Consumer Reports auto test

Consumer Reports test of the Fisker.

"FroOur Fisker Karma cost us $107,850. It is super sleek, high-tech—and now it’s broken.

We have owned our car for just a few days; it has less than 200 miles on its odometer. While doing speedometer calibration runs on our test track (a procedure we do for every test car before putting it in service by driving the car at a constant 65 mph between two measured points), the dashboard flashed a message and sounded a “bing“ showing a major fault. Our technician got the car off the track and put it into Park to go through the owner’s manual to interpret the warning. At that point, the transmission went into Neutral and wouldn’t engage any gear through its electronic shifter except Park and Neutral.

We let the car sit for about an hour and restarted it. We could now engage Drive and the same error message disappeared. After moving it only a few feet the error message reappeared and when we tried to engage Reverse the transmission went straight to Park and again no motion gear could be engaged. After calling the dealer, which is about 100 miles away, they promptly sent a flatbed tow truck to haul away the disabled Fisker.

We buy about 80 cars a year and this is the first time in memory that we have had a car that is undriveable"

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/bad-karma--our-fisker-karma-plug-in-hybrid-breaks-down.html

Wonder if they are going to do the Volt?

Good thing is was Consumer Reports and not some dumb sap who just plunked down almost 108K of his hard earned money for that piece of crap. Anybody who would spend that kind of money on an electric vehicle should have his or her head examined. PT Barnum was right.

Cars break. Even brand new ones.

I've seen one of these up close. Fit and finish suck.

ya gotta be nuts to buy one of these.

At that kind of money, you're almost at the cost of a used Murcielago.

In my area there is a shop that builds garbage packers. They are dealers for several truck manufactures, as they can buy their chassis cheaper that way. It isn't unusual for a wrecker to show up and tow away a new truck, with "issues". Heck last year they sent 4 new packers to Atlanta, and only one made it all the way. The other 3 broke down in route, in 3 different states.... So yes new does still break down, even in the heavy trucks...This new equiptment is very complicated. Maybe too much so??

Regards, Kirk

300 H and H said:

This new equiptment is very complicated. Maybe too much so??

Regards, Kirk

Click to expand...

Maybe its the SOLAR STORM sending electromagnetic rays to earth?

But I'm pretty sure its Bush's fault that the Fiskar broke down.

Too much over regulated BS on new vehicles. That and the current crop of engineers has no clue what a simple mechanical linkage is. Everything has to be servos, relay and sensors. What I would not give to have simple vehicle like my 85 suburban without all the gizmos. Had 258,000 miles when I traded it on the truck I have now. Never had a stupid computer message that keeps coming back or servos that apply the brakes as well as the throttle.

Too much over regulated BS on new vehicles. That and the current crop of engineers has no clue what a simple mechanical linkage is. Everything has to be servos, relay and sensors.


You sure said ALOT in that statement. In Ag equiptment it has become a mortal sin to run anything but wires into a cab with the operator. I would hate to say how many miles of wire are involved in makig that happen. Hard to diagnose to when it isn't working. You really don't want to have to disassemble the hand grip on most things. My sprayer has 8 swtiches, just in the hydro ground control handle. All this to avoid a simple mechanical linkage, evidently simply because they can. And in the end the service life of the electronics is shorter, and they cost more up front as well. Not good for cost of operation at all. It is getting higher as these electronics have become more widely used. We are being led down the wrong path, I think...

Regards, Kirk

To put the price of this POS in perspective. For around the same price you can pick up a new Corvette and Boxter. Both get around the same gas mileage. Definitely better performance, and I would expect either to make it at least once around the test track before crapping out.

Nothing like having a Boxter for a spare car.

Jimbo,

For another perspective....

Those garbage trucks I related to in the earlier post, cost a little over $300K. The typical farm tractor is in the $250-400K range. A combine is $400+K and is used for about 6- 8 weeks of the year. I realize this car is expensivve. But it costs the owner little in down time or money in comparison to piece of farm equiptment sitting waiting to be repaired...And then you have the repair bill as well!!

My brother has a Porsche 944S turbo as his "play" car. Not quite a Boxster, but still fun...

Point is this electronic madness isn't good for anyone, unless it works and lasts for the life of the machinery it's on...

Regards, Kirk

Every reputable dealer I know who sells new vehicles has their techs drive the vehicles at least 5 miles and do a complete check on the vehicles prior to them being displayed for sale. They are paid by the manufacturer to do so. On higher end vehicles or a new model, they double or triple that test period. Besides this vehicle being an apparent POS, they should post the name of the dealership as a service to their readers so they can avoid that dealership.

I dunno about all this electronic stuff being so bad.

For instance, there is no way, absolutely no way, anybody could make a drivable 750 hp 6.2 liter engine, without some slick electronics. Then make it go a couple of hundred thousand miles. I don't know how many billions of revolutions that is, but it is mind-staggering. And at 25mpg

Likewise, stability control and brake assist. Life savers. And rain sensing wipers; love em and will never have another car without them. And ballasted headlamps - increase the night vision by 100% or more. And electronic transmissions to control that 750 hp.

Yup, you need a computer to diagnose a computer, but look what you get in return. Unbelievable safety, unbelievable stability, unbelievable driveability, unbelievable mileage. Ya, I'll take the electronics.

Fred,

I am with you, as long as the repair and maintanance are in line. That seems to be the problem with most of it. When it works well, you're right, no qeustion about it... and soon you come to expect those features. It would be hard to go back.

Regards, Kirk.

waybomb said:

I dunno about all this electronic stuff being so bad.

For instance, there is no way, absolutely no way, anybody could make a drivable 750 hp 6.2 liter engine, without some slick electronics. Then make it go a couple of hundred thousand miles. I don't know how many billions of revolutions that is, but it is mind-staggering. And at 25mpg

Likewise, stability control and brake assist. Life savers. And rain sensing wipers; love em and will never have another car without them. And ballasted headlamps - increase the night vision by 100% or more. And electronic transmissions to control that 750 hp.

Yup, you need a computer to diagnose a computer, but look what you get in return. Unbelievable safety, unbelievable stability, unbelievable driveability, unbelievable mileage. Ya, I'll take the electronics.

Click to expand...

You do have a point. Prior to the electronics in cars, tires and brakes were a 12,000 mile issue. Plugs and points 3,000. A car was considered worn out at 100K.

Fiskar, bah! Overpriced POS, IMHO. It will be doomed to failure. Who is stupid enough to plunk down 108K plus tax, which would be another 6.8K here for that thing?

If one were so inclined to spend in the neighborhood of 100K for a car of this type, one should be intelligent enough to at least look at the $97,000 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid.

The latest electronics, sensors, etc are the best thing to happen to the automobile since the rubber tire. The Mercedes computer FSS system on my Crossfire even knows if I screw up and put regular gas in the tank by mistake (Which I brain farted and did once) and automatically adjust the timing, air flow, spark, etc to compensate until the octane is back up to 93. Wonderful system. Properly maintained that M-B 3.2L will virtually run forever.