The Fisker Ocean electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) is displayed at AutoMobility LA ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Kyle Grillo | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Electric vehicle startup Fisker The company said Wednesday it was recalling thousands of Ocean SUVs in North America and Europe due to a vehicle software issue and would implement an over-the-air software update.
The company is recalling 11,201 Oceans in the United States, Canada and Europe due to a safety issue. The affected vehicles have a software issue in the motor control unit and vehicle control unit that could cause the vehicle to lose motor power, the company said in a press release.
Fisker also recalled 6,864 Oceans in the United States and 281 Oceans in Canada for regulatory compliance reasons. The company said the vehicles do not currently comply with federal vehicle safety standards for gauges and display icons in the cluster display.
Fisker said vehicles updated to OS 2.1 are not affected by the recall. Fisker expects to complete the software update process by June 30, 2024.
The recall comes after months of hardship for Fisker, after Reuters reported in February that the company could struggle to stay in business due to declining demand caused by high interest rates.
Fisker’s woes continued in March, when talks for a potential deal with a major automaker, whose name was not disclosed, fell apart and the New York Stock Exchange announced plans to delist the startup’s shares due to their “abnormally low” price.
Reuters reported in April that U.S. auto safety regulators had opened an investigation into the 2023 Ocean after complaints about vehicle doors that would not open. This is the third investigation into Fisker by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with additional scrutiny coming from issues with the 2023 Ocean’s braking and unexpected vehicle movement.
When Fisker released its latest full-year financial results in February, it said it delivered 4,929 Oceans in 2023. The company said it expects to deliver between 20,000 and 22,000 in 2024.
The company said it would notify dealers of the recall on May 30 and notify owners by June 30.
