The Fisker Ocean electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) during AutoMobility LA ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, USA, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.
Kyle Grillot Bloomberg | fake images
Start-up of electric vehicles fisker announced Wednesday that it is recalling thousands of Ocean SUVs in North America and Europe due to issues with the vehicle's software and will release an over-the-air software update.
The company recalled 11,201 oceans in the US, Canada and Europe due to safety concerns. Affected vehicles potentially had issues with the Engine Control Unit and Vehicle Control Unit software, which could cause the vehicle to lose engine power, the company said in a news release.
Fisker also recalled 6,864 oceans in the U.S. and 281 in Canada for compliance reasons. The company said the vehicles currently do not meet federal vehicle safety standards related to telltale indicators and icons on the dashboard display.
Fisker said vehicles upgraded to OS 2.1 are not affected by the recall. Fisker plans to complete the software update process by June 30, 2024.
The retirements come after months of setbacks for Fisker. Reuters reported in February that the company may not be able to continue as a going concern due to high interest rates causing slowing demand.
Fisker's struggles continued in March when talks for a potential deal with an unnamed major automaker collapsed and the New York Stock Exchange announced plans to delist the startup's shares due to “abnormally low” price levels.
In April, Reuters reported that the U.S. auto safety regulator opened an investigation into Ocean 2023 over complaints that the vehicles' doors were not opening. This marked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's third investigation into Fisker; Additional investigations are open due to issues with the Ocean 2023's brakes and unintentional movement of the vehicle.
Fisker delivered 4,929 Oceans in 2023, the company said in February when announcing its full-year financial results, the most recent report available. The company said it expected to deliver between 20,000 and 22,000 vehicles in 2024.
The company said it informed its dealers about the recalls on May 30 and will notify owners by June 30.
