I Bought a $70,000 Fisker Ocean, But Immediately Regretted It, The Issues Started and 11 Months In and Only 7,000 Miles, It’s Time to Jump Ship

Brian and Steven from Edmunds bought a 2023 Fisker Ocean for its long-term tester. Here is their revealing story of what they paid, what it's worth now, and all the problems that led them to sell the EV after only eleven months and just 7,000 miles.

We have buyer’s remorse.

Have you ever purchased a new car or truck, and soon after you bought it, you realized you made a mistake and felt buyer's remorse? That happened to Brian Wong and Steven Ewing from Edmunds, a trusted website that provides information about new and used cars that regularly buys new vehicles for long-term testing. 

The Fisker Ocean electric SUV was highly anticipated for its innovative design and eco-friendly features. However, Brian and Steven's experience with the vehicle was the worst experience ever.

Here is Brian and Steven's story.

We are saying goodbye to our Ocean before we drown. 

"We spent 11 months and roughly 7,000 miles with a 2023 Fisker Ocean Extreme. In that time, Fisker went bankrupt, and our vehicle lost just over 80% of its value. We can't buy one again for obvious reasons, but even if we could, we wouldn't."

The two Edmunds car testers paid $69,012 for the new Fisker Ocean Extreme trim level in January 2024. Immediately, they started having problems. 

"And from the moment we got the key — not keys, more on that later — the issues started. On the way home from picking up the Ocean, I got the first of what would be many, many warning lights. Things only got worse from there."

"Just three months into ownership, amid rumors of Fisker Inc. going under, the SUV lost about 69% of its value. A software update that was supposed to solve many of the initial software issues instead introduced some new ones." 

"Fast-forward to today and Fisker has officially closed its doors, leaving owners scrambling to figure out how to service the existing vehicles and keep them operable."

"We usually keep our long-term test cars for at least a year and 20,000 miles. But it's time to jump ship 11 months and only 7,000 miles into Ocean ownership."

What are the Fisker Ocean problems? The list is long.

• They had to replace the battery in the key fob twice
• Fisker only gave them one key fob when we bought the vehicle
• There are major issues with locking and unlocking the Ocean 
• The car doesn't detect the key and won't move until you hold it next to the steering column
• The regenerative braking is awful in 'high"
• The infotainment system was a "mess from the start." 
• The TomTom-powered navigation has low-quality maps and out-of-date destination information.
• The only way to adjust the air vents is through the touchscreen
• The air does not blow where you want it
• The features promised and listed on the Ocean's spec sheet, including adaptive cruise control and voice commands, have yet to arrive.
• The hill hold system is coupled with a weight sensor in the driver's seat. If you lean over to grab something from the passenger seat, it will throw the Ocean into the park and activate the parking brake.
• Despite having cameras all around the exterior and a 3D camera view, it doesn't have a simple top-down view that makes parking easier.
• The Fisker Ocean has a cheaper TPMS, meaning they had to check all the tires to see which one was low when the low tire light came on. 
• The forward-facing sensors would deactivate when they drive in direct sunlight, night, or rain. 

Ryan Greger, Edmund's senior social media content strategist, provided the final word on what it was like to live with the Ocean for only a weekend.

"I have never had so many issues with a vehicle in a 72-hour period. The key has worked about 25% of the time; more often than not, it takes more than ten clicks to unlock the car, and once I'm inside, it either won't detect the key or forces me to tap it against the NFC reader to go into gear."

"Additionally, the car sometimes fails to fully shut down — it will lock, but it won't chirp, and you can see the systems still active inside. At one point, I was driving the car and randomly got a driver-assistance failure notification. However, I wasn't using any of the systems at the time, so I'm not sure what effect there was (if any), and that warning went away the next time I drove the car." 

"The touchscreen is generally slow — especially the backup camera, which always has a 5-second delay before turning on when in reverse. The rear touchscreen is extremely laggy. At one point, the rear right heated seat refused to turn on; this was rectified by cycling the vehicle on and off. In a nutshell: The Ocean made me so frustrated I was about ready to drive it into the Ocean."

Ryan never asked to drive it again. "I wonder why," they say.

Brian and Steven say it's time to say goodbye, even if they lose significant money. 

"Needless to say, we won't miss the Ocean. Thankfully, we can at least trade it in, but our appraisal offer was tough to swallow: just $13,500. That means the value of our Ocean has dropped by more than 80% in 11 months."

"Goodbye, Fisker, you were here for neither a good time nor a long time."

Conclusion: 

I would say you can find a great deal on a used Fisker Ocean. After reading this, you know that it doesn't matter how good a deal it is, don't buy it. You'll regret your "great deal" and have buyer's remorse even if you pay around $20,000 or less than one-third of the original purchase price.

Have you ever purchased a new car or truck, and then soon after you bought it, you realized you made a mistake? If so, we'd like to hear your story. Click the red Add New Comment link below and share your experience with the Fisker Ocean or any other vehicle.

Check another one of my Fisker stories:

Fisker Inc, the maker of the Ocean electric vehicle, hired a North Korean spy who funneled millions of dollars to North Korea's ballistic missile program. Here are the chilling details.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Fisker