Alpine A290 180 hp Mk1

15,722 Renault 5 and Alpine A290 vehicles assembled at Douai between 1 September and 23 December 2024 were affected by a potential inverter defect. The inverter converts battery DC power to AC for the motor, and a faulty unit can cause complete failure to start. Renault classified this as a special technical operation (not an official recall) and offered free inspection and repair at dealers. If purchasing a used A290 from this production window, verify the inverter check has been completed. Out-of-warranty inverter replacement on comparable EVs typically runs €1,500-4,000 including labor.

A March 2026 recall (reference 0F49) affects Renault 5 units produced between 12 December 2025 and 28 January 2026 due to a battery cell manufacturing anomaly. Anode delamination can damage the current collector and separator, potentially causing an internal short circuit leading to loss of range, inability to recharge, or in extreme cases thermal runaway. The recall documentation specifically names the Renault 5 E-Tech; whether Alpine A290 units from this window are also affected should be verified with the dealer using the VIN. The battery is covered by the 8-year / 160,000 km warranty.

Multiple owners on PistonHeads have reported the driver's seat leather forming permanent indentations that do not recover, sometimes appearing as early as 2,000 miles. Alpine has acknowledged awareness of the problem among a significant number of owners and is sourcing replacement leather from a new supplier. Affected owners can have the issue documented at a service centre, and replacement materials (leather and/or seat base) will be fitted at no cost once available. This is covered under warranty. On a used car outside warranty, seat retrimming typically costs €400-800 at an independent upholsterer, or €800-1,200 through Alpine.

Owners on both PistonHeads and the dedicated R5 E-Tech forum report OTA updates that download successfully but fail during installation, sometimes requiring a dealer visit to reflash modules manually. The My Alpine / My Renault app has experienced login loop bugs (particularly on Android), intermittent inability to view trip data, and incorrect charging status displays. The infotainment system (OpenR Link) can occasionally lose radio audio output, sometimes fixable by triggering the voice assistant. These are annoyances rather than costly repairs, but a dealer software reflash typically costs €50-150 if outside warranty, and occasional visits add up.

Some owners report the A290 failing to wake up when a smart charger (particularly Octopus Intelligent Go setups) commands it to start charging. The car enters a deep sleep state and the charger concludes it is disconnected. This appears to be a software timing issue rather than a hardware fault. Renault has acknowledged the problem and worked with charger manufacturers on fixes. Standard plug-in charging without smart scheduling is generally unaffected. This may resolve through future OTA updates, but in the meantime workarounds include disabling the car's internal charge scheduler and using only the wall box timer.

Some early A290 and Renault 5 owners have reported visible surface rust on the driveshafts within weeks of taking delivery. This is cosmetic surface oxidation on uncoated steel, which is common on many new cars and does not typically affect structural integrity or function. Owners have applied aftermarket underbody coatings (such as Lanogard) as a preventive measure. If the corrosion progresses to affect CV joint boots or bearing surfaces, replacement costs would be higher, but no such progression has been reported so far.