FaultScore

2023 Fisker Ocean engine problems

56 of the 1,838 complaints about the 2023 Fisker Ocean are about the engine — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 7,650 miles.

A

56

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 56 100.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Clover, SC

ENGINE

There is an outstanding water pump recall on my vehicle. It has never been addressed and has never been fixed. The vehicle can lose power at any given time and is not drivable. Fisker has gone bankrupt and there isn't anyone to address this safety issue. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED! IT IS A ROAD HAZARD ! 24V499000 (Water pump)

NHTSA complaint #11663497 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Jackson Height, NY 1 injured

ENGINE

It has lots of faults in it. . 1. I got only one key( sometime works sometimes not), It asks for the key to put on NFS reader several times. 2. Transmission problem( it is so irritating when have an emergency to go somewhere and car doesn't gets starts, unable to do gear shifting . Sometimes while driving, especially standing in the traffic areas or red lights, the gear has turned into P mode automatically, then it's hard to turn it back on D mode. People honks . 3. ABS (while driving , sometimes it stops automatically . I'm at the highest danger when cars are coming from behind on speed and my car stops instantly. 4. Hazardous signs( Many hazardous lights coming on screen without any reason) the car starts making noises .. 5. Tires (Bridgestone tires were their on my car when I bought it, it runs only 30-31000 and gone flat, no warranty is covered? Usually Bridgestone runs 80000 kms on other electric cars. Also, there is a tire pressure sign coming continuously from a year without any reason. I went CHK the tire many times and then I needed to change the tires, those are really expensive ( $2500). 6. Tailgate( Car doesn't let me pull out the tailgate ) errors showing on the screen as a malfunction in tailgate 7. Fisker app( it does not work properly, it doesn't let me lock , unlock ,start , shut the car off) also says missing your noble key. 8. Door handles( it has sensor problems, sometimes it doesn't work . I have to struggle a lot to open the car sometimes. Driver side door handle is cracked while driving without even touching the handle. The back door handle is permanently in .. I have to open the back door from inside. 9. Tools ( No basic tools were in the car like Jack,tool kit, charger , tire inflator etc. Hope you can take the actions on the requested problems. Thanks

NHTSA complaint #11662932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Springtown, TX

ENGINE

My fisker has multiple issues. I am unable to get in my car, unable to unlock, unable to get to charge port to charge. I am unable to drive Fisker was to send vent replacement parts that were ordered for my car to fix ac vents , but did not send them before bankruptcy. I was unable to use my ac in the car in texas There is a water pump recall, but have been unable to locate someone to order part or fix My door handles don’t work properly

NHTSA complaint #11661697 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Danville, CA

ENGINE

The cars electrical system does not work properly. It is always triggering false alarms. The emergency braking brakes for unknown reasons. The blind spot cameras and notifications always switch off for no apparent reason. There are warning messages that come on and off and are unreliable to warn of an actual problem.

NHTSA complaint #11660264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Henderson, NV

ENGINE

I was driving the car and it suddenly lost all power and created hazards situation in the middle of the road. The car stalled, luckily there were not much traffic and I was able to stop and after a while it regained some power so I was able to drive the car back home.

NHTSA complaint #11660164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

San Diego, CA

ENGINE

I have 2 complaints. 1. Driving the car into the sunrise or sunset, the car generates ADAS alerts stating imminent accident, and to stop. Stopping in the heavy traffic, as the warnings told us is a safety hazard! This happened twice when driving on [XXX] in Costa Mesa, CA at [XXX] in February and March 2025. At that time, we are basically driving into the bright sunlight. Traffic was heavy with lots of stop and go between 0 mph and 30 mph. I kept at least 3-5 car distances, yet the ADAS alerts kept going off for several minutes. 2. After the latest 2.2 upgrade, our real-world range dropped from 340 miles to 280 miles. The car is supposed to be rated for 360 miles. I've had much better range before the 2.2 upgrade driving from San Diego to Los Angeles, as well as from San Diego to Central California Coast. The massive reduction in range is partly a safety hazard, as we can get stranded if we don't plan ahead to account for this bug. The bug is believed to be programming to the rear drive motor. Excess current to the motor can lead to overheating and potentially cause a fire, which is another safety hazard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11654333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pullman, WA

ENGINE

Fisker Ocean owners have a safety recall regarding sudden "acceleration" when the regen brake suddenly stop working that require a software update which they have consistently failed to install remotely. Today I drove 7 hours to have someone install it on-site and they said that "American lease" blocked their access to the FAST diagnostic tool which is blocking th from installing my recall. This is unacceptable. American lease is doing a bait and switch asking dealers to pay a $6k fee out of the blue to keep access to the tool and dealers are deciding not to pay which blocks our safety recall. I can't pay and have it installed.

