The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a second investigation into Fisker’s Ocean SUV following four complaints about the vehicle rolling away unexpectedly, including one resulting in an injury. Fisker stated that it is “fully cooperating” with the safety agency.
This investigation follows closely on the heels of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation probing complaints of sudden loss of braking performance. Fisker claims to have addressed this issue with a software update released to vehicles in December.
See also: Internal Documents Highlight Technical Challenges Faced by Fisker Ocean Owners
Fisker has faced challenges with the Ocean since its initial SUV deliveries last year. Owners have lodged complaints for months, reporting issues such as sudden power loss, difficulties entering and exiting the vehicle, gear shifting problems, and instances of the SUV’s hood flying open, as TechCrunch reported last week.
The four complaints referenced by NHTSA depict situations where owners encountered difficulties shifting into or out of park. A Pennsylvania owner reported that their Ocean sometimes shifts into neutral instead of park, causing the SUV to roll backward. In one incident in December, this owner exited the vehicle as it began to roll away, only for the open driver’s side door to knock them to the ground. They managed to “get up, jump in the car, and stop it before it hit another car.”
See also: Fisker Ocean Sport Exceeds Estimates with 288-Mile Range in European WLTP Test
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation can initiate investigations at four levels: Defect Petition, Preliminary Evaluation, Recall Query, and Engineering Analysis. Like the braking investigation, this rollaway complaints inquiry falls under a preliminary evaluation, which NHTSA aims to complete within eight months. The agency’s goal for the preliminary evaluation is to “determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.”
