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2012 Fisker Karma

HI-RES GALLERY: 2012 Fisker Karma

First it was the Chevrolet Volt, which suffered from a post-crash coolant leak and subsequent fire, caused by a dried-coolant-induced short circuit. Next, there were stories about potential coolant-related short circuits in the Fisker Karma, discovered by battery supplier A123 Systems.

While no Fisker Karma fires have been reported, A123 has identified the problem, developed a fix and is implementing corrective action according to Automotive News (subscription required).

The coolant leak was caused by improperly aligned hose clamps on a few battery assemblies manufactured by A123, and leaking coolant could result in an electrical short within the battery circuitry. Only 50 cars are affected by the defect, so the situation will have a minimal effect on both Fisker and A123 Systems.

The battery manufacturer and Fisker supplier recently laid off some 225 full-time workers, citing reduced orders from Fisker. Fisker estimates that it will sell between 10,000 and 12,000 Karma models in 2012, while projections from A123 Systems show sales of 5,000 to 7,000 units in the coming year.

It isn’t just bad news for A123, though: the company was awarded the contract to supply batteries for the upcoming electic variant of the Chevrolet Spark minicar.