[abirch]

I have been debating on purchasing a used Karma for about a year now, it is definitely one of the best looking automobiles on the road today. Despite all of the Fisker bankruptcy woes, I am still very interested in buying a Karma in the near future. I have spoken to numerous people about my intentions and they all tell me it’s not a good move due to the sparse availability of parts/maintenance. I have done plenty of research on this car and I still have concerns that need to be addressed as I continue to move forward. This will be my primary vehicle so if anything goes wrong I will have serious issues.
I feel that I have come to the right place to get my questions answered. Here are my main concerns:

Availability of maintenance/ parts- (I live in Orlando, FL and I think there is a Fisker dealer here but I am unsure if they are still operational) Where would I get my car serviced/fixed if something were to go wrong?
Reliability- What is the chance that something would go wrong and render the vehicle completely useless? I can’t afford to have this vehicle break down. How much will maintenance cost per year?
Future of Fisker Automotive- Will the new owner honor warranties/restart production of the Karma?
Depreciation- I am definitely concerned with resale. I keep my vehicles 2-3 years usually. Will the Karma continue to depreciate heavily in the coming year(s)?

I am currently working with a dealer from Jacksonville, FL that specializes in purchasing used vehicles at auction. I bought my car through them and saved thousands. They e-mailed me a market report with 6 vehicles that recently sold at auction.

01/16/14
RIVRSIDE

Regular​

$46,000​

10,151​

Avg​

BLACK

4H​

A​

Yes​

12/17/13
ORLANDO

Regular​

$47,500​

16,025​

Avg​

BLACK

4H​

A​

Yes​

11/21/13
PA

Regular​

$50,750​

5,648​

Avg​

GREY

4H​

Yes​

11/13/13
TAMPA

Regular​

$52,000​

4,572​

Avg​

4H​

Yes​

10/09/13
ATLANTA

Regular​

$53,000​

2,609​

Above​

GREY

4H​

A​

Yes​

11/06/13
SEATTLE

Regular​

$57,500​

153​

Above​

GREY

4H​

If I can purchase a Karma for the right price (that checks out at inspection), along with the $7,500 tax credit, it will put my mind at ease. What do you guys think?

Thanks for taking time to read this and share your opinion, I really appreciate it!
Alex

 

[Lormax]

Where would I get my car serviced/fixed if something were to go wrong?
Fisker of Miami is open near you.

Reliability- What is the chance that something would go wrong and render the vehicle completely useless?
At the end of the day, it's the first car from a new company with new technology. It has it's issues. Pretty much everything is able to fixed though.

I can’t afford to have this vehicle break down. How much will maintenance cost per year?
That's a tough question to answer, since it just depends on what breaks. Cost of repairs can vary wildly. Assuming nothing happens, you're looking at 1, maybe 2 oil changes a year. This is what I tell others that ask about the cost of maintenance though; If you're the type of person that needs the peace-of-mind of a warranty, the Karma is not for you. Some of the repairs can be quite costly.


Future of Fisker Automotive- Will the new owner honor warranties/restart production of the Karma?
That's the $30 million dollar question, isn't it? Time will only tell.


Depreciation- I am definitely concerned with resale. I keep my vehicles 2-3 years usually. Will the Karma continue to depreciate heavily in the coming year(s)?
That's another question that would be hard to answer, as the car has only been out for a couple years. Prices on the used market have held steady at where they are at for about 8 months though, so we'll see.


One thing to note, the cars at the auctions are most likely all classified as 'used' and would not be eligible for the $7500 tax credit.

Good luck on the search!

 

[abirch]

Thanks for the prompt reply Lormax,

The tax credit is a bummer, I was hoping to shave some of the cost off with that. No big deal though, I will keep searching. If I find a car at a dealer or auction, who would I contact for an inspection?

I guess this auction on February 12th will partially determine the future of the company. Lets see what happens!

 

[EVer1]

Lormax does inspections, so you should contact him for that before you purchase. That said, my answer is that you can't afford a Karma. You said:

I can’t afford to have this vehicle break down. How much will maintenance cost per year?

If you can't afford for a vehicle to breakdown, it would be best to purchase one with a warranty at a dealer who offers loaner cars while being repaired. Sadly, that is not a Fisker.

 

[Lormax]

I'd be happy to do a pre-purchase inspection for you. If the car is located in the South Florida area, please contact Harleyguy. Thanks!

 

[abirch]

Thanks for the help Lormax, I appreciate it!

 

[Harleyguy]

Fisker of Orlando I think is still open I know they lost one tech but not sure how many they had . The dealership is owned by Fields which also owned two other Fiskers dealerships not sure how many they still own . You can always give them a call and see if they are still open for service . The last time they needed some major parts I referred them to Lormax since he is rebuilding the traction motors . Also if needed I think Fisker of Tampa is still open not sure what kind of service work they are doing .Their main technician left also but I know they had a second tech that also worked on Fisker's

At this point and this is a personal feeling I wouldn't buy the car until I knew what the future holds . That being said I know of 3 more people in my area that have purchased cars. I looked at two of them in the past week and have another two to look at in the next two weeks . People love the look of the car and no the risk of buying one right now and still bought them .

One of the cars I checked out was just put into a container and is on the way to the Cayman islands .

 

[abirch]

I actually almost called them last week to ask a few questions. For some reason their website always defaults to Fields main site, I guess given all the turmoil they have decided to take it down. They have a Twitter and Facebook account and they still post on those daily so I assume there is someone still working. I will try to call them this week and ask about service as it would definitely be convenient to have a tech here in Orlando if I decide to move forward with the purchase.

I feel like this month will be a turning point for Fisker. I'm not in a rush to purchase a Karma so I agree that it is in my best interest to wait until we find out what is in store for the future.

Thanks!

 

[SC Karma]

If the auction turns out favorably for Karma owners, the prices of the cars you have listed above are not going to stay where they are.

 

[abirch]

I agree, and I would rather pay a higher price for peace of mind.