Anyone had a problem with Vauxhall handbrakes?

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board ARCHIVE' started by fired, Nov 22, 2016.

  1. fir

    fired Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Parked up outside a shop the other day. Slight slope. Put the handbrake on, went inside. I was in the shop 10 minutes. As I came out, I heard a bang and a car horn go off. My parked car had rolled back about 20 feet into another car.
    Luckily no one was hurt, but there was damage to the other car.

    Thing is, the handbrake was definitely on. The car had stayed in place for 10 minutes. (The guy in the other car said it had just happened the second I walked out of the shop).

    Part of me is gutted because usually I leave the car in gear when on a slope; but I can't help feeling I've had a lucky escape, in that it could have rolled alot further, or taken out a pedestrian. It's cost me a fair bit of money. Just wondering if I have any chance with the dealer, (bought it 2 weeks ago), or with Vauxhall? Online search suggests there may be a history but that Vauxhall won't admit there's an issue.
     
  2. Mr Badger

    Mr Badger Well-Known Member

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    What model and year?
     
  3. fir

    fired Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    2014 1.6 Astra elite
     
  4. Archey

    Archey Well-Known Member

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    Might just be that the handbrake went, rather than a fault with that model of car in general. The handbrake is slipping at the minute on our Mini.

    That being said, my dad used to have a Vectra, which was recalled so that Perry's could put a sticker on the sun visor stating a potential fault in the handbrake.

    #TeamsLikeBarnsley
     
  5. Met

    Metatarsal Well-Known Member

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    My sister had a 2013 Vauxhall Mokka. Rolled off my parents drive, handbrake on but not in gear. Dealer (Wakefield) couldn't find a fault. Only happened the once. She's got a 2015 version now. No problems to date.
     
  6. DEETEE

    DEETEE Well-Known Member

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    So it's been yours for a fortnight.

    Check out the consumer right act 2015.

    Tell dealer they've two choices. Fix it or you'll reject car and a full refund.
     
  7. fir

    fired Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Good shout. Thank you.

    I'm sure they will say there is no fault, but I know for a fact the handbrake was on, and that it stayed still for 10 minutes before it rolled off.
     
  8. JamDrop

    JamDrop Well-Known Member

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    I'd agree with this. I know cars are often bought 'as seen' but some big dealers offer cover on parts for the first 28 days or so. I got free spark plugs when I took my newly bought used car in for a CD changer fitted and they told me that I needed them changing and quoted £89 for it. When I pointed out that I'd only bought it from them 3 weeks prior (Wakefield branch rather than the Leeds one I was in) they then had to fix it for free - I bet they wish they'd never mentioned it!
     
  9. DEETEE

    DEETEE Well-Known Member

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    It's not even dealer warranty. It's LAW. overides out you get from the car yard.

    She can hand it back at anytime within 30 days if it's faulty and gets her brass back if it's not fit for purpose.

    A dodgy handbrake which has incurred her significant costs means it isn't fit for purpose.
     
  10. JamDrop

    JamDrop Well-Known Member

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    Only problem I can see is if Fired's already paid out - they may have done it for free but might not agree to cover money already spent.
     
  11. DEETEE

    DEETEE Well-Known Member

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    The dealer refunds her costs of the fixing the handbrake or refunds the lot.
     
  12. Xer

    Xerxes Well-Known Member

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    I always used to park in gear:never trusted the hand break.
     
  13. Sup

    SuperTyke Well-Known Member

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    The problem is proving that it was a faulty handbrake and not just that the handbrake wasn't applied fully I'd imagine. Unless of course it was an electronic handbrake. I've seen a van parked and start to move after quite a long time due to an handbrake not put on fully.

    The other problem is could they argue that fired have damaged the handbrake herself in two weeks? I don't know if that's possible.

    Lastly god knows how all that works with another vehicle being damaged. If it is a faulty handbrake can you claim for the insurance costs?
     
  14. scarf

    scarf Well-Known Member

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    Similar thing happened to my son's bird in an ASDA car park nr Leeds. He was able to access store's cctv footage that showed that the car had been stationary for 10 mins before it rolled backwards across the car park into another car. The car was also recently purchased so he had it checked over but the garage, a VW main dealer couldn't find/wouldn't admit to a fault. Car was a 2013 Passat with an electronic handbrake.
    She also reckoned she usually leaves the car in gear ;)
     
  15. scarf

    scarf Well-Known Member

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    Oops!
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2016
  16. dod

    dodworthred Well-Known Member

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    it happened to me in the first car i had it rolled down a hill into a bush and when i got in the handbreak was on but had just snapped
    since then i have put it in gear and had cars that dont start up unless you have your foot on the clutch peddle
     
  17. Cun

    Cunning Stunt Well-Known Member

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  18. DSLRed

    DSLRed Well-Known Member

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    How on earth could they even dispute that there was a problem if there was video evidence of the car rolling away, and the car has an electronic handbrake, as it isn't possible to not fully deploy an electronic one, and in all cases that I am aware of (certainly with all the recent cars I have owned), the handbrake is deployed automatically when the engine is turned off if you haven't already done it. So they can't argue that it wasn't on at all either.

    a. not physically possible for the handbrake not to have been on.
    b. car with no one in it rolled away on camera.

    ...no evidence of an issue. I'd have taken that further.
     
  19. Tek

    Tekkytyke Well-Known Member

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    Re: My three penneth....

    VERY occasionally you can get a 2nd hand car where the previous owner hasn't a clue and pulls the handbrake on without using the button. This wears theteeth on the handbrake rachet which eventually means the handbreak wont hold. (Unlikely in this case.

    The other biggie used to be (and maybe still is) that the car has all round disk brakes most do nowadays and if the car has been driven hard or the brakes have been used a lot prior to parking up the disks get quite hot . If the handbrakes is not applied fully, initially it will hold but as the disks and pads cool the metal contracts and so the brakes do not grip the disk as much so the car can move. This often exoplains why there can be a delay between parking and the handbrake failing. Again I am not saying this was the cause in this instance but I always make sure the a) handbrake is fully applied, b) leave it in 1st or 2nd gear and c) turn the wheels towards the kerb (Right hand lock if facing uphill) which acts like a chock ifthe HB fails:

    PS IWhen I was a lad one of my first cars was an old Alfao which I parked on the road where I worked. One day someone came up to me and said my car was on the pavement near the bottom of the road against a wall. I went to see it and it appeared undamaged so I thought my luck was in. We discovered later that it had first gone across the road on the slope and scraped down the side of 5 of my colleagues cars (at least 3 were that years models) neddless to say I was Billy no mates for a few days til I found out from the garage that the previous owner(s)? had worn the rachet on the handbrake causing it to fail (I had only had the car a few weeks from a private sale)
     
  20. bfc

    bfchris Member

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    This happened to a Police car on Carlton Hill and the cop got crucified on social media. Apparently there is an issue and its something to do with the brakes cooling down and releasing the grip (or something technical). I have heard it's quite a common fault.
     

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