Following the company’s bankruptcy, it’s announced it will cover the cost of parts, but that owners are on the hook for labour
- The Fisker Ocean EV was subject to 5 recalls when the automaker announced its bankruptcy
- That spells problems for 2 of those 5 recalls, which affect hundreds of vehicles in Canada
- The chief issue is that the automaker will pay for the replacement parts, but that owners will have to foot the bill for the labour
But the recalls for the door handles and water pump require replacement parts and someone to put them in, and that’s where it’s going to get sticky for owners. First, the vehicle needs to be inspected by a Fisker-authorized service provider — and right now, exactly where you’ll find one is up in the air.
The bulletin says, “By the end of September 2024, we will send you an email with a list of authorized service providers. This list will include locations where you can bring your vehicle to have the recall issues addressed.” And further, “We are working to ensure that all necessary parts are available to authorized service providers by the end of September 2024.”
All good to go—right? Well, not quite. Under normal circumstances, recalls are done completely free of charge. But while Fisker will pay for the door handles and water pumps, the vehicle owners are on the hook for the labour. Back to the bulletin: “…due to Fisker’s current financial situation under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Fisker is only able to cover the cost of the parts required to address these issues. Please note that the (labour) costs associated with the inspection and repair process will need to be covered by you, the vehicle owner.”
At least the OTA updates are being sent out for free. There’s no official report on how much labour cost is involved in the mechanical repairs, although we’ve seen some repair sites estimating about 45 minutes for the water pump. Of course, that’s assuming that the handles and pumps actually do arrive as planned.
The Fisker Ocean was built in Austria by Magna Steyr, a division of Canadian-based Magna, which took a heavy hit when the vehicle’s production ended. It’s not likely there are many spare parts floating around, especially since the recalls will affect pretty much every Ocean that Magna Steyr made. It can be cool to be an early adopter, but there’s no guarantee you won’t be last.
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.