Polestar is a Swedish carmaker founded in 2017, now part of Geely Holding Group. The cars themselves are another matter: across 4 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 3 countries — China 68%, Sweden 23.7%, the United States 8.3%. 4 models are tracked here (2019–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.5 out of 5 across 4 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Polestar
Polestar Performance AB is a Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Gothenburg, originally a performance tuning company spun off from Volvo Cars in 2017. Volvo and parent Geely Holding co-own Polestar; the brand became publicly traded on the Nasdaq via SPAC merger in June 2022. The Polestar 1 (2019-2021) was a plug-in hybrid grand-touring coupe limited to 1,500 units. The Polestar 2, launched in 2020, is the brand's mass-market BEV sedan and rivals the Tesla Model 3. The Polestar 3 SUV (2024) is built in Volvo's Charleston, South Carolina factory. The Polestar 4 mid-size crossover (2024) is built in China and ships globally including the US. The Polestar 5 grand-touring sedan (2025) and Polestar 6 roadster (2026) extend the lineup. Polestar trades on the NASDAQ under PSNY. Recall data for every Polestar VIN is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Polestar VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Polestar began in 1996 as Flash/Polestar Racing, a Volvo-affiliated touring-car race team. In 2009 Volvo started using Polestar tuning for performance variants of its road cars. In 2017 Volvo and Geely jointly spun off Polestar as an independent EV brand, with the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe as the inaugural product. The Polestar 2 launched in 2020 as the brand's first all-electric vehicle and first volume product. Brand identity emphasizes Scandinavian minimalism and performance.
| Polestar | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founded by | Volvo Cars and Geely |
| Headquarters | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Owned by | Geely Holding Group |
| Listed as | PSNY |
| Slogan | «Pure progressive performance» |
| Models tracked here | 4 (2019–2026) |
| Assembled in | 3 countries |
Technology it is known for: Pilot Assist driver assistance (Volvo-shared), Android Automotive OS infotainment, Performance Brembo brake package, Öhlins manually adjustable dampers (Polestar 2 Performance Pack), 800V architecture (Polestar 5).
This page covers Polestar Performance AB, the EV brand — not Polestar (the constellation) or any other Polestar trademarks predating the EV brand.
Where Polestar cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 637 vehicles on record, 4 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | LPS | 2021–2022 | |
| Sweden | YSM, YSR | 2022–2025 | |
| the United States | 7SY | 2025–2025 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Polestar beginning LPS was assembled in China.
All Polestar models 4
Every Polestar model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Polestar SUVs & crossovers 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar 3 | 2024–2026 | — | — | 97 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Polestar 4 | 2024–2026 | — | — | 95 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Polestar Cars & sedans 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar 2 | 2020–2026 | — | — | 115 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Polestar 1 | 2019–2021 | — | — | 26 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Polestar by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Polestar | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy | 115 mpg best | Leader: 2 |
| Insurance | $1,235/yr typical | Cheapest: 2 |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
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Polestar hybrids & electric models
Polestar's electrified lineup — 1 hybrid and 3 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Polestar hybrids 1
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar 1 | 2019–2021 | 26 | — | 4.5/5 |
Polestar electric & plug-in 3
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar 2 | 2020–2026 | 115 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Polestar 3 | 2024–2026 | 97 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Polestar 4 | 2024–2026 | 95 | — | 4.5/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Polestar window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Polestar's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Polestar window stickers →How to read a Polestar VIN
Every Polestar built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Polestar and the country it was built in (real Polestar codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- SwedenYSM · YSR
- USA7SY
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. Our VIN lookup reads every position for you — engine code, model year, assembly plant and country of build.
Who owns Polestar, and what you get
Polestar belongs to Geely Holding Group. Polestar competes in the luxury EV segment against Tesla, Mercedes-Benz EQ, BMW i, Audi e-tron, Lucid and Genesis Electrified. The brand's positioning combines Volvo-derived safety credentials, Scandinavian design and performance tuning. Polestar shares production facilities, platforms and components with Volvo Cars while maintaining a separate retail experience through Polestar Spaces (showrooms without traditional sales pressure).
| Polestar | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Sweden |
| Ownership | Geely Holding Group |
| Stock ticker | PSNY |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | China, Sweden, United States |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Polestar models actually start to break →
Polestar — frequently asked
Is Polestar swedish?
Polestar is a Swedish company, headquartered in Gothenburg and founded in 2017. The cars are a separate question: 68% of the Polestar vehicles in our records were assembled in China.
Where are Polestar cars made?
Across 4 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: China (68%), Sweden (23.7%), the United States (8.3%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Polestar?
Polestar is part of Geely Holding Group.
How many Polestar models are there?
We track 4 Polestar models spanning 2019–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Polestar warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Polestar reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Polestar model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.