[JRRF]

I've traveled from St. Louis to Charlotte (12 hours, including charges) to have a TCAM fault resolved, front suspension struts replaced due to an apparent assembly error, and a bracket from the noisy HVAC system replaced (although it's STILL noisy, so I really shouldn't consider that one resolved).

That's a good bit - more than most of us.. With a 22 I'm really surprised by the noisy HVAC. I thought that was only with the heat pump.

 

[Pranner]

Greetings, all. I thought I had posted the resolution, but it looks like it either didn’t take or my memory is faulty (or I can’t find it).
Polestar repaired the car replacing BOTH axle shafts but this time there are also 2 spacers on the work order. Did they find the cause of the issue? All done at no cost even though out of warranty. I did raise the issue before the warranty ended. However, anyone out of warranty should be able to get some goodwill on this issue if they put up a fight. Polestar is very aware of the problem.
I hope this solves the problem. I’ll definitely keep my eye (ear?) on this as the miles keep piling on.
One thing I will do from now on is to not accelerate too aggressively when not pointing straight to not put too much stress on the inside axle.
Other than that, the car has been absolutely wonderful. Best car I’ve ever owned.

 

[Cephas]

Greetings, all. I thought I had posted the resolution, but it looks like it either didn’t take or my memory is faulty (or I can’t find it).
Polestar repaired the car replacing BOTH axle shafts but this time there are also 2 spacers on the work order. Did they find the cause of the issue? All done at no cost even though out of warranty. I did raise the issue before the warranty ended. However, anyone out of warranty should be able to get some goodwill on this issue if they put up a fight. Polestar is very aware of the problem.
I hope this solves the problem. I’ll definitely keep my eye (ear?) on this as the miles keep piling on.
One thing I will do from now on is to not accelerate too aggressively when not pointing straight to not put too much stress on the inside axle.
Other than that, the car has been absolutely wonderful. Best car I’ve ever owned.

I'm going in soon for this issue and am out of the main 50K mile warranty so this bodes well, thank you.

 

[julianm]

I really, really think my noise is exactly like this one. I get it when the vehicle is cold, and I’m slowly coming to a stop.

My service center is adamant that it’s wheel-to-hub that just needs more anti-seize regularly. I asked Polestar CS if they could provide me some documentation to pass along to tire centers and was just told:



I suspect Polestar knows this is not a wheel-to-hub issue, and that they also now believe it is not a safety issue.

Yep. I’ve explicitly asked, several times, “so you’re sure it’s not the rear axle problem?” and they say it’s not. None of this is unlike my entire experience with both service and customer support for this company.

If they knew this had the potential to be a safety issue I couldn’t imagine them being so cavalier about it.

I really want Polestar to be better than this, but it doesn’t want to be better for me.

Well, I kept insisting to Polestar CS that this ticking noise just doesn't seem normal. The first Polestar CS rep I got kept saying if Volvo Palo Alto says it's normal and not the rear axle, then it's normal and not the rear axle. And I should just request more anti-seize from my tire shop whenever they remove the wheels.

Then in December, I brought up the ticking noise again when attempting to schedule my 40k service. I got a different Polestar CS rep. She directed me to Volvo Marin. Getting scheduled with Volvo Marin was a many-weeks-long endeavor, but once they had the vehicle they said it was immediately obvious this was the rear axle issue. They replaced the rear axles (under warranty) and got the vehicle back to me within 3 days. Shorter than any service I've ever done with Volvo Palo Alto.

There's a wonderful sense of calm I get when my vehicle has noticeably fewer rattles. I'm still getting a lot of window squeaks and a B-pillar vibration, but sheesh when my vehicle slows down it's so much quieter. I haven't had the vehicle back that long but I believe there's a high-acceleration vibration that I'd get, only with full ESC — I'd set ESC to Sport and the vibration would be gone — that might've been due to the rear axle issue as well. (I don't think this was a wheel balance issue since I've had it with both my summer and all-season tires, even after getting wheels re-balanced.)

 

[ChiMatt]

They replaced the rear axles (under warranty) and got the vehicle back to me within 3 days.

My car is getting its rear axles replaced as we speak. Looking forward to the quiet...

 

[Cephas]

My car is getting its rear axles replaced as we speak. Looking forward to the quiet...

Also Marin? i’m aiming to call next week to schedule.

 

[ChiMatt]

Also Marin? i’m aiming to call next week to schedule.

Nope. I'm in Chicago - Marin would be a bit far. 😂

 

[sdiori]

Nope. I'm in Chicago - Marin would be a bit far. 😂

I'm having this rear noise issue as well--also in the Chicago area.

Were you able to have this serviced locally? If so, where?

Thanks!

 

[PolestarMG]

Just had a second service for this issue, this time from one of the front axles (rears were previously replaced). Ironically the loaner 2 I got from Hertz also had the problem coming from the rear.