NHTSA complaint #11652154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 7,000 miles Rochester, MN

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The braking system failure and the radar not detected messages were displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.

NHTSA complaint #11648927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Buford, GA

ENGINE

The car stopped working, is now bricked in my garage. 3 different techs came to check it and all said the car gives them weird codes. One of the techs said the front unit motor needs to be replaced which will end up costing almost $8k. but it is not guaranteed that will fix the car. This is insane. I do not know what to do, as we paid cash for it with our savings and now had to lease another car to be able to get to work.

NHTSA complaint #11647691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ferrisburgh, VT

ENGINE

I received a recall notice number 24V499 regarding a faulty cabin electric water pump that can cause the car to go into limp mode which limits its speed to 10-20 mph. This happened to me on a 55mph road. I have not heard how or when this electric water pump will be replaced. The recall says “Fisker will replace the cabin electric water pumps on affected customer vehicles with a new pump…”

NHTSA complaint #11644443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cumming, GA

ENGINE

fisker ocean gear shift is nt ready to move . gear shift not shifting .gear shift will not shift out of park .

NHTSA complaint #11644269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gretna, NE

ENGINE

Car became inoperable after a failed recall software update was attempted.

NHTSA complaint #11643783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Templeton, CA

ENGINE

I needed to take my vehicle to an authorized service dealer 200 miles away incurring: 1) $325 expense for a recalled water pump replacement 2) $475 expense for a battery replacement and programming 3) $495 expense for a software update than was incomplete due to failures of the FAST tool. 4) $200 hotel expense due to massive delays in the time needed to do these repairs. I will incur additional expense to return to this dealer to complete the software update and to address the warning lights about safety features being that appear over and over on the dashboard. The latter is enormously stressful and at unspecified cost to my health. I will also need to incur additional hotel expense. I am happy to testify to the fact that Fisker should be held liable to profiting at the expense of owners, selling and distributing a car that is unfinished and has no warranty, and may be responsible for the loss of lives in the longterm.

NHTSA complaint #11643796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Riverside, CA

ENGINE

The issues with this vehicle started, right from delivery. The staff, had me waiting for a couple of hours and finally called me into the back and explained that paint and ding needed to be fixed. They promised that if I took delivery, they would provide me with the needed repairs this was back on 9/26/23. The dings and paint issues were never resolved. What I did receive was a complimentary home charger. The day after the vehicle would self shift into park. This happened too many times to count. I shifted into park while I was backing up, when I slowed down, and when stopped in the middle of traffic which became a safety concern. Several near collision misses while backing up made the situation life altering and produced extremely stressful situations arises from the self shift issue. In addition, a few times I could not even get into the vehicle due to key fob to car communication issues. I had to use other transportation. This was corrected, however it still happens from time to even to date. The fact that too many warning lights would flash constantly on the dashboard made it impossible to know what was malfunctioning or what was working in this vehicle. More than ten service tickets were ignored. Some did not seem to even go through when using the fisker app or their official website. There was also a battery drain issue that left me stranded twice I had to call for tow assistance. On 9/20/24 an OTA update was forced through that made the car battery drain an feel like the Fisker it was stalling. I drove in the slow lane made it home, charged my car, but the car had bricked. No one from fisker would answer, I had to find assistance elsewhere. I had to pay out of pocket to fix this, $617.70. In addition to all the current lingering issues, it had a door handle issue from the inside and out. To resolve this, again I had to pay 360 to fix it. Daily now, it dies and states drive motor issues. This car continues to be a safety concern. Help me

NHTSA complaint #11643034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mustang Ridge, TX

ENGINE

Fuel pump recall, replacement is not free all approved fisker shops charge a fee.

NHTSA complaint #11642884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Melbourne, FL

ENGINE

Unannounced and unauthorized software update caused a motor control unit failure. My vehicle was unable to go into gear or drive after this unannounced update.

NHTSA complaint #11642944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richland, MI

ENGINE

Fisker attempted to install a software update (Software OS 2.2) to my vehicle over the air which was intended to address recall number 24V623000. This attempted software update caused the vehicle's 12 Volt battery to drain, resulting in the car activating its low battery audible alarm and damaging the battery requiring me to pay for a new battery and its installation. The software was not successfully installed. Information from others owners indicates that the software update has damaged other cars and that very few of the Fisker Ocean fleet have received the full software update. Also, several of the car's Advanced Driver Assistance System functions remain inoperative, specifically the collision avoidance systems and pedestrian warning systems, raising serious safety issues for the car. The recall 24V623000 remains unaddressed for my vehicle. Recall 24V466000 requires Fisker to test door handles and replace them if faulty. This recall service has not been performed on my car. In December of 2024, the door handle on passenger door on the driver's side of the car failed. When unlocked, the door would not open from either the outside or the inside of the car creating a safety hazard if emergency egress from the vehicle was required. I have received no communication from Fisker on how to satisfy this recall requirement. Fisker has not provided resources or service locations at which this recall can be completed. Recall 24V466000 remains unaddressed for my vehicle. Recall number 24V499000 requires Fisker to replace water pumps that can fail and cause the car to depower and enter "limp mode". Fisker has not contacted me on how to satisfy this recall requirement. Fisker has not provided resources or service locations at which this recall can be completed. Recall 24V499000 remains unaddressed for my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11642780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Denton, TX

ENGINE

Range has decreased rapidly since 2.2. Trustee won't pay for door handle or water pump replacement. Trustee won't provide access to fast and other tools to fix cars.

NHTSA complaint #11642403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Miami, FL

ENGINE

In August 2024 the Fisker Automaker notified me in writing of the NHTSA Campaign #24V499 (Recall #TSB30032401), for the cabin Electric water pump malfunction that produced a motor's limp mode condition that resulted in sudden vehicle reduced speed, which created a hazardous condition. The Fisker notification clearly indicated that the pump was going to be replaced with the new improved model, at no cost and that the replacement process was going to take 45 minutes. The Fisker notification also advised that they were going to send the pump to their authorized service provider to schedule an appointment. I then scheduled the appointment with the Palmetto Fisker Service Department and the pump was replaced at their shop on January 15th, 2025. Contrary to the Fisker notification, my complaint is that I ended up having to pay $1,128.80 for the "no-cost" recall service that took three hours to complete. I would like to be fully or partially compensated for the indicated labor & equipment costs.

NHTSA complaint #11642574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Morgan Hill, CA

ENGINE

I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the ongoing issues that are being seen with the NHTSA recall campaign numbers 24V865000 and 24V623000.I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to formally express my concerns regarding the OTA (Over-the-Air) update process for my vehicle. The current OTA process, lasting 48 hours, is simply not feasible for those of us who rely on our vehicles for daily activities. The inability to use my vehicle during this window forced me to pay out of pocket for alternative transportation, which is both inconvenient and financially burdensome. Additionally, it has come to my attention that there have been numerous reports from fellow owners indicating that a significant percentage of vehicles (approximately 2%-5%) have become undrivable following these updates. This situation is alarming and raises concerns about the reliability of the updates being delivered. Moreover, the lengthy windows of 48 hours for updates, coupled with the expectation of partial updates requiring additional time, have left many of us in a state of uncertainty regarding the functionality of our vehicles and forced to pay out of pocket for a mandatory free recall. According to owner surveys, it appears that complete updates—which include all necessary corrections—have been accomplished in less than 30% of cases. Furthermore, I was surprised to learn that only about 10% of the fleet (approximately 300 vehicles) had been updated after several weeks of attempts, despite over 800 VINs submitted for this process. This statistic raises questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the OTA process. Lastly, I am deeply concerned about the limited number of service personnel available in the U.S., with only around 20 individuals servicing the entire country and merely 5 traveling nationwide to assist customers with undriveable vehicles. This scarcity is unacceptable and leads to extended wait times for necessary repairs and updates. I urge you to

NHTSA complaint #11642652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bothell, WA

ENGINE

As part of the recall, there was need for water pump replacement and door handle checks. There is really nothing available to schedule the manual update of the 2.2 update or the replacement of the water pumps.. The car needs these updates and water pump recall completed and we are getting no where.. The OTA update could brick the car and there is need for manual update of the software.. There is only 1 service center that can perform this and there are additional out of pocket costs to get the recall completed... The car will become unusable or get bricked soon if the 12v battery is not replaced soon.. There are many other warnings starting to appear on the dash and this is causing inconvenience and safety concern. Need these completed and the trustee designee will have to make sure these are re-imbursed and addressed soon.

NHTSA complaint #11642190 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Manalapan, NJ

ENGINE

I have to pay for labor to replace the water pump and door handles because they are not releasing funds to cover repairs, as the court set up to be paid. The car has not been updated to the latest software, 2.2, to cover recall safety issues.

