- Fisker Ocean’s transmission recall reveals a safety risk that could lead to rollaways.
- Vehicle rollaway accidents injure 1,900 people annually, making this recall a critical fix.
- Five other recalls for the Ocean were issued this year, while the company filed for bankruptcy.
Fisker may have gone bankrupt, but its products are still out there, keeping their owners on their toes. The latest twist? Yet another recall for the all-electric Ocean SUV, this time targeting 7,745 vehicles. While Ocean owners might be experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu, this isn’t just another footnote, it’s a serious safety concern that can’t be ignored.
While the recall was only recently published by the NHTSA, Fisker has known about the issue for quite some time and first introduced an over-the-air software update to rectify it back in March. However, it’s clear that not every owner may have been aware of this fix. If you’re one of them, consider this your gentle nudge: check your vehicle for the latest update.
Read: Fisker Wants Owners To Pay Recall Labor, DOJ Says No Way
At the core of the recall is a fault in the transmission that may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the selected gear. As a result, the SUV could to roll away while in Drive or Reverse. According to the NHTSA’s National Center of Statistics and Analysis, vehicle rollaways lead to an average of 144 deaths and approximately 1,900 injuries annually in the United States. For something as seemingly minor as a software glitch, the implications are anything but trivial.
A Troubled Year for Fisker
This latest recall is just the tip of the iceberg for Fisker, which spent much of 2024 firefighting one issue after another. The company, already grappling with financial woes that culminated in bankruptcy, has issued no fewer than five recalls for the Ocean this year alone. Among them are defects involving a sudden loss of drive power, malfunctioning warning lights, and an unprompted reduction in regenerative braking—none of which inspire confidence for current or prospective owners.
Other recalls have focused on more mechanical problems, such as outer door handles that stick and fail to open, and a water pump prone to failure, potentially causing a total loss of drive power. If the Ocean was meant to make waves, these issues are definitely not the kind Fisker had in mind.
Earlier this year, Fisker added insult to injury when it announced that owners would have to cover labor costs for certain recalls, including the door handle and water pump fixes. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) intervened, pointing out that this move would be illegal. As part of its bankruptcy restructuring plan, Fisker has since committed to covering all recall-related costs—a small but critical concession to owners already feeling the brunt of these missteps.
