholders are linked to Geely founder Li Shufu, and Volvo Cars also holds shares. The range consists of the Polestar 2 electric fastback and the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 electric SUVs.
Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.
- 3 model pages
- 17 recall campaigns
- 673 owner complaints
- model years 2020–2026
- 4 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: Sweden
| Country of origin | Sweden |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | Yes, model years 2020–2026 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | 4 |
| Model pages | 3 |
| Other model names in NHTSA data | 1 |
| Vehicle recall campaigns | 17 |
| Owner complaints | 673 |
| Complaints reporting a crash | 9 (1.3%) |
| Complaints reporting a fire | 0 (0.0%) |
| Complaints reporting an injury | 4 (0.6%) |
| Complaints reporting a death | 0 (0.0%) |
| Data updated | September 25, 2026 |
Most Polestars are built in China: the Polestar 2 at Luqiao and the Polestar 4 at Hangzhou Bay, with Polestar 4 production added at Renault Korea's plant in Busan in 2025. Since March 2026 the Polestar 3 has been built only at Volvo's plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina. That spread is visible in the WMIs: NHTSA's vPIC database lists Swedish, Chinese and U.S. codes with the Polestar make.
Polestar has sold cars in the U.S. since the early 2020s, but it is now leaving. On 29 June 2026 the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security withdrew Polestar's authorisation under the Connected Vehicle Rule, so model-year 2027 and later Polestars cannot be sold in the U.S. The company said it will keep selling existing Polestar 3 and 4 stock and keep supporting owners. NHTSA recall and complaint data for U.S.-market Polestars remains available here.
NHTSA’s files hold 17 vehicle recall campaigns and 673 owner complaints for Polestar vehicles from model years 2020 to 2026, summarised here on 3 model pages. Polestar 2 has the most complaints (592), followed by Polestar 3 (79). Of those complaints, 9 report a crash, 0 a fire, 4 at least one injury and 0 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 4 WMIs to Polestar; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7SY | POLESTAR AUTOMOTIVE USA, INC. | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| LPS | ZHEJIANG HAOQING AUTOMOBILE MFG CO LTD | China | Passenger Car |
| YSM | POLESTAR PERFORMANCE AB | Sweden | Passenger Car |
| YSR | POLESTAR PERFORMANCE AB | Sweden | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 2020–2026.
– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.
Other Polestar models in NHTSA data
NHTSA also lists these Polestar model names, but with no recall campaign and fewer than 25 complaints each, so they have no page of their own: 4.
Which WMI codes does Polestar use?
Polestar VINs start with one of four WMIs in NHTSA's vPIC database, and the code already hints at where the vehicle comes from. YSM and YSR belong to Polestar Performance AB in Sweden. LPS is listed under Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a Chinese manufacturer, with the make Polestar. 7SY, added in April 2024, is held by Polestar Automotive USA, Inc.
| WMI | Manufacturer (NHTSA vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| YSM | Polestar Performance AB | Sweden | Passenger car |
| YSR | Polestar Performance AB | Sweden | MPV (SUV class) |
| LPS | Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Mfg Co., Ltd. | China | Passenger car |
| 7SY | Polestar Automotive USA, Inc. | United States | MPV (SUV class) |
Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) lists both LPS and YSM under Polestar Performance AB of Gothenburg, which shows that a Chinese-prefix code can still be registered to the Swedish company in European records. The WMI code guide explains how country prefixes are allocated.
Do European-market Polestar VINs follow U.S. rules?
Polestars delivered in the U.S. follow 49 CFR Part 565, with a check digit in position 9 and a model-year code in position 10. In Europe, a check digit has been compulsory only for vehicle types approved since 6 July 2022, under EU Regulation 2021/535, and a year code is still optional. A European-market Polestar VIN from an earlier type approval may therefore not validate under the U.S. check-digit formula, and our decoder may return less detail for it. The European VIN decoding guide covers the differences.
Polestar, Volvo and Geely
Why does my Polestar's VIN start with LPS?
LPS is a WMI that NHTSA's vPIC database lists with the make Polestar under Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in China. The L prefix is in the range allocated to China. It is a genuine Polestar code.
Does this page show Polestar recalls?
It shows NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints for Polestar models sold in the U.S., grouped by model and model year. For one specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or contact Polestar.
Where is the VIN on a Polestar?
Polestar's owner's manual places it on a label on the dashboard near the bottom of the windshield, readable from outside, and says it also appears in the center display settings, the Polestar app and the registration papers.
Can a Polestar VIN show ownership or accident history?
No. A decode shows manufacturing information only. Title, accident and ownership records come from licensed history providers and are not part of this site.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, then other European brands, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Volvo (82) Sweden · 335 recall campaigns
- Smart (7) Germany · 7 recall campaigns
- Alfa Romeo (6) Italy · 34 recall campaigns
- Aston Martin (21) United Kingdom · 35 recall campaigns
- Audi (66) Germany · 214 recall campaigns
- Bentley (29) United Kingdom · 55 recall campaigns
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.