 

[HernameisElektra]

I just wanted to let everyone know that the problem also spreaded to the front axels. The replaced them under warranty and noise is gone.

 

[Cephas]

Getting this fixed now, out of warranty. The axles they use to replace the problematic ones on our 2022s are updated with new and improved dampers to rectify this problem. The problem is known and if a rep says it is not known, make them know it.

For everyone's reference, here are the part numbers for the current, updated axle replacement (they are now using the Volvo part numbers, at least for my fix):

36003708 AXLE SHAFT RIGHT
36003709 AXLE SHAFT LEFT
31367618 SPACER (2 needed)
30670602 AXLE BOLT (2 needed)

The axles are also used on XC40s, thus are easily found on Volvo part websites with pricing. Don't let the Volvo dealer employees who work at the Polestar service desk and issue documents on Volvo dealer paper mark up the prices for parts that they are getting from the Volvo dealer part desk down the hall and have public, advertised prices (don't ask me why I highlight this point!)

Agree with @Jamie that anyone with ticking (strain to hear it!) get this reported prior to the 50K warranty end, as they reviewed my service center visit history notes. My ticking started at 60K ...

 

[PolestarMG]

Getting this fixed now, out of warranty. The axles they use to replace the problematic ones on our 2022s are updated with new and improved dampers to rectify this problem. The problem is known and if a rep says it is not known, make them know it.

For everyone's reference, here are the part numbers for the current, updated axle replacement (they are now using the Volvo part numbers, at least for my fix):

36003708 AXLE SHAFT RIGHT
36003709 AXLE SHAFT LEFT
31367618 SPACER (2 needed)
30670602 AXLE BOLT (2 needed)

The axles are also used on XC40s, thus are easily found on Volvo part websites with pricing. Don't let the Volvo dealer employees who work at the Polestar service desk and issue documents on Volvo dealer paper mark up the prices for parts that they are getting from the Volvo dealer part desk down the hall and have public, advertised prices (don't ask me why I highlight this point!)

Agree with @Jamie that anyone with ticking (strain to hear it!) get this reported prior to the 50K warranty end, as they reviewed my service center visit history notes. My ticking started at 60K ...

Honestly I'm at the point where — having had 3 of 4 replaced already — if they tried to charge me for this, even out of warranty, I'd be tempted to litigate. The problem is incredibly widespread, there's obvious defect in the pre-22 parts, and it should have been a recall.

 

[Cephas]

Honestly I'm at the point where — having had 3 of 4 replaced already — if they tried to charge me for this, even out of warranty, I'd be tempted to litigate. The problem is incredibly widespread, there's obvious defect in the pre-22 parts, and it should have been a recall.

I'm with you! I requested that my old axles be returned, will see if they do that this week (they are required to by law, but this dealer hasn't done anything by the book).

My car has been there 18 days now, for what is a 3-hour, same-day job. Current ETA is sometime this week. Ya wudda thought they could check on part availability before I drove 3 hours in for the first morning appointment ...

And if you do have to do this out of warranty, shop around. One Polestar service center here quoted $2047.43 + tax with a lifetime warranty on parts and labor. The one I unfortunately went to quoted $3748.58 + tax with two-year parts and labor. Mine includes a $295 "diagnostic report" with a report and diagnosis that consists of exactly two words: "Replace Axles". I only checked prices after I was fed up with the pointless delays, and am pushing to get a lower price. Fun part of it is that they first quoted Volvo part numbers with Volvo dealer emails at a clean 15% above their own dealer website published part price, so that much was easy to reduce.

Horrible experience. Worst was the pretend "well, we don't know what's wrong until we diagnose it as every car is different. Cost? Could be more than $10,000 or much more". They really don't want to deal with me or any of it. And frankly, I never want to deal with them or anything Polestar again.

 

[JRRF]

One Polestar service center here quoted $2047.43 + tax with a lifetime warranty on parts and labor. The one I unfortunately went to quoted $3748.58 + tax with two-year parts and labor.

You're pretty lucky to have 2 service center options close by.

As for warranty, if you had this replaced in warranty and then it fails again, then you have a good case for the second replacement to be covered. Axles should really last the life of the car.

 

[ChiMatt]

I'm having this rear noise issue as well--also in the Chicago area.

Were you able to have this serviced locally? If so, where?

Thanks!

I had it serviced in Detroit. If you go that route, make sure they have the parts sourced and available when you bring your car in. Otherwise you might be in for a very long wait without your car. (Don't ask me how I know.)

On a side note, a little bird told me that there is supposed to be a Chicago- or near-Chicago location by the end of the year.

 

[JRRF]

On a side note, a little bird told me that there is supposed to be a Chicago- or near-Chicago location by the end of the year.

I am aware of this too. The reason it hasn't opened sooner is that they actually had more than one dealer competing for what needed to be just one Space in the Chicago area.

 

[PolestarMG]

I'm with you! I requested that my old axles be returned, will see if they do that this week (they are required to by law, but this dealer hasn't done anything by the book).

My car has been there 18 days now, for what is a 3-hour, same-day job. Current ETA is sometime this week. Ya wudda thought they could check on part availability before I drove 3 hours in for the first morning appointment ...

And if you do have to do this out of warranty, shop around. One Polestar service center here quoted $2047.43 + tax with a lifetime warranty on parts and labor. The one I unfortunately went to quoted $3748.58 + tax with two-year parts and labor. Mine includes a $295 "diagnostic report" with a report and diagnosis that consists of exactly two words: "Replace Axles". I only checked prices after I was fed up with the pointless delays, and am pushing to get a lower price. Fun part of it is that they first quoted Volvo part numbers with Volvo dealer emails at a clean 15% above their own dealer website published part price, so that much was easy to reduce.

Horrible experience. Worst was the pretend "well, we don't know what's wrong until we diagnose it as every car is different. Cost? Could be more than $10,000 or much more". They really don't want to deal with me or any of it. And frankly, I never want to deal with them or anything Polestar again.

Yikes. That’s a lot of money for what has to be a well documented manufacturing defect.

 

[PolestarMG]

I'm with you! I requested that my old axles be returned, will see if they do that this week (they are required to by law, but this dealer hasn't done anything by the book).

My car has been there 18 days now, for what is a 3-hour, same-day job. Current ETA is sometime this week. Ya wudda thought they could check on part availability before I drove 3 hours in for the first morning appointment ...

And if you do have to do this out of warranty, shop around. One Polestar service center here quoted $2047.43 + tax with a lifetime warranty on parts and labor. The one I unfortunately went to quoted $3748.58 + tax with two-year parts and labor. Mine includes a $295 "diagnostic report" with a report and diagnosis that consists of exactly two words: "Replace Axles". I only checked prices after I was fed up with the pointless delays, and am pushing to get a lower price. Fun part of it is that they first quoted Volvo part numbers with Volvo dealer emails at a clean 15% above their own dealer website published part price, so that much was easy to reduce.

Horrible experience. Worst was the pretend "well, we don't know what's wrong until we diagnose it as every car is different. Cost? Could be more than $10,000 or much more". They really don't want to deal with me or any of it. And frankly, I never want to deal with them or anything Polestar again.

I’m in a rideshare Polestar 2 as we speak that is making this noise, and thought about your post. Honestly, if it were me, I’d be pretty upset at paying thousands of dollars to replace a part that Polestar well knows by now is defective. I guarantee this is documented by them internally and they’ve not issued a recall as a cost-saving measure. They sold you a car with a known defective part and making you pay to replace it. If this happened to me out of warranty I’d have a lawyer on speed dial because there’s no way they haven’t documented the scale of this issue internally.

 

[chazglenn3]

Pretty sure that recalls are only issued for safety related items...

 

[Cephas]

I’m in a rideshare Polestar 2 as we speak that is making this noise, and thought about your post. Honestly, if it were me, I’d be pretty upset at paying thousands of dollars to replace a part that Polestar well knows by now is defective. I guarantee this is documented by them internally and they’ve not issued a recall as a cost-saving measure. They sold you a car with a known defective part and making you pay to replace it. If this happened to me out of warranty I’d have a lawyer on speed dial because there’s no way they haven’t documented the scale of this issue internally.

After the replacement, the car is more comfortable and a better ride than it ever has been. I suspect that the axles are not only prone to fail, they are defective as designed and were responsible for a bumpy / jarring two years of driving for me. The car now is like a completely different car.

As for taking action, aside from possible neglect of the manufacturer to address this known problem, the dealer / s.c. was the main issue. From the purchase of the car from their slimy Space to this unnecessarily painful fix, there was a whole slew of violations all clear and documented. Certainly enough to call the attention of the consumer watchdogs here in California.

What has held me back are three things. Customer support has gone way out of their way to resolve issues with this specific fix and service center, and helped mitigate the cost. Second, Polestar is not in the best of positions right now. I want to keep driving this car and possibly the 5, so I don't want to cause issues or make the relationship bad, even if I'm in the right -- I want Polestar to succeed.

Finally, I haven't found a shop that will touch this car outside of the windshield and wheels / tires, so if anything else goes wrong, good luck to me to get an appointment with this service center again if take action against them. The car will be worthless if something proprietary breaks and the nearest service center not owned by this dealer group is 500 miles away. Out of warranty, we are at their mercy, as they don't have to service it.

Although I fully agree with you in principle, sometimes it is worth it to accept a little flesh wound and save the energy and time for other battles!