First teething problems for the electric Renault 5, but nothing alarming yet

The Renault 5 is off to a strong start in its career with an expectedly high level of sales. But a few small teething problems sometimes dampen the joy of customers a little, as often happens with newly born vehicles. Overview of the main breakdowns of the R5.

We could write an article like this practically every time a new vehicle is launched in France. Even more so in recent years and the proliferation of electronic elements, LEDs and ever more elaborate bodywork. The Renault 5, which is already on our roads, is no exception to the rule and the first teething problems are already starting to surface at Renault. Some are sometimes quite minor and can be fixed via a simple remote update, such as the Reno application which visibly displays some failures for some owners. And others can be much more disabling. This is the case for these two breakdowns that one of our contacts at Renault is able to confirm.and that the diamond is being corrected internally. We are obviously far from the very difficult beginnings of the Citroën e-C3 and its numerous bugs, but if you are affected by one of these two phenomena on the R5, you are not alone.

Water infiltration and fashion problem

The first problem is certainly the most handicapping and it is already known internally. Several owners have in fact complained of not being able to switch to D/B or R mode. Quite problematic! “Our teams have identified possible occurrences of the impossibility of switching to READY mode which could affect the gear change”specifies the Renault note. Our contact confirms that a remote update is indeed being validated to be deployed on a large scale and correct the problem without customers having to go to the dealership. If you are affected by this outage, here is the procedure:

• We recommend that you completely close your vehicle and walk away from it for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the system to turn off. When you return, the problem should be resolved. If you wish to stay in the vehicle:
• Please make sure the vehicle is not charging.
• Do not use night lights (ceiling light, etc.).
• Do not use replication, radio or application.
• Proceed to lock the vehicle using the key and/or the button on the dashboard.
• Wait for the SOS LED to go out, signaling that the vehicle is no longer on standby.
• After completing these steps, the problem should be resolved.
• Please note, you must not carry out any action on the vehicle otherwise you will prolong the waiting time. In rare cases, the situation may persist despite falling asleep for a long time. A trip to the workshop is then necessary to correct the situation.

On the other hand, the other concern affecting the R5 could prove more restrictive for customers since this time they will have to go to their dealership. Several testimonies report a problem with water infiltration at the “5” logo on the hood, particularly when washing at an auto center with the high pressure cleaner. The water would in fact pass under the protection, and in certain cases would malfunction the sensors present in this location… leading to the impossibility of starting the vehicle. According to our source, there is also an internal note after several customers reported the problem, but the case remains “rare”. Renault is therefore aware of the problem and should probably contact the first customers quickly to correct the sealing problem if it turns out to be more serious.