Fisker’s Ocean SUV was investigated for doors that would not open

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened third investigation at Fisker’s Ocean SUV, an electrical vehicle startup, this time specializing in door opening problems.

NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) says in a brand new notice that it has received 14 complaints from owners who were unable to open the doors to their Fisker Oceans from either the within or outside. The agency says complaints indicate “intermittent failure” of the door lock and handle. The complaints also raised the chance that the emergency bypass mechanism was also not working.

According to internal documents TechCrunch reported exclusively in February, customers have been reporting to Fisker for months about getting stuck in or out of their automotive. Some of those incidents were related to the troublesome Ocean keychain. But a brand new safety probe suggests a deeper problem with the SUV’s doors. The investigation is often known as a “preliminary assessment”, which the ODI typically resolves inside eight months.

The Ocean SUV is already under investigation by the ODI following braking problems and complaints concerning the vehicle rolling on uneven surfaces. The company has not announced any recalls of Ocean products. The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The third probe is opened when Fisker is on the sting. In March, it halted production on “Ocean” and reported just $121 million to the bank. Fisker still has 1000’s of Ocean-branded SUVs in stock that it’s attempting to sell, either directly or through its emerging dealership model, and most recently cut prices by as much as 39% in a desperate try to generate sales. It was recently delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. A possible partnership with Nissan fell through, jeopardizing an try to secure $150 million in rescue funds.