2023 Fisker Ocean Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2023 Fisker Ocean, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical37927.3%
- Brakes32323.3%
- Driver assistance32223.2%
- Powertrain (other)906.5%
- Body & structure594.2%
- Engine564.0%
- Exterior lighting483.5%
- Fuel system402.9%
- Interior & seats221.6%
- Visibility171.2%
- Seat belts120.9%
- Steering80.6%
- Other / unspecified50.4%
- Suspension40.3%
- Airbags40.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The car is generating a random left turn signal error stating the bulb is out. However, on inspection it appears that all bulbs are working. The car makes a fast blinker warning sound as well as notification. This has been happening for a couple of months but happened again yesterday.
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V466000 (Structure), 24V499000 (Electrical System), 24V623000 (Service Brakes, Electric), 24V865000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, AutoHold Brake System/Brake Hold), 24V405000 (Electrical System) and 24V404000 (Electrical System). The contact attempted to reach the manufacturer but was unsuccessful since the company had filed for bankruptcy and was no longer in business. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
Vehicle has unresolved NHTSA Safety Recall 24V-405 (brake warning light display noncompliance). Brake warning illuminated at startup during dealer inspection on [XXX]. Vehicle is on OS 1.1.49 — recall remedy requires OS 2.1 before sale. Fisker's own recall documentation states vehicles must be updated before being released for sale. Dealer Axio EV, Salt Lake City UT is actively marketing this vehicle at $22,988 without completing the required recall remedy. When safety concern was raised, dealer responded 'then don't buy the car.' Six total open recalls on this vehicle, none disclosed to consumer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I had the vehicle updated to version 2.3.3 by a technician because my car would not update OTA. I thought this update would resolve the ADAS problems as well as the breaking problems. However, on three separate occasions my vehicle has come to an abrupt stop with automatic breaking when approaching a redlight / intersection with no other vehicles in front of me. This occurred while manually applying the break and then the car just took over. There were no forward collision warnings, rather the car was automatically forced to shuttering stop. An alert appears that the brake system has malfunctioned followed by both LED screens turning off and on. The break malfunction error appears several times. Eventually, the screens will restart and then when you try to put the car into gear a gear shift error appears and the car will not go into gear leaving me stranded in traffic. On one occasion these errors appeared when the car started up in a parking lot. These events are unpredictable and not tied to any visible obstacle. The vehicle cannot reliably receive over-the-air software updates due to persistent connectivity failure as I have tried updated to SW Version 2.5. As a result, both the past federally mandated safety recall remedies could not be delivered not any future updates. I have personally paid out of pocket for recall-related repairs and have not been reimbursed. I have not been contacted regarding replacement of recalled exterior door handles. Break and/or shift errors have occurred on May 28, 2025, Sept 3, 2025, Dec 3, 2055, Jan 9, 15, and 21 2026.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
FORMAL DEFECT AND SAFETY HAZARD COMPLAINT TO: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Washington, DC 20590 DATE: May 17, 2026 SUBJECT: Urgent Request for Recall Investigation: Systemic Cloud-Dependency, Hypervisor Power Management Failures, QNX Boot-Looping/Blackouts, Unix Epoch Clock Drifting, High-Voltage Contactor Thermal/Fire Hazards, and Core Low-Voltage Module Malfunctions via Telematics Disconnection in the Fisker Ocean Fleet 1. Executive Summary This petition requests an immediate, systemic safety defect investigation into the software architecture, operating system stability, power management, and network subsystems of the Fisker Ocean vehicle fleet (Model Years 2023–2024). Following the liquidation bankruptcy of Fisker Inc. and its affiliates—under Case No.XXX (XXX) in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, overseen by Judge [XXX] —the vehicle's intellectual property, cloud infrastructure, and over-the-air (OTA) software management assets were assumed by a commercial entity, American Lease, and its vehicle management arm (OV Loop/Ocean Loop). Due to the subsequent imposition of a predatory $499/year subscription paywall, thousands of retail owners have been cut off from cloud connectivity. While a missing cloud connection in a standard passenger car traditionally results in a benign loss of convenience features, in the Fisker Ocean's "software-defined" architecture, it triggers a severe, un-throttled software failure loop. This architectural defect forces safety-critical operating systems into permanent boot loops, pins CPU utilization, drops the system clock into a broken chronological state, and drives an aggressive parasitic drain on the 12V battery system. This directly leads to cascade control module failures, key fob inoperability, and accelerated mechanical degradation of high-voltage components, introducing an acute INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AC
Lane Keep Assist is non-functional despite 2.3 update. Random faults on radar, blind-spot, lane-keep assist and rear-cross traffic. Adaptive Cruise Control in non-functioning despite 2.3 update. It's not just the weather or time of day. These alerts last happened on Friday, January 23, 2026, between 3:30 and 4:30 PM
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
American Lease and Management (AL) company acquired fleet of Fisker Ocean vehicles with a commitment to push Software Updates Over The Air (OTA) to all the Fisker Ocean Vehicles sold by Fisker. AL pushed the update to software on Fisker vehicles (including mine) very irresponsibly and as a result my vehicle is undrivable (Bricked). AL is very hard to reach, their phone number don't work. For me to get a Technician to the location where my vehicle is bricked and manually update the software to unbrick it, would cost me thousands of dollars. This should not havd happened in the first place, but because of AL negligence and lack of responsibility, there are many cars out there that are in same situation as mine is now.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V499000 (Electrical System) and 24V466000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that after the manufacturer went bankrupt, the court ordered the Trustee of the manufacturer, Indigo, to complete the recall repairs; however, Indigo was contacted several times but had failed to arrange for the recall repairs. Additionally, the contact stated that after the recall repairs of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V865000 (Services Brakes, Hydraulic; AutoHold Brake System/Brake Hold), 24V623000 (Service Brakes, Electric), 24V405000 (Electrical System), and 24V404000 (Electrical system) were performed over-the air, the vehicle experienced electrical failures. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to unlock and experienced complete loss of electrical power. The contact purchased a battery from Advance Auto and replaced the 12-Volt battery; however, the failure persisted. A mobile technician from Ocean Repair and Services LLC was contacted and arrived at the residence. The technician reprogrammed several modules, and the vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The contact later emailed Fisker’s Trustee, Indigo, via email at [email protected] for reimbursement and was advised that the reimbursement claim was denied because the electrical failures were not related to the recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean One. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal coolant burning odor. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V499000 (Electrical System), 24V466000 (Structure), and 24V623000 (Service Brakes, Electric). The contact stated that the unrepaired recalls could be performed because the manufacturer was no longer in business. The contact sent an email to the [XXX] , which was the point of contact; however, no correspondence was received within the past three months. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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)
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
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The car is generating a random left turn signal error stating the bulb is out. However, on inspection it appears that all bulbs are working. The car makes a fast blinker warning sound as well as notification. This has been happening for a couple of months but happened again yesterday.
Both interior and exterior lighting keep coming on. The car is continually and significantly draining the battery from something. either the inability for the communication box to connect or from lighting coming on. My headlights and tails lights were on April 2, 2025 - Headlamps and Tail Lamps April 5, 2025 - Dash lights and rear passenger lamps September 28 - October 13 A friend was keeping my vehicle while I traveled abroad to keep it charged because the battery keeps draining. He reported that the lights came on almost daily. January 5 through January 8, 2026, Neighbor reported rear passenger overhead lighting on daily around 7:30 am.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The software on the vehicle appears to have been updated without my permission or knowledge. 1) Now my doors will no longer lock or unlock from the interior control panel ... which means that the vehicle cannot drive as I am unable to let people into the vehicle due to how the door/door handles function. The door handles used to protrude out of the door when the vehicle was unlocked. Since the interior control panel on the driver's door no longer functions and the doors automatically lock when driving, I am unable to unlock the doors to let people in while driving. 2) I am not longer able to roll down, or up, any windows from the driver's control panel. All windows are permanently closed and cannot be opened or closed from the driver's door control panel.
While accelerating from a stoplight the car shuddered and came to a stop. All power was lost in the intersection.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
Our Fisker Ocean is occasionally having an issue when a passenger is sitting in the rear driver side or middle seat. It seems like something related to the seat sensor causes the computer to freeze or get bogged down. When it occurs, the symptoms include: -The yellow front collision and lane change ADAS warnings pop up simultaneously -Cruise control shuts off -Speedometer freezes -Blinkers don’t work (which also means hazard lights don’t) -Regen turns off but braking still works -Tomtom stops tracking the car accurately -Radio freezes -There may be other systems affected that we haven't noticed. A bit of experimentation with the passengers we were able to figure out workarounds. Lifting themselves off the seat all the issues would resolve pretty much immediately. Leaning the seat back down and then putting it back up almost always took care of the issue and it wouldn’t come back for a while or at all.
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V499000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), 24V466000 (STRUCTURE), 24V623000 (SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC) and 24V865000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC; AUTOHOLD BRAKE SYSTEM/BRAKE HOLD). The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the rearview camera failed to activate while the vehicle was in reverse(R), compromising the back-over prevention system. In addition, all the cameras failed to operate as intended. The ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) light illuminated, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that an Over-the-Air (OTA) software update was performed on the rearview camera; however, the failure became progressively worse. The contact stated that the OTA updates drained the battery, causing alarms to independently activate. The battery was replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the electrical system failed, which caused the vehicle to be completely non-responsive. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence and repaired the electrical system and the battery. However, the failure persisted, and the battery was replaced a second time. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the front driver’s side door failed to open as intended. The contact was unable to open the door from the inside. The contact rolled down the window and unlocked the door from the outside. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost and the parts not being available. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle rolled backwards while in drive(D). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, on a rough road or over a pothole, the vehicle failed to stop as intended while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the interior lights failed to function as intended when the switch was turned on. In addition, while starting
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
I’m currently experiencing the following safety issues with my Fisker Ocean One: 1. Seat sensor - does not sense a person sitting which affects the ability to put the vehicle into gear or automatically puts the vehicle into park if in gear. Huge safety concern since the vehicle has been placed into park in the middle of a traffic intersection or will not go into drive after waiting at a red light or stop sign. Have had near hits from the rear. 2. Windshield - there are zero available options to quickly replace a cracked windshield. Replacement windshields are not available anywhere and if for some miracle you can locate one (via eBay) you cannot find a shop that will replace it. I’ve called multiple windshield repair companies for many months and non of them carry the windshield or have the tools needed to recalibrate the ADAS. Driving with a cracked windshield is a very big safety hazard due to extreme visibility reduction. Could cause crash or hitting pedestrians.
