Shrill noise when starting and «Panne moteur électrique» on early 1.6 E-Tech cars

Engine / equipment

1.6 E-Tech hybrid (140/145 hp) and plug-in hybrid (160 hp): Clio V, Captur II, Mégane IV and Arkana

Period mentioned

2019–2021

Symptoms

A shrill noise when the car tries to start the petrol engine; the instrument panel may show «Panne moteur électrique» (electric motor fault) or «Risque de casse moteur» (risk of engine damage), and the petrol engine may fail to start.

Possible cause described

Renault identified an internal fault of the hybrid gearbox on about 13,889 Clio V, Captur II, Mégane IV and Arkana built from 26/8/2019 to 18/2/2021. Since January 2025 special technical operation OTS 0EJQ replaces the gearbox if the customer complains of the noise and the diagnosis confirms it.

Check for the garage

Check the build date and ask Renault for a gearbox diagnosis quoting operation OTS 0EJQ. It is not a recall: Renault does not write to owners, so you have to go to the garage and describe the noise.

Cost cited in the source

Renault covers it on cars under 7 years old or 200,000 km (whichever comes first).A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database