Thorney Motorsport Europe logo McLaren Independent Specialist Backed by Thorney Motorsport Europe — Jerry
Home / Common Problems / McLaren Artura

McLaren Artura Common Problems & Reliability

McLaren's plug-in hybrid V6, and the model generating the most reliability discussion online right now — mostly around the hybrid system's low-voltage electronics rather than the engine itself.

Frequently asked questions

Why do some Arturas stop starting ("brick") after the charger is unplugged?

Owners have reported the car refusing to start shortly after being unplugged from a charger, sometimes described as the car "bricking" in the garage. This is generally attributed to the low-voltage (12V) system falling out of sync with the hybrid control electronics rather than a fault in the traction battery itself, but it needs a technician who understands the Artura's specific electrical architecture to confirm — a generic jump-start or reset does not reliably fix it.

Is TPMS, air conditioning, or oil-leak trouble common on early Arturas?

Owner reports of TPMS faults, air conditioning failures, and oil leaks appear repeatedly enough in early-build Arturas that they're worth budgeting for and asking about specifically during a pre-purchase inspection, rather than assuming they're isolated incidents.

How reliable is the Artura Spider's retractable hardtop and high-voltage battery?

The Spider's folding hardtop and the car's high-voltage battery are two of the most-asked-about systems in Artura ownership discussions. Neither is inherently unreliable, but both are complex enough that diagnosing intermittent faults benefits from a specialist with hands-on Artura experience rather than trial-and-error.

Does the Artura's transmission feel different from older McLarens, and is that normal?

Yes — the Artura uses a new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and e-differential rather than the single-clutch SSG gearbox in older Super Series cars, so shift character and low-speed behaviour genuinely differ. If something feels wrong beyond that normal difference, it's worth having it checked against known Artura driveline behaviour specifically.

Need a proper diagnosis, not a guess?

If you own a McLaren Artura and something on this page sounds familiar, Jerry at Thorney Motorsport Europe can run a proper diagnostic rather than guessing from a warning light.

Jerry · Thorney Motorsport Europe
Kachletstraße 30a, 94034 Passau, Germany
+49 171 2019174 · jerry@thorneymotorsport.de

Get in touch

Where this is discussed

Real public owner discussions referenced for this page: