What Fisker Karma owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Fisker Karma safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Fisker Karma complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
There are 8 vehicle recalls for this car but I dont see where they have been fixed. The company is bankrupt now and the current Fisker company will not fix. NHTSA Campaign #: 12V413000 12V241000 11V598000 17V004000 19V181000 12V413000 12V241000 11V598000
THE HIGH VOLTAGE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY IS FAULTY AND BURNS OUT OR SHORTS OUT THE BATTERY MODULES.
AFTER BASELINE 520 UPDATE PERFORMED BY KARMA AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE EXHIBITS ISSUES WITH LOSS OF PROPULSION AND MULTIPLE CLICKING NOISES WHEN THIS OCCURS. WAS ON A MAJOR FREEWAY AND VEHICLE LOST PROPULSION IN THE FAST LANE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FISKER KARMA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD NOT BE REPLACED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V598000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,059.
CAR WAS DELIVERED MARCH 19TH, 2012 WITH ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS. DEALER REFUSED TO HAVE VEHICLE EVALUATED, OR INSPECTED. DEALER DID NOT RETURN MY CALL AND FISKER MOTORS DID NOT RETURN MY CALLS. CAR LOST ALL POWER, WHILE DRIVING ON THREE OCCASIONS IN FIRST 60 MILES. IN ONE INSTANCE HEADLIGHTS AND CONTROLS TURNED OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILE PER HOUR AT NIGHT AND TWICE AROUND 40 MILE PER HOUR, WITHIN 1/4 MILE OF A STOP LIGHT. DEALER HAS HAD CAR RETURNED IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS AND IS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX PROBLEM, DUE TO THE FACT THAT MANY FISKER CARS DO NOT STORE ENGINE LIGHT CODES. SOFTWARE PROBLEMS AND A SAFETY RECALL ON THE MAIN POWER SYSTEM ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE FOR MONTHS. RADIO…
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, A 2012 FISKER KARMA, AT 35 MPH, THE CAR SHUT ITSELF OFF, ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED, THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND THE STEERING WAS IMPAIRED LEAVING BASIC DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ONLY. *TR
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
Traction Motor and Inverter Location and Nomenclature
FISKER: AFTER AN EXTENDED DRIVE, WITH HEATER ON, IN STEALTH MODE, A FLASHING OR SOLID CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) ILLUMINATES, WITH ROUGH IDLE, WHEN ENGINE/GENERATOR IS TURNED ON. MODELS 2012-2013 KARMA. *PE
FISKER: ON THE END OF RELEASE CABLE IS ORIGINAL DOOR PULL RING WHICH CAN SLIP OFF BALL. A DOOR PULL RINGS, THAT FULLY CAPTURE AND ENGAGE CABLE RELEASE BALL, WAS REDESIGN AND REPLACES PULL RING ON THE FOUR DOORS AND CABLE RELEASE FOR THE TRUNK. MODELS 2012-2013 KARMA. *PE
FISKER: BATTERY CHARGER CONTROL MODULE LOSES COMMUNICATION DUE TO A POTENTIAL FALSE SETTING. *PE
FISKER: INFORMATION PROVIDED ON STANDARD GOODYEAR TIRES FITTED TO KARMA, WITH WEAR INDICATOR BARS, STILL HAVE USABLE TREAD RUBBER ON SHOULDER RIBS, THOUGH APPEARING WORN. *PE
FISKER: INFORMATION REGARDING IMPROVED ENHANCEMENT TO HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY, DUE TO UNDERPERFORMANCE AND DECREASED DURABILITY CAUSED BY A LATENT DEFECT IN THE PRISMATIC CELLS. *PE UPDATED 5/15/12. *PE
FISKER: INFORMATION FOR CORRECTLY FORMATTING, DOWNLOADING, AND LOADING SOFTWARE AND FILES ON USB FLASH DRIVE IS BEING PROVIDED AS A SERVICE TIP. *PE
FISKER: EXPLANATION REGARDING COMMAND CENTER TIPS FOR THE TOUCH PANEL ON COMPUTER SCREEN ON VEHICLE. *PE
FISKER: INFORMATION IS BEING PROVIDED REGARDING CHARGING PROCEDURE FOR VEHICLE. *PE
FISKER: EXPLANATION PROVIDED REGARDING THE 3 DIFFERENT DRIVING MODES OF VEHICLE. *PE
FISKER: INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED FOR REPLACING ENTIRE EXTERIOR SIDE MIRROR ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS AFTER REBUILDING A DIFFERENT MIRROR. *PE
FISKER: UPON INSPECTION, HV DC GENERATOR POWER CABLE CONNECTOR MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY OR DAMAGED. *PE
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 20
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2012–2013, owners most often name: electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, power train. 6 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
