Fisker Drama Continues: Bankrupt, Mass Recall, DOJ Lawsuit, And Investigated By SEC

The Fisker Ocean electric SUV was officially produced in November 2022. (Doc. Fisker Inc.)

JAKARTA - Fisker's electric car startup from the United States has been facing a serious crisis since last June, when the company was effectively declared bankrupt. Shortly after filing bankruptcy protection to court, new issues arose with the recall of 12,523 Ocean EV crossover units in Europe and North America.

This withdrawal includes Ocean EV production in 2023 and 2024 which faces problems with the outer door handle, problematic software, and non-compliance with safety standards.

The Fisker crisis is increasingly complicated with the company's plans to charge customers with fixes to the recall. According to a Reuters report on October 8, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Fisker, stating that the plan is against the law. Under bankruptcy rules, companies are required to repair defective vehicles without charging repair fees when vehicles are brought to service.

The DOJ also highlighted that Fisker's plans to allow vehicle owners to demand a refund of the repair costs they have spent are deemed to have violated the law.

On the other hand, Fisker is currently being investigated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC raised objections to the company's liquidation plan, particularly regarding the lack of clarity regarding how Fisker will maintain its corporate record in the future.