Man buys $10,000 Fisker Ocean but after they go bankrupt has to drive 700 miles for a software update

Picking up a Fisker Ocean may seem thrilling, but you can’t ignore the lessons from the first Fisker bankruptcy.

Danish entrepreneur Henrik Fisker first made waves with the Fisker Karma, a stylish but ill-fated luxury EV that left thousands of owners stranded with no support.

Fast forward a decade, and the Fisker Ocean hit the market as his comeback attempt, but history has a way of repeating itself.

With hundreds of owners already facing software freezes and limited service options, optimism comes with a hefty dose of caution.

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Updating the software wrongly could leave the car bricked

Last year, Rich Benoit from YouTube channel Rich Rebuilds found a nearly new Fisker Ocean for just $10,000.

It had barely 375 miles on the odometer, making it almost brand new.

A quick $200 in parts later, and it was road-ready.

Smooth, quiet, and surprisingly fun to drive, it felt like winning the lottery.

However, reality soon set in.

Firstly, finding parts was a challenge.

Windshields, bumpers, and hoods cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, and high-voltage connectors and coolant pumps are prone to failure if not carefully maintained.

The car was also stuck on version 1.0 software, because it was offline shortly before the Fisker bankruptcy pulled the plug on internet access across the fleet.

The version 2.0 update was badly needed to fix serious safety issues: one-axle regenerative braking and the missing brake-hold on hills.

Without internet access, the car couldn’t update itself, leaving a stylish EV that was legally limited and mechanically risky.

Navigating Fisker support is another adventure.

Mobile techs are rare, and updating the software is risky, as one wrong step would cause the car to break completely.

Unfortunately, the only feasible solution was a complete pain: a 700-mile round trip to the nearest service center for a careful, two-day update.

A good deal if you like taking risks

While the seven-hour drive was potentially dangerous, Rich managed to arrive at Evolution Autoports in Philadelphia without any issues.

This wasn’t any ordinary workshop either.

Evolution Autoports was actually the first East Coast dealership for Fisker vehicles in Philadelphia, delivering the first Fisker Karma in late 2011.

This meant that the team there specialized in keeping the orphaned Fisker Karma and Ocean EVs alive.

With some patience, minor repairs, and careful attention, Rich’s potentially bricked Fisker Ocean became a road-ready EV.

In terms of driving experience, the YouTuber went as far as saying that it rivals modern Teslas in their experience, although it may fall short of these luxury Chinese EVs.

Even with its quirks, the Fisker Ocean is a pretty satisfying ride.

It still looks futuristic, and is certainly rarer than a Tesla, turning heads everywhere Rich goes.

For those willing to embrace the DIY spirit – and the risks – it’s one of the most compelling EV bargains on the market.

After all, unless BYD manages to sell its affordable EVs in America, it’s unlikely you can find an almost-new EV for just $10,000.

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