Ever since I took delivery of the vehicle in December 2023 I have been unable to clear my windshield when it gets dirty. The company delivered the car with water in the washer fluid reservoir. It froze and cracked. This is a major safety issue.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
Brakes not working. ABS has become defective. Manufacturer not owning repairs and vehicle is not serviceable. Nearly collided with pedestrian but emergency brake prevented accident. Was able to get vehicle home, but unusable.
Air vents are broken in a month after delivery. Fisker ignored all the service calls, opened tickets for parts replacement and have done nothing to deliver the parts or fix the issue. Multiple alerts comes up, Rear Seat belt not retracting which was notified to fisker via ticket. After the company filed bankruptcy there is no protection or warranty for this vehicle. Safety recalls like Water pump , door handle is not take care and parts are not available. As a owner i have to travel to different state pay the costs for recalls if the parts are available. At this point none of the recalls are addressed , just the notice sent from NHTSA that these recalls are active. This is absolutely tragic that we as a consumer are left in a limbo operating this unsafe vehicle putting our life and health at risk.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Vehicle has not have the complete OS2.2 update mandated by the recalls, vehicle does not have ADAS at all, it’s completely turned off
Component/System Failure: Lane-Keeping Assist: Malfunctioned during highway turns, aggressively steering toward the shoulder, creating a collision risk. Turning off the feature does not prevent it from re-engaging. Braking & Acceleration: After hitting a pothole, braking failed to engage properly, and the car unexpectedly accelerated, requiring immediate action to regain control. Regenerative Braking: Inconsistent performance made it difficult to stop at higher speeds or downhill, increasing the risk of losing control. Random Parking Engagement: While reaching into my back pocket at low speed, the car unexpectedly shifted into "Park," abruptly stopping in traffic and posing a rear-end collision risk. Brake System Malfunction: A persistent "Brake System Malfunction" warning appears during normal driving, raising concerns about braking reliability. Availability for Inspection: The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risks: Lane-Keeping Assist: Unintended steering toward the shoulder endangers me and other road users. Braking & Acceleration: Failure to brake and unexpected acceleration create hazardous conditions. Regenerative Braking: Inconsistent braking may lead to loss of control, particularly at high speeds or downhill. Random Parking Engagement: Unexpected shifts into "Park" in traffic could result in a collision. Brake System Malfunction: Persistent warnings and unreliable braking compromise vehicle safety. Reproduction/Confirmation by Dealer: The dealer has been notified, but no permanent fix has been provided. The safety issues remain unresolved. Warning Lamps/Messages: The "Brake System Malfunction" alert frequently appears during normal driving, along with braking failures and lane-keeping assist malfunctions. In addition to other system alerts.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
There are so many issues with this vehicle that started right from the beggining when I purchased it back 2023): •The sensors in the car beep frequently even when nothing is in the way. •When using the brakes, the car will sometimes abruptly brake aggressively •Middle console of the inside of the car makes random noises constantly. •Wheels have no traction! Spin when going uphill. •Most importantly the vehicle shuts down automatically. NO warning or signs.
Vehicle was on software version 2.0 which solely contributed to this problem. I had a front passenger tire have a catastrophic failure and blow out on me while driving, this causes the car to pull hard to the right, into a concrete wall. Compounding this problem was I let off the throttle and the regen braking never kicked in to slow the car down. Software version 2.0 was known to be flawed and cause excessive tire wear and regen braking issues, which is what I believe happened. The result of the crash was minor cosmetic flaws, but due to the inability to gather parts the insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. There have been several other occurrences of this happening and I believe the car is a serious safety hazard to those who drive it and others on the road.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
None of the following recalls have been corrected/ or the update to 2.2, have been completed on my vehicle Recalls are not being done or parts provided. I am being told I have to use an approved service provider and the requires me to drive 350 mile and pay for the labor. 24V865000 (Regen Braking OTA-2.2) 24V499000 (Water pump) 24V466000 (Door Handles) 24V405000 (Warning Lights OTA-2.1) 24V404000 (MCU/VCU Loss of Power OTA-2.1)
Car's software was updated to non-certified version (2.2.2 not 2.2). After the update was completed, my TPMS is not working. I have an error stating that it is malfunctioning. I don't feel safe driving the vehicle with a safety system, as important as this, not working.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was merging on to Interstate 5 when the vehicle in front stopped very hard to avoid hitting construction equipment that had likely fallen off a truck. I was not able to stop the car in time as the brakes seemed to not be effective. The collision warning braking system did not activate. The airbags did not activate which surprised the Highway Patrol and collision center personnel.
On around 5/8/24 I lost the use of horn, have an air bag warning failure, ADS warning, loss of controls on steering wheel.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .