2012 Fisker Karma recalls and problems

The 2012 Fisker Karma has 5 recalls and 6 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is electrical system.

How the 2012 compares

Too few model years with complaints to compare.

5recalls

6complaints

0crashes

0fires

0injuries

10,059median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

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5 recalls

Air Bags

Mar 6, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V181000 · 472 vehicles

Problem: Karma Automotive (Karma) is recalling certain 2012 Fisker Karma vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia. These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy & notes

Karma has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact Karma customer service at 1-855-288-6109. Karma's number for this recall is 5.84.17.001.01.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Air Bags

Jan 6, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V004000 · 811 vehicles

Problem: Karma Automotive LLC (Karma) is recalling certain 2012 Fisker Karma vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy & notes

Karma will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on September 8, 2017. Karma Automotive Client Services Team can be reached at clientservices@karmaautomotive.com or by calling 1-855-288-6109. Karma's number for this recall is 5.84.17.001.01.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Engine

Aug 22, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V413000 · 1,377 vehicles

Problem: Fisker Automotive (Fisker) is recalling certain model year 2012 Fisker Karma passenger cars manufactured from June 15, 2011, through July 9, 2012. A manufacturing defect in the low temperature cooling fan may result in a direct short.

Risk: A direct short may ignite the fan housing, shroud and surrounding components, causing a vehicle fire.

Remedy & notes

Fisker will notify owners, and dealers will remove the two potentially affected low temperature cooling fans and replace them with one improved low temperature cooling fan, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 24, 2012. Owners may contact Fisker consumer affairs at 1-855-575-7577, option 2, 6am - 7pm (pst) Monday through Friday.

Fisker's recall campaign number is 520120016.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Electrical System

May 30, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V241000 · 19 vehicles

Problem: Fisker is recalling certain model year 2012 Fisker karma passenger cars manufactured from September 22, 2011, through January 20, 2012. Within the high-voltage battery, certain hose clamps May have been positioned incorrectly during assembly. If positioned incorrectly, the battery compartment cover could interfere with the hose clamps, potentially causing a coolant leak from the cooling hoses. This recall is an expansion of safety recall 11V-598.

Original NHTSA wording

FISKER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 FISKER KARMA PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 22, 2011, THROUGH JANUARY 20, 2012. WITHIN THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY, CERTAIN HOSE CLAMPS MAY HAVE BEEN POSITIONED INCORRECTLY DURING ASSEMBLY. IF POSITIONED INCORRECTLY, THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH THE HOSE CLAMPS, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A COOLANT LEAK FROM THE COOLING HOSES. THIS RECALL IS AN EXPANSION OF SAFETY RECALL 11V-598.

Risk: If coolant enters the battery compartment, an electrical short could occur possibly resulting in a fire.

Original NHTSA wording

IF COOLANT ENTERS THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD OCCUR POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

Remedy & notes

All known owners will be notified and instructed not to charge or drive the vehicle. Owners will be advised to contact an authorized Fisker dealer who will arrange transporting the vehicle directly to their repair facility. The repair facility will replace the high-voltage battery with a new part, free of charge. The safety recall began on May 30, 2012. Owners May contact Fisker consumer affairs at 1-855-575-7577, option 2, 6AM - 7PM (pst) Monday through Friday.

Fisker's recall campaign number is 51611001.owners May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .

Electrical System

Dec 27, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V598000 · 239 vehicles

Problem: Fisker is recalling certain model year 2012 Fisker karma passenger cars manufactured from July 1, 2011, through November 3, 2011. Within the high-voltage battery, certain hose clamps May have been positioned incorrectly during assembly. If positioned incorrectly, the battery compartment cover could interfere with the hose clamps, potentially causing a coolant leak from the cooling hoses.

Original NHTSA wording

FISKER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 FISKER KARMA PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 1, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 3, 2011. WITHIN THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY, CERTAIN HOSE CLAMPS MAY HAVE BEEN POSITIONED INCORRECTLY DURING ASSEMBLY. IF POSITIONED INCORRECTLY, THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH THE HOSE CLAMPS, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A COOLANT LEAK FROM THE COOLING HOSES.

Risk: If coolant enters the battery compartment, an electrical short could occur possibly resulting in a fire.

Original NHTSA wording

IF COOLANT ENTERS THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD OCCUR POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

Remedy & notes

Fisker will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high-voltage battery with a new part at no cost to the owner. The safety recall began on January 5, 2012. Owners May contact Fisker consumer affairs at 1-855-575-7577, option 2, 6AM - 7PM (pst) Monday through Friday.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Unknown or other1

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open

Summary

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n…

2012 vs. other Fisker Karma years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2012. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2012 Fisker Karma have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Fisker Karma, the latest from Mar 6, 2019 (air bags). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Fisker Karma?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention electrical system (4), fuel system (2), power train (2). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.