Fisker has two VIN families that do not share a WMI. The 2012 Karma PHEV starts with YH4 and was built in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The 2023-2024 Ocean BEV starts with VCF and was built in Graz, Austria. In our October 14, 2026 vPIC runs, a YH4K14AA Karma decoded as a Volume Build Eco Sport sedan with a 2.0-liter turbo hybrid and plug-in electrification, while VCF1EBU2 / VCF1ZBU2 / VCF1UBU2 Ocean patterns came back as Extreme, Ocean One and Ultra AWD battery EVs. Decode the generation in front of you before you borrow recall notes from the other one.
We ran those patterns through NHTSA's free vPIC decoder. Start with how to decode a VIN if the layout is new, use our Tesla VIN decoder when you are comparing another EV WMI style, and clear open campaigns with our NHTSA recall check by VIN guide.
Karma: YH4 from Finland
Karma is the first Fisker Automotive product, a long plug-in hybrid sedan. Our 2012 pattern YH4K14AA decoded clean to Fisker Automotive, Inc., plant city Uusikaupunki in Varsinais-Suomi, Finland, with engine model 2.0L TC/Hybrid, primary fuel electric and electrification level PHEV. Series came back as Eco Sport and trim as Volume Build. That is a different company filing and a different plant from the later Ocean.
Ocean: VCF from Graz
Ocean is the Fisker Group Inc. battery SUV. Our 2023 Extreme pattern VCF1EBU2 decoded to Graz, Austria as an AWD BEV. Ocean One (VCF1ZBU2) and Ultra (VCF1UBU2) patterns decoded the same plant and electrification level. Position 10 P meant 2023 in those samples. If a listing calls an Ocean a "Karma successor" and shows a YH4 VIN, walk away until the plate matches the ad.
Recalls: Karma battery clamps vs Ocean software and doors
On Karma, 11V-598 and the related 12V-241 campaign cover high-voltage battery hose clamps that may have been positioned wrong during assembly. 12V-413 covers a low-temperature cooling fan that can short. Later Takata-style passenger inflator work shows up as 17V-004 and 19V-181 under Karma Automotive's continuation of the cars.
On Ocean, the file is denser. 24V-404 covers MCU/VCU software that can drop the vehicle into a safe state and cut drive power. 24V-466 covers exterior door handles that can stick shut. 24V-499 covers a cabin water-pump communication fault that can put the battery management system into limp mode. 24V-865 covers a transmission shift fault that can let the vehicle roll away; Fisker said an OTA update released March 11, 2024 was the remedy. TechCrunch reported in October 2024 that the DOJ, writing for NHTSA, told the bankruptcy court that charging owners for recall labor violated the Safety Act. Look, an open Ocean recall plus a thin dealer network is a real ownership tax even when the PDF says the fix is free.
Title and history
Bankruptcy and reboot headlines do not clear a salvage brand or an odometer jump. CARFAX says its reports draw on title, odometer, ownership and accident records. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us runs about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, versus roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.
Which generation are you actually buying?
Listings still mix Karma and Ocean language. A Karma is a 2012 plug-in hybrid sedan with a range-extender engine under the YH4 WMI. An Ocean is a 2023-2024 battery SUV under VCF. Service networks, software tools and recall remedies do not carry across. If the ad photos show a crossover and the VIN starts YH4, stop the deal until the plate, the title and the photos agree.
Position 9 still has to match the check digit math in federal VIN rules, and a cloned plate can pass that test if it was copied from a real car. Pull the plant and series fields from vPIC yourself instead of trusting a screenshot the seller cropped. On Oceans especially, confirm whether the OTA campaigns already landed on that VIN before you assume the roll-away or limp-mode fixes are done.
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