Fisker To Recall Karmas After Fire

By Joseph B. White

Fisker Automotive Inc. said it will recall its Karma luxury plug-in hybrid cars to replace cooling fans that could have a defect linked to a fire earlier this month.

This is the second time Fisker has recalled its Karma models, which start at about $100,000, to fix a defect linked to fire risks. The company, in a statement, said the most recent incident, in which a Karma caught fire while sitting in a parking lot in Woodside, Calif., was traced to a cooling fan located in front of the left front wheel.

Fisker said it will replace the fans, and install an additional fuse as further safety measure. Fisker says it has sold more than 1,000 Karmas.

Fisker said it is in discussions with the supplier of the fan, and that it doesn’t expect the recall to have a significant financial impact.

The previous recall was related to potentially defective hose clamps in the battery cooling system.

Fisker said in a statement released Saturday that its investigation found that the Woodside fire wasn’t related to the Karma’s lithium-ion batteries, the layout of its engine compartment or the “unique exhaust routing” of the car. The company is fighting to quell concerns that its cars are unusually prone to fire.

As part of that effort, Fisker’s statement contains a quote from the owner of the car damaged in the Woodside fire, Rudy Burger, praising the company’s handling of the incident.

Fisker has encountered a series of setbacks to its effort to establish itself as a viable manufacturer of plug-in hybrid sports cars and luxury sedans. The company is in the middle of an effort try to raise more capital to replace a federal loan that was frozen after it fell behind schedule with plans to launch a second model built in a former General Motors Co. factory in Delaware. That plan is on hold.

Last week, Fisker said it had hired a former GM executive, Tony Posawatz, as its new chief executive officer. Mr. Posawatz led the work to develop GM’s plug-in hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt.