Fisker’s troubled Ocean SUV gets its first recall

Fisker is issuing the first recall for its all-electric Ocean SUV because of problems with the warning lights, according to new information published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The safety agency says that the Fisker Ocean’s instrument panel displays the brake, park, and antilock brake system warning lights in the wrong font size and, at times, in the wrong color, making them non-compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The agency also says “multiple warning lights fail to illuminate during the ignition cycle.”

NHTSA says Fisker will fix the issue with an over-the-air update and has issued a stop-sale order to dealership partners until the new software is installed. The recall technically only applies to all 6,864 Ocean SUVs in the US, as other regions have their own safety regimes. But Fisker says in documents filed with the agency that it is also updating the 4,056 Oceans that are in the EU as well as the 281 SUVs in Canada.

The recall comes after months of problems with the Ocean SUV, and at a time when Fisker is on the brink of bankruptcy. The EV startup has stopped production of the Ocean and slashed its workforce to the bone as it seeks a way out of its troubles.

This recall is not related to any of the four active investigations NHTSA has launched into the Ocean. With those, the agency is probing inadvertent automatic emergency braking, sudden braking loss, vehicle rollaway and doors that won’t open.