The Renault Arkana is a stylish crossover SUV/Coupe that was first introduced for the 2020 model year and its production is currently in full swing. The Arkana is based on the same platform as the Renault Clio, but it features a raised-up driving position with a sloping roofline and various styling trinkets that make it stand out.
In this article, we are going to go over all the common problems with Renault Arkana which includes telling you what is wrong with it and how serious some of these issues can be. Overall, the Arkana is still a relatively new car which means that we can’t really say anything about long-term reliability, but it is clear that the Arkana is here to stay as designs such as these are immensely popular these days.
The most common problems with Renault Arkana include problems with the steering system, problems with the transmission, problems with the infotainment screen and phone connectivity, and problems with some of the car’s electrical systems.
All in all, the Arkana is still a bit too fresh for us to be able to tell you everything that’s wrong, but it seems like the Arkana is not perfect as is usually the case with almost all new cars out there. These have become immensely complex and we will have to wait a few years before we can make a sound conclusion as to how reliable or unreliable it really is.
Steering System Problems
Back in 2022, Renault issued a recall for all Arkana models made until December of 2021 as these were manufactured with various defects regarding the power steering system. It is said that a fault in the system’s calibration can lead to overheating of the power steering which can end up in a loss of steering wheel assistance.
This is indeed a serious issue and Renault recalled a few tens of thousands of examples. If you are in the market for a used example, you ought to contact your local Renault dealership to see if the car you are interested in has been part of any of these recalls. The power steering system is vital to any car which means that you can easily end up in an accident if an issue such as this one occurs.
Transmission Problems
It is said that the automatic transmission on the Arkana can suffer from software issues which can affect the car not shifting and pushing the RPMs to really high levels. Renault came out with a few software updates to solve this problem, but many owners are still not satisfied with how their particular examples shift gears.
It is unclear how many Arkana owners faced this particular problem, but according to a few posts online, the number isn’t small. This problem is most noticeable while going uphill as the Arkana refuses to shift even at really high RPMs which boosts your fuel consumption and often also emits burning smells which are worrying, to say the least.
Infotainment System and Phone Connectivity Problems
The infotainment system on the Arkana is not free of faults either which is likely why many Arkana owners complained to Renault about the system being slow to respond or freezing up completely. Some say that restarting the car helped while others say that sometimes the issue persisted even after restarting the car a few times.
Moreover, there have been lots of reports about phone connectivity issues where the car takes too much time to connect to your phone or constantly tries to connect after failing. Issues such as these can be ironed out with simple updates and a reset to the system, but the complaints are still out there.
Electrical Problems
The e-Tech electric engine in the Arkana is known to prompt failure symbols on the dashboard and people don’t seem to know why that is. Other electrical problems include stuff such as A/C problems or problems with some of the car’s assistance systems being too assertive and downright uncomfortable.
Most of these problems are down to poor calibration which means that they are likely going to be ironed out eventually. The worst electrical problems stem from the e-Tech motor failing, and many owners reported that their e-Tech units had to be replaced at extremely low mileage.
FAQ Section
Is the Renault Arkana Worth It?
It may seem like the Renault Arkana is a really troubled car, but these issues are mostly software-related and are going to be solved eventually. Whenever a brand new car comes out, issues start popping out as that is normal for virtually all cars from all segments. What is unusual is that Renault is often having trouble realizing what is actually wrong.
As such, it is a good idea to hold off on your Arkana purchases if you aren’t too comfortable with buying the car at the moment. However, if your car is under warranty (which all of them still are), you can buy the car and enjoy it, and if something goes wrong, your warranty is likely going to cover it.
Is The Renault Arkana an EV?
The Renault Arkana has been designed and built to be a hybrid which means that it belongs to a group of very few models which have been designed as hybrids from the get-go. The Arkana features a small petrol engine matched with electric motors in order to boost efficiency and power to make the Arkana a really capable daily driver.
The downside of this is that the Arkana is inherently more complex than most ICE cars and EVs and thus is prone to issues in both camps.
Can the Renault Arkana Drive in EV Mode?
Yes, the Renault Arkana can drive in EV mode, but the range isn’t going to be all that special since the Arkana only has a small 1.2kWh battery. This setup is primarily there to help the gasoline engine to be more efficient by filling up the gaps and turning off the engine when it’s not needed.
When you need the extra punch, both of these will deliver all they got, but the Arkana is not designed to drive in full-on EV mode even though it can do so for a really short while until the small battery runs out of juice.
