NHTSA Closes Preliminary Probe into 7,745 Fisker Ocean Suvs After Software Update

The U.S. auto safety regulator said on Monday it has closed a preliminary evaluation into 7,745 Fisker Ocean SUVs over failure to shift vehicles into the park gear, after the electric-vehicle startup issued recalls and released a software update.

Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary probe into claims of unintended vehicle movement in about 4,000 of Fisker’s 2023 Ocean electric sport utility vehicles.

The complaints alleged an inability to shift into the park mode or into the intended gear, which could result in an inadvertent vehicle movement.

The NHTSA said last month Fisker is recalling 7,745 vehicles as a rollaway increases the risk of a crash or injury.

The company was fixing the issue by releasing a software upgrade “OS 2.0,” which introduced an “Auto Vehicle Hold” feature that prevents the vehicle from rolling under gravity, which therefore helps engage both the park gear and electronic parking brake, NHTSA said on Monday.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)