- Fisker owners were told they may have to pay the repair costs for two outstanding recalls.
- It's another blow for customers who paid as much as $70,000 for the bankrupt startup's Fisker Ocean.
- Some owners previously told Business Insider that they'd been left with undrivable cars.
Fisker owners who paid up to $70,000 for the bankrupt startup's malfunctioning electric vehicles have a new headache to deal with.
In an FAQ posted on Fisker's website Sunday, the company said Fisker owners would have to pay the repair costs for two outstanding recalls facing its Ocean electric car.
Fisker said due to its "current financial situation" under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it could only cover the cost of the required parts, not the repairs themselves.
The news adds to the woes faced by Fisker owners since the company went bankrupt in June.
Business Insider previously reported that customers who paid as much as $70,000 for Fisker's flagship Ocean EV had been left with undrivable and unfixable vehicles, with one describing his bricked Ocean as little more than a "lawn ornament."
There are currently five outstanding recalls for Fisker's Ocean EV. In the FAQ, Fisker said it would address three of the recalls — over a loss of drive power, incorrectly displayed warning lights, and braking issues — with a software update.
For the two other recalls — one related to the car's door handles and the other to its water pump — Fisker said it would only cover the cost of the parts, not of "physical inspections and potential repairs."
Fisker also warned owners to drive their vehicles "with caution" until the recalls are addressed. The company said it would send drivers a list of "authorized service providers" who can repair broken Oceans by the end of the month.
Fisker owners previously told BI they'd struggled to find repair shops that could fix their vehicles, with some saying the company had been unresponsive to their attempts to contact it.
Fisker, the second failed auto startup founded by the famed car designer Henrik Fisker, had ambitious plans to take on Tesla with its lineup of high-tech EVs.
But the company struggled to manufacture and ship its vehicles and ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June. Former and current workers told BI they felt mismanagement and cost-cutting were partly to blame for the company's woes.
Fisker struck a deal in July to sell its remaining electric vehicles to a New York leasing company for an 80% discount.
Fisker did not respond to a request for comment sent outside normal working hours.
Do you work at Fisker or own an Ocean? Get in touch with this reporter at [email protected].