Joined
·
1,975 Posts
I thought it would be helpful to have one central place where someone interested in buying a used (or "new") Karma could go to see a checklist of items that they should review before purchasing a Karma (Mods, can we make this sticky)...
Here's my first cut and please let me know if I have any errors or missed anything (I will try to keep this message updated). From memory:
Critical items
Takata Airbag Recall — Fisker Karma’s front passenger side airbags were among the airbags that were recalled as part of the massive worldwide recall of Takata air bags. Karma Automotive has agreed to replace the defective airbags at no cost to owners through the CSP network. The replacement process began in early October 2017. There is a detailed thread on this topic here. Before committing to purchase a used Fisker Karma, make certain that this recall campaign has been completed.
- HV Battery – A123 supplied Fisker with batteries that had faulty hose clamps which made the battery subject to eventual failure; the recall was for nearly all cars of all VINs and should have been completed
- RDM/TMs (traction motors) – Early VINs (under [1,200] or so) had RDMs with soft splines which over time and extended use, could lead to a powertrain failure. Also, earlier VINs (under [1,000]) also had a different clip on the RDM which could cause a failure of the parking pawl
- Cooling fan – One of the cooling fans in the ICE area was prone to failure, causing the infamous fires in Texas and California; all Karmas should have had the fan replaced
- Muffler – Fisker switched muffler suppliers from Stillen to Bosal in VINs starting roughly at [1,000]; Bosal mufflers are more robust and have a much lower failure rate
- Software – The latest and most stable of the software for the car is version 535. This was preceded by version 520. DO NOT BUY A CAR WITH SOFTWARE VERSION 530. 520 or 535 are fine, but not 530. See this thread for more information.
Other minor issues
- Trunk overbite – Early build cars had body panel alignment issues with the trunk creating an “overbite” – this was fixed in later builds and earlier models had it somewhat fixed
- Heat shield – Also early in the builds, when the ICE is engaged in Sport mode, a rattle at speeds or going downhill can be heard coming from in front of the driver or passenger’s feet. The fix for this involved adjusting/bending the heat shield
- Manual pull tabs in front doors – these were replaced with glow in the dark tabs (older tabs were black and also broke off when pulled)
- Wind noise – The rear passenger (and in some cases, driver’s side) window had a seal issue which at freeway speeds, caused noticeable wind noise (like a plastic bag flapping); Fisker had a fix out which owners could voluntarily have done
- AC unit – Some AC units of early build cars did not operate properly and needed to be replaced
Here's my first cut and please let me know if I have any errors or missed anything (I will try to keep this message updated). From memory:
Critical items
Takata Airbag Recall — Fisker Karma’s front passenger side airbags were among the airbags that were recalled as part of the massive worldwide recall of Takata air bags. Karma Automotive has agreed to replace the defective airbags at no cost to owners through the CSP network. The replacement process began in early October 2017. There is a detailed thread on this topic here. Before committing to purchase a used Fisker Karma, make certain that this recall campaign has been completed.
- HV Battery – A123 supplied Fisker with batteries that had faulty hose clamps which made the battery subject to eventual failure; the recall was for nearly all cars of all VINs and should have been completed
- RDM/TMs (traction motors) – Early VINs (under [1,200] or so) had RDMs with soft splines which over time and extended use, could lead to a powertrain failure. Also, earlier VINs (under [1,000]) also had a different clip on the RDM which could cause a failure of the parking pawl
- Cooling fan – One of the cooling fans in the ICE area was prone to failure, causing the infamous fires in Texas and California; all Karmas should have had the fan replaced
- Muffler – Fisker switched muffler suppliers from Stillen to Bosal in VINs starting roughly at [1,000]; Bosal mufflers are more robust and have a much lower failure rate
- Software – The latest and most stable of the software for the car is version 535. This was preceded by version 520. DO NOT BUY A CAR WITH SOFTWARE VERSION 530. 520 or 535 are fine, but not 530. See this thread for more information.
Other minor issues
- Trunk overbite – Early build cars had body panel alignment issues with the trunk creating an “overbite” – this was fixed in later builds and earlier models had it somewhat fixed
- Heat shield – Also early in the builds, when the ICE is engaged in Sport mode, a rattle at speeds or going downhill can be heard coming from in front of the driver or passenger’s feet. The fix for this involved adjusting/bending the heat shield
- Manual pull tabs in front doors – these were replaced with glow in the dark tabs (older tabs were black and also broke off when pulled)
- Wind noise – The rear passenger (and in some cases, driver’s side) window had a seal issue which at freeway speeds, caused noticeable wind noise (like a plastic bag flapping); Fisker had a fix out which owners could voluntarily have done
- AC unit – Some AC units of early build cars did not operate properly and needed to be replaced