The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration has opened a third investigation into EV startup Fisker’s Ocean SUV, this time centered on issues getting the doorways to open.
NHTSA’s Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) says in a brand new discover that it has obtained 14 complaints from homeowners who haven’t been capable of open the doorways to their Fisker Oceans, both from the within or the skin. The company says the complaints level to a an “intermittent failure” of the door latch and deal with system. The complaints additionally increase the likelihood that the emergency override mechanism additionally doesn’t work.
The Ocean SUV is already being investigated by ODI over issues with its braking system, and for complaints in regards to the automobile rolling away on uneven surfaces. The corporate has not issued any remembers for the Ocean. The corporate didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The third probe is being opened as Fisker is on the brink. It paused manufacturing of the Ocean in March and reported simply $121 million within the financial institution. Fisker continues to be sitting on 1000’s of Ocean SUVs in stock that it’s struggling to promote, both straight or by way of its nascent dealership mannequin, and just lately slashed costs by as much as 39% in a determined try and generate gross sales. It was just lately eliminated from the New York Inventory Alternate. A potential partnership with Nissan fell by way of, endangering an try at securing $150 million in rescue funding.
Clients have reported getting caught in or out of their automotive to Fisker for months, in accordance with inside paperwork that TechCrunch solely reported on in February. A few of these incidents had been associated to the Ocean’s troublesome key fob. However the brand new security probe suggests a deeper drawback with the SUV’s doorways. The investigation is designated as a “preliminary analysis,” which ODI sometimes resolves inside eight months.
