Incident Report: Analysis of Recurring Safety Complaints in Fisker Karma and Ocean Models
1.0 Introduction
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer safety complaints filed for the Fisker Karma and Fisker Ocean models. Based exclusively on the provided complaint data, the objective of this document is to categorize reported incidents, identify recurring failure patterns, and furnish a clear overview for risk assessment. The analysis examines the nature and frequency of reported malfunctions to highlight potential systemic safety concerns within these vehicles.
Get complete access to this detailed incident analysis
Get complete access to this detailed incident analysis
Get complete access to this detailed incident analysis
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer safety complaints filed for the Fisker Karma and Fisker Ocean models. Based exclusively on the provided complaint data, the objective of this document is to categorize reported incidents, identify recurring failure patterns, and furnish a clear overview for risk assessment. The analysis examines the nature and frequency of reported malfunctions to highlight potential systemic safety concerns within these vehicles.
The report is structured to provide a clear progression of analysis. It begins with an examination of the 2012 Fisker Karma to establish a baseline of historical issues. This is followed by a more extensive review of the complaints associated with the newer Fisker Ocean model. The document concludes with a comparative analysis that contrasts the failure patterns across both models and summarizes the most significant safety risks identified.
2.0 Fisker Karma: Complaint Analysis
An analysis of complaints regarding the 2012 Fisker Karma, the brand's earlier model, is crucial for establishing a baseline understanding of historical safety issues. While the volume of complaints is lower than for the Ocean, the reported incidents point toward a critical and singular failure pattern affecting core vehicle functions. Notably, the most severe reported incidents appear to be duplicate filings of a single catastrophic event across multiple NHTSA categories (Electrical, Engine, Brakes), which underscores the systemic nature of the failure.
2.1 Catastrophic Power Failure and Loss of Control
The core safety risk identified in the Karma complaints is a complete and catastrophic shutdown of the vehicle while in motion. Reports describe a total system failure where the vehicle turns itself off, resulting in an immediate loss of propulsion, power brakes, and power steering. This simultaneous failure of all critical control systems renders the vehicle unmanageable and presents an extreme hazard.
2.2 Other System Faults
Separate from the total power failure incidents, other complaints highlight issues related to key components and post-sale support. These reports point to potential quality control problems, including faulty high-voltage batteries, loss of propulsion following a software update, and vehicles being delivered with pre-existing warning lights.
Key Failure Patterns: Fisker Karma
The synthesized data reveals a critical, interconnected failure pattern for the Fisker Karma. The most severe risk stems from a sudden and total loss of power. As described in complaints 896270, 896271, and 896272—which appear to be the same incident reported across multiple categories—this event results in the simultaneous failure of propulsion, service brakes, and power steering. This presents an extreme hazard to the driver and surrounding traffic, as the vehicle becomes uncontrollable at speed.
This historical data provides an important context for evaluating the safety profile of the more recent Fisker Ocean model.
3.0 Fisker Ocean: Complaint Analysis
The Fisker Ocean, as the brand's newer, high-volume model, has generated a significantly larger and more complex dataset of safety complaints. The Ocean's safety profile is defined by a high volume of complaints across multiple critical systems, with more than a dozen distinct categories classified as having a 'High' Widespread Level, each representing a significant number of unique owner reports. This section systematically dissects these complaints to identify prevalent and high-risk failure modes, offering insight into the safety and reliability challenges of the vehicle's advanced systems.
3.1 Braking System and Driver-Assistance Failures
A substantial portion of complaints centers on the braking system and the associated advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which appear to be unreliable and, in some cases, counterproductive to driver safety.
3.1.1 Service Brakes
Widespread Level: High
Owners report a dangerous braking characteristic where the system's effectiveness is compromised when driving over uneven surfaces, such as bumps or potholes. Instead of slowing down, the vehicle is described as lurching forward, with a delayed response from the brake pedal. This behavior is compounded by issues with the regenerative braking system unexpectedly disengaging.
3.1.2 Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
Widespread Level: High
The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system is a focus of numerous complaints. The primary issue mirrors the service brake complaints: when driving over bumpy or uneven pavement, the braking system disengages, causing the car to "jump forward." This failure of a key safety feature under common road conditions represents a significant hazard.
3.1.3 Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
Widespread Level: High
Complaints related to Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and related systems highlight unpredictable vehicle behavior. Reports describe the car accelerating when going over bumps even while the driver is braking, abrupt and unnecessary emergency braking engagement, and a lack of basic features like roll-away prevention on inclines.
3.1.4 Lane Departure and Blind Spot Detection
Widespread Level: High (for all three related categories: Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Warning)
These ADAS features are frequently reported as non-functional, unreliable, and at times, dangerous. Drivers describe systems that fail sporadically, give false warnings, or actively steer the vehicle incorrectly toward lane lines instead of away from them. This unreliability undermines driver confidence and safety.
3.2 Electrical System and Powertrain Malfunctions
A high volume of complaints indicates systemic issues with the Ocean's electrical and powertrain components, leading to sudden power loss and unpredictable behavior that echoes the critical failure pattern seen in the Karma.
3.2.1 Electrical System (General)
Widespread Level: High
General electrical system complaints cover a wide range of malfunctions, from loss of power while driving to door lock failures and persistent, distracting warning messages. These issues point to potential software and hardware integration problems affecting multiple vehicle functions.
3.2.2 Engine
Widespread Level: High
Complaints categorized under "Engine" for this electric vehicle consistently describe sudden and complete loss of propulsion. Drivers report being left stranded in dangerous situations, such as in turning lanes or on highways, after the vehicle abruptly loses power, shudders, and shuts down.
