Popular tech YouTuber and automotive enthusiast Marques Brownlee recently delivered a stinging rebuke to Fisker Inc‘s FSR Ocean SUV, branding it as the worst car he has ever reviewed.
Unexpected Criticism: According to Brownlee, “Do not buy this version of the Fisker Ocean.” He highlighted his frustrations with the numerous red flags encountered while reviewing the vehicle.
The YouTuber’s remark was triggered by the vehicle’s faulty software, including frequent errors concerning the ADAS system, the camera system, and Bluetooth pairing issues with mobile devices. Brownlee lamented the absence of brake hold, the lack of a passenger side glove box, and the vehicle’s failure to respond actively to the key fob.
He also noted that the car’s solar panel-equipped roof lacks information on how much energy it stores or contributes to the car’s range. Furthermore, despite offering three drive modes, Brownlee claimed they do not bring about significant changes.
Brownlee warned, “It’s not going to show up in a day. You live with this car, and it slowly rears its ugly head.” The reviewed vehicle was a launch edition of the Ocean SUV, called the Ocean One, and was priced at $68,999. Fisker plans to produce only 5000 units of the launch edition vehicles globally.
Despite the promise of an upcoming software update to address some of these issues, Brownlee expressed skepticism, stating, “I think it’s going to take time for this car to be acceptably usable given how many issues I have had with it, but I am rooting for it only because competition is good and the fundamentals are solid.”
Brownlee also commented, “I think the theme here is it’s just a young company that doesn’t really know exactly what they’re doing with a lot of these choices yet or hasn’t considered all of the things necessary to make a great car.”
Fisker’s Other Challenges: The Fisker Ocean SUV competes in the same highly competitive electric SUV category as the Tesla Model Y, the Mustang Mach-E, the Ioniq 5, and the EV6.
The Fisker Ocean starts at $38,999 for the lower-end Sport trim, which is priced lower than the Model Y rear-wheel drive, presently starting at $42,990. The higher-end Extreme trim of the Ocean SUV is priced at $61,499.
Furthermore, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into 4000 model year 2023 Ocean SUVs, following four complaints about unintended vehicle movement due to the car not shifting into the park or the intended gear. One of the four complaints even alleged an injury.
In 2023, Fisker delivered only approximately 4,700 Ocean vehicles, despite producing over 10,000.
Price Action: Fisker shares closed down 3.45% at $0.73 on Friday, according to data from Benzinga Pro. The stock fell nearly 89% over the past year.
Photo by betto rodrigues on Shutterstock
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