The stories about Fisker Ocean EV don’t seem to end soon, while the owners of this electric-powered vehicle are facing yet another hurdle. Recently, the bankrupt automaker from Chapter 11, located in California, has declared that some repair costs for two hardware recalls will be borne by car owners. Such news as reported by autoevolution.com is a serious knock for drivers already struggling with the company’s financial mess and continuous car problems.
Fisker Ocean EV Subject to Multiple Recalls
- Ocean EV owners received a notice from Fisker indicating that there are five total recalls that have been made for this vehicle. Good news for these owners is 3 out of 5 of those recalls are software related and can therefore be addressed through over-the-air (OTA) updates without any need for them visiting a service center or undergoing physical inspection.
On the other hand, this last two recall cases come under hardware issues which need installation of parts and labor because they cannot be fixed remotely. To be specific, one recall is about the outer door handles that may stick and failed to open while another concerns with the electric pump in the cabin which might lead to loss of drive power by a nasty way. Thus, between these two options, Fisker promised free supply of such replacement but then it must be remembered that vehicle owners will pay labor costs involved in fixing it.
Labor Costs Fall on Owners
In a letter sent out to consumers, Fisker elaborated on the financial implications of these two hardware recalls. Even though parts would be made available to customers free of charge, labor costs incurred during inspections or repairs were not going to be covered by the company.
According to the letter: For physical checks and repair possibilities linked with the recalls, Fisker shall supply necessary components without any cost implication on your part. However, because of current financial difficulties controlled by Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, it is only possible for Fisker to bear such costs as are associated with those parts in question. Thus, inspection and repair charges ought to be borne by you (the car owner).
For owners of Ocean EVs who have been grappling with various complaints pertaining to their vehicles and the unstable state of the company’s finances, this is just another blow. In an official apology from Fisker stating its commitment to ensuring safety for customers and longevity in vehicle serviceability, many fans have understandably been angry over this recent turn of events.
The Bigger Problem: Lack of Spare Parts
Even though Fisker has told its customers that they are going to get the kinds of parts that will assist in fixing the recalls, there’s a serious problem; the parts may not actually be there at all. Reports indicate that since it went bankrupt, Fisker has been experiencing a shortage of spare parts.
In some cases, employees reportedly traveled to Austria’s Magna facility—where they assemble Ocean EVs—to fetch and carry pieces back home from their personal luggage. Sometimes, car owners have even resorted to stripping off different parts from unsold vehicles just to combat this scarcity.
One particularly worrisome case was where an insurance firm wrote off a Fisker Ocean EV because no replacement could be found by the mechanic’s shop for a door hinge costing less than $100
When Will Parts Be Available?
Fisker has admitted flaws and threats concerning procurement of components, however, plans for betterment are underway. The company states that authorized service providers will get parts by September 2024. When the parts are availed, customers can expect an email from Fisker with a list of authorized repair workshops where their cars can be examined and repaired.
Yet for some owners dealing with a broken door handle or a malfunctioning water pump, postponement till the end of September may appear as an irrational wait particularly in light of possible safety concerns linked to these problems.
Ocean EVs Flood the Used Car Market
Things are getting so worst that you can see many Ocean electric cars on the resale market at a price of $25,000 and below. Some of them have traveled less than 10,000 miles while others are just new models which have remained unsold in various dealerships for months now. Many would-be customers are scared off from buying such vehicles due to their limited service stations and scarcity of spare parts.
Roughly 11,000 Fisker Ocean EVs had already been produced by Magna before production stopped, leaving the owners with cars that might prove tough to service or fix
