Fisker’s brakes can’t catch a break

Fisker has another braking issue on its hands, prompting US safety regulators to open a fourth probe on the automaker’s electric Ocean SUV.

This time, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into customer claims that the Ocean would unexpectedly activate its automatic emergency braking (AEB) without any forward obstruction. Reuters reports three of the claims involved someone getting injured.

This is the second probe opened for the 2023 Ocean that has to do with the vehicle’s braking system. The first, which was announced last January, was based on complaints that the vehicle would lose braking power. Now the regulator’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a preliminary evaluation based on eight customer complaints that allege inadvertent AEB activations.

The issues echo Tesla’s struggles with phantom braking, although those appeared related to the company’s advanced driver-assistant features like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.

Another investigation opened last month alleges failures on the Ocean’s latch and handle systems that stop users from opening doors inside and outside. And in February, four complaints were filed about the Ocean not shifting into park or the intended gear, resulting in unintended vehicle movement or rollaway.

Fisker’s image has suffered from mounting safety and reliability issues. The company is also struggling to keep afloat financially, forcing it to slash prices by almost 40 percent in an attempt to stay afloat.

Meanwhile, Fisker hasn’t paid its engineering and carpeting partners, and its contract manufacturer Magna International recently stated it will no longer build any more Ocean SUVs.