3.2.3 Fuel/Propulsion System
Widespread Level: High
These reports reinforce the pattern of catastrophic power loss. A common theme is the vehicle abruptly stopping in high-speed traffic on freeways, creating an extremely hazardous situation for the occupants and other motorists.
3.2.4 Power Train
Widespread Level: High
Powertrain complaints describe not only a loss of power but also erratic gear selection and unintended vehicle movement. Reports include the car failing to shift out of park, becoming unresponsive to accelerator input, and stopping on busy highways.
3.3 Structural and Body Integrity Issues
Beyond electronic systems, a significant number of complaints point to fundamental failures in the vehicle's structural and body components, including doors and hoods.
3.3.1 Structure: Body
Widespread Level: High
A recurring and alarming issue is the failure of door latches, which reportedly trap passengers inside the vehicle. Multiple owners describe doors that will not open from the inside or outside. Another severe structural failure involves the hood unexpectedly flying open while driving, completely obstructing the driver's vision.
3.3.2 Latches/Locks/Linkages: Hood
Widespread Level: Unique
This specific complaint details the hood latch failing at speed, causing the hood to fly up and strike the windshield. While categorized as unique, its severity warrants attention as a critical structural failure.
3.3.3 Exterior Lighting
Widespread Level: High
Complaints categorized under exterior lighting primarily report the failure of key systems like turn signals. Other reports miscategorized in this section describe distracting interior "ghost lights" that turn on and off randomly, indicating broader electrical control module issues.
3.4 Other Significant Issues
3.4.1 Vehicle Speed Control
Widespread Level: High
Issues with speed control are prevalent and highly dangerous. Complaints detail unintended acceleration, particularly when the vehicle travels over bumps, and a complete loss of throttle response, leaving the vehicle to coast without power.
3.4.2 Seat Belts and Seats
Widespread Level: Medium
Complaints in this category highlight two distinct safety concerns. First, reports indicate that rear seat belts fail to retract properly, creating slack and rendering them ineffective. Second, faulty seat occupancy sensors are reportedly causing the vehicle to shift itself into Park while in traffic, creating a risk of a rear-end collision.
Key Failure Patterns: Fisker Ocean
The detailed analysis of the Fisker Ocean reveals several critical and recurring safety themes, supported by a high volume of corroborating reports across numerous categories. There is a clear pattern of interplay between software, sensors, and mechanical systems that leads to dangerous failures. The most prominent issues include widespread braking system failures, especially over uneven surfaces where regenerative and mechanical brakes temporarily disengage; profound unreliability of ADAS features; sudden and total loss of power mirroring the Karma's core issue; and fundamental structural failures such as doors trapping occupants and hoods flying open at speed.
These patterns suggest systemic issues related to vehicle control software and basic hardware quality, which will be explored in the final comparative summary.
4.0 Comparative Analysis and Risk Summary
By comparing the complaint patterns of the Fisker Karma and the Fisker Ocean, it is possible to identify whether issues are persistent, emergent, or systemic. This comparative context provides a more robust basis for an overall risk assessment of the brand's vehicle safety architecture.
The nature of the complaints differs significantly between the two models. For the Fisker Karma, the primary critical failure reported was a complete and simultaneous loss of power, propulsion, braking, and steering. This points to a singular, catastrophic failure mode within its core electrical architecture. In contrast, the Fisker Ocean exhibits a much broader and more complex range of failures. While it shares the critical issue of sudden power loss with the Karma, it introduces a host of new problems related to the malfunction of modern electronic safety systems (ADAS, regenerative braking), poor software integration, and fundamental structural integrity flaws.
The following table consolidates the most severe recurring issues identified across both models for risk assessment.
Summary of High-Risk Failure Patterns
Identified Failure Pattern Description & Potential Customer Impact Affected Model(s)
Sudden Loss of Propulsion Vehicle abruptly loses all motive power, often at highway speeds, leaving it uncontrollable and stranded in traffic. High risk of high-speed collision. Karma, Ocean
Braking System Failure on Uneven Terrain Vehicle's regenerative and/or friction brakes temporarily disengage when driving over bumps, causing the vehicle to lurch forward and delaying braking response. High risk of collision in common driving conditions. Ocean
Malfunction of Collision Avoidance Systems ADAS features (AEB, Lane Assist, ACC) provide false warnings, engage erratically, or fail to activate, undermining driver confidence and creating unpredictable collision hazards. Ocean
Door and Hood Latch Failures The hood can unlatch at speed, completely obstructing driver vision. Separately, door mechanisms fail, trapping occupants inside the vehicle, posing a critical safety risk in an emergency. Ocean
This comparative view highlights a potential evolution of safety challenges, moving from a single critical failure point in the Karma to a multifaceted array of systemic issues in the Ocean.
5.0 Conclusion
This report was compiled to analyze and categorize customer safety complaints for the Fisker Karma and Fisker Ocean models. By synthesizing complaint data, this document identifies key failure patterns and provides a structured overview of documented safety concerns.
The principal findings reveal distinct safety profiles for the two vehicles. The Fisker Karma's primary reported hazard was a catastrophic loss of power that disabled all critical vehicle functions simultaneously. The Fisker Ocean, while also susceptible to sudden power loss, demonstrates a wider array of significant safety issues. The most concerning of these are the high frequency of complaints related to its braking system's unpredictable behavior on uneven surfaces, the profound unreliability of its advanced driver-assistance systems, and severe structural failures involving doors and hoods.
This analysis provides a clear, data-driven overview of documented safety complaints, which should serve as a foundational element for informing further risk assessment activities and potential investigative actions.