TCAM: The Largest Fault Of The New Polestar 2
A TCAM failure in the new Polestar 2 could leave you locked out and stranded, but is it really that big of a deal?
Polestar has had major success with their new all electric fastback sedan, that rivals the Tesla Model 3. Starting at a manageable price of $45,900, Polestar has successfully created a more accessible vehicle than their $155k hybrid Polestar 1. Unfortunately for Polestar, there have been a large amount of reports of connectivity failures that have even rendered some owners locked out of their new cars due to TCAM failures.
What is the TCAM?
TCAM stands for Telematics and Connectivity Antenna Module. It is the devices that houses and controls the various connectivity radios inside the Polestar 2. As with most new cars today, they have a plethora of radios used for connectivity. These radios can include data, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and key fob connection.
What happens if your TCAM Fails?
When the TCAM fails in a Polestar 2 there are a number of faults that could occur, some more severe than others. Since the TCAM controls all connectivity, one of the main problems that occurs is lack of data and GPS connectivity. With no data or GPS, navigation and music streaming, for example, would not function.
On the more severe side of things, if the TCAM fails, it is also possible that it would render your car inaccessible and unable to drive. Since the TCAM also controls the connectivity to the key fob. Users should be informed of this significant issue, even though it only affects a small number of owners.
What remedies are available?
There is a TCAM reset method that has been reported to work most of the time to recover the TCAM. To do the TCAM reset, you hold the front defroster button for 15 seconds until the SOS button begins to flash. At that time, release the defroster button. The SOS button should stop flashing in about another 15 seconds. The TCAM will reset, and you will start to see data and other connectivity recover.
Although the TCAM reset works in some cases, this method has not worked for everyone. In some situations, the TCAM battery needs to be disconnected to force the TCAM to reset. It has been found that if the TCAM is not faulty, Polestar performs a similar reset to get it back up and working. Unfortunately, this is a more involved process. User mtg35 of the Polestar-forums provided a comprehensive write-up on the procedure. It involves disconnecting the 12V battery's negative terminal that is located under the panels in the frunk. Then disconnecting the TCAM battery located in the rear side pillar behind the driver rear door.
If you do not want to take apart your new almost $50k EV, then the next option is to schedule a service appoint with a Polestar Space. While you wait for the service appointment, which could be weeks, it is possible that the TCAM will recover on its own. There have been reports of spontaneous recovery from simply waiting.
Should I be worried?
TCAM problems can have many root causes, most of which are software-related and can be resolved with a simple software restart. Unfortunately, there are also cases of complete TCAM failure which would require a service appointment and parts to be ordered. Even more unfortunate is, due to supply-chain issues, getting hold of the parts can cause even more of a delay in resolving this fault.
Something to consider, is that in Q1 2022, Polestar has sold roughly 13,600 units. I certainly have not seen thousands of posts regarding TCAM failure. I think a lot of people start researching this car and see all the threads and posts about this problem and start to get cold feet. Not discrediting those who have experienced this absolutely real problem, but more often than not, I feel people are likely to post their negative experiences than their positive ones, giving a false inflation of the problem. That being said, I have seen fewer posts since the 2.2 software update, but they certainly have not stopped completely.