NHTSA complaint #11642193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

San Clemente, CA

ENGINE

The manufacturer was required by NHTSA to update the vehicle software to address critical safety issues. This effort was implemented through Over The Air (OTA) updates last fall. This software update was a very large and complex file and required the car to be "On" for the duration of the updates. This caused the 12 V battery to drain beyond capacity, and the update was only partial, resulting in a non-operating vehicle. In order to remedy this situation, a local technician was needed to manually install this update, resulting in an $800 charge directly to me for this mandatory recall. The technician was able to "unbrick" my car, as well as complete the software update to the NHTSA required software level of version 2.2. Even after this update, my car is unreliable, and has safety issues with warning lights in the dash. There were 3 critical recalles issues by the NHTSA for this vehicle - 1) Software update, 2), Door handle function, 3) Coolant pump replacement to avoid "limp mode" in the drive train. I have had all of these issues coompleted on my vehicle, with an out of pocket expense of $800, which has not been reimbursed by the trustee for this company. The company (Fisker) is in bankrucy proceedings (chaper 7), and all responsibilities to get these recalls accomplished and paid for, have not been accomplished. The OTA team, and the trustee are not cooperating with the owners of these vehicles. We are all stuck and need an intervention by the NHSTA to help get these recalls and reimbursements completed.

NHTSA complaint #11642229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tulsa, OK

ENGINE

Fisker had a nhtsa recall for water pump replacement that has now apparently been closed. This part failure will cause our new vehicle to become inoperable, causing a safety issue to the passengers as well as anyone nearby if the vehicle comes to a sudden stop (i.e. highway driving). Fisker has no repair facility in the state of Oklahoma, and has not provided this part to individuals for replacement. It would require transporting the vehicle using a transport company and losing the use of the vehicle for at least two days. Additionally, a software update has been mandated for all Fisker Oceans to version 2.2 that has added safety features, this was to be an OTA update- About 4 months have passed and our vehicle has not received this required update.

NHTSA complaint #11642245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Greensboro, NC

ENGINE

My vehicle is not shifting in to a drivable gear. Screen displays error message with no possible solution. Vehiclweis just sitting in my carport collecting dust. FISKER company and its owner Henrik Fisker need to be brought before a court and be held accountable for the gross mismanagement of the company and betraying the trust of thousands of people who bought the vehicles because of the false promises from Mr. Fisker.

NHTSA complaint #11642247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Valencia, CA

ENGINE

I had received various notifications from NHTSA for recalls for my vehicle. I have not been able to schedule my vehicle for repairs due to various reasons starting with shop availability, additional out of pocket costs for the service. Parts are not made available for DIY because shops want to charge labor. Other repairs where to be remedied with an OTA that has not taken place. Please help

NHTSA complaint #11642257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oak Hill, VA

ENGINE

Water pump was replaced per recall, but now the car is inoperable. The instrument cluster says "battery system failure service required" and the car will not shift into drive mode"

NHTSA complaint #11642292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Missouri City, TX

ENGINE

Pump recall (Recall No 24V865) work was done. I paid $340.00 out of pocket for labor to install the [ump. Subsequently, through Fisker Owners Association, I learned that the liquidating trustee decided that the maximum reimbursement is $175.00. Yet, there is no mechanism for filing for and obtaining the refund promised. The fix for the sudden jerking forward of the car with it hits a bump is supposed to be fixed with 2.2 software update. As of the time of filing of this complaint, I have heard nothing from the liquidating trustee as to when this will be installed to my vehicle. I have replaced my old batter with a new one in anticipation of the update.

NHTSA complaint #11642299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

San Ramon, CA

ENGINE

NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V499000 Water pump replacement resulted in an out of pocket cost of $420 by an authorized shop NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V865000 OTA updates didn’t complete successfully, and rendered a few modules to stop working. NFC reader to open door stopped working and needs to be reinstalled. Vehicle lost exterior sound at low speed to warn pedestrians.

NHTSA complaint #11642374 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Los Gatos, CA

ENGINE

I am writing to express concerns regarding the ongoing issues that are being seen with the NHTSA recall campaign numbers 24V865000 and 24V623000. Specifically, the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) in my vehicle has become increasingly distracting and, frankly, dangerous due to an incomplete or failed 2.2 Over-The-Air (OTA) update. As a responsible driver, I value the safety of not only myself but also those around me, and this situation and others we constantly hear about make me question the process of the recall. Every week, a number of vehicles are reported as undrivable post-OTA updates, with statistics indicating that approximately 2%-5% of owners experience this issue. In addition per recall I had my water pump replaced. The only shop in my area with replacement pumps charged $283 in labor, see attached receipt. I understand that I may be able to reimbursed for up to $175 of this cost. However I believe the entire cost of this recall should be covered.

NHTSA complaint #11642396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2023 Fisker Ocean problems

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