Handbrake Failure? - Page 4

**Badger61** · 07-27-2007, 01:53 PM

So now you can't recall how many clicks...........lol..... Yes indeed BEWARE of this person parking anywhere near you vehicle!! Just sell it and use the bus....sorted.

CAO · 07-28-2007, 06:53 AM

Audi Ireland sent some muppet out to check my story was for real and the guy simulated (or at least tried to given that the most important sequence of events was ommitted) the scenario of how the handbrake failed on my car. When my car was found at the bottom of the hill the handbrake was on the fourth notch. The car would not budge unless the handbrake was released. When Audi Ireland parked an A4 on the same driveway it held for 30 mins on the thrid notch. How does that work then?? It was abundantly clear to all involved that the handbrake failed as a result of the heating and cooling and not pilot error. This rather over used term, 'firmly applied' is merely a way of disguising the flaw in their cars. Surely 'firmly applied' is when you park your car on a gradient and it holds. I have since learned that this has happened on another new A4 car in the Dublin area. The guy parked his new A4 (4 weeks old), applied the handbrake firmly enough so that it held on the gradient, unloaded his boot and went inside his house. Approx 20-25 mins later his A4 ran down his drive crashing into a BMW. Fortunately again no persons were injured.

Perhaps someone at Audi could clarify the term 'firmly' in the context of applying the handbrake on their cars when parking on a gradient ??

Sarah W · 10-03-2007, 03:33 PM

I have a 2001 1.9 TDI. A couple of months ago I parked on a steep hill after a long, hot drive (I live in Portugal). Came back to find the car had rolled into the wall opposite. No damage other than a scrapped bumper but if hadn't parked scrappily - i.e. facing foward rather than at an angle - it would have gone straight into a house and caused untold damage and injury. At the time I blamed myself but having just seen Watchdog and googled A3+handbrake I found this site......

**Badger61** · 10-03-2007, 04:06 PM

Strange one this, I googled it too, no mention of anything on watchdog and certainly nothing on the UK web site, the only reference to your problem I can see is on this forum. Anyhow I have been doing a bit of research myself on this, I know people from 50 different centres in the UK and all but one has had a customer complaint on handbrake failure but that was an A2.I have found complaints from other manufacturers, these being, Honda, Merc, BMW, Skoda, Mini and all the French ones, all have been isolated cases which as they all pretty much use similar systems and technology, ie, rear discs that heat up then cool down,leads me to believe that if the operator doesn't pull up the brake hard enough there is a chance that the brake would release enough for the vehicle to roll. My advise would be, and as previously posted, observe the vehicle handbook and highway code, apply the handbrake,if on a gradient steer the front wheels into the kerb and select a gear.

audiowner · 10-03-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah W

At the time I blamed myself but having just seen Watchdog and googled A3+handbrake I found this site......

Watchdog was refering to Vauxhall cars only!

Parking a car on an incline with hot brakes, in a hot climate, needs the handbrake pulled to maximum.

CAO · 10-06-2007, 08:14 AM

I too saw the watchdog feature (3rd Oct 07) on the vauxhall handbrake failures. To be honest the stories told by those affected by the dodgy vauxhall handbrakes were remarkably similiar to those relayed to me by audi owners with similar dodgy handbrakes. Vauxhall, just like audi, continue to deny anything is wrong with their precious cars. Yet as stated on the Watchdog programme, a parking brake is a parking brake and when applied car owners expect it to hold even when a car is parked on a gradient. So why is it then that this ridiculous notion of having to leave your car in gear and the brake not being applied firmly enough continues to be used by the car manufacturers? Thankfully audi have replaced the manual handbrake in their new A4's with an electromechanical parking brake.

CAO · 10-06-2007, 08:18 AM

I too saw the watchdog feature (3rd Oct 07) on the vauxhall handbrake failures. To be honest the stories told by those affected by the dodgy vauxhall handbrakes were remarkably similiar to those relayed to me by audi owners with similar dodgy handbrakes. Vauxhall, just like audi, continue to deny anything is wrong with their precious cars. Yet as stated on the Watchdog programme, a parking brake is a parking brake and when applied car owners expect it to hold even when a car is parked on a gradient. So why is it then that this ridiculous notion of having to leave your car in gear and the brake not being applied firmly enough continues to be used by the car manufacturers? Thankfully audi have replaced the manual handbrake in their new A4's with an electromechanical parking brake!

An investigative journalist is investigating audi at present why don't you drop him a line sarah w, pbh@rte.ie

stefanb · 10-18-2007, 03:40 AM

Hello,

A few weeks ago our A6 avant whas parked outside on our little gradient parking behind our house in front of our underground garage.
The car stood still for about 3-5 minutes and then rolled backwards in to our underground garage hitting two of our 37 years old Karmann Ghia's.
The dealer found no evidence of a handbrake failure.

The car whas not in gear because the motor turned.

On the place the car stould still it is not possible to leave the car because it starts rolling immediatly.

Our there similar cases with a A6?
Any reply should help.
Kind regards,

Stefan

essexboyupnorth · 10-22-2007, 06:26 AM

Had my 2003 Audi A3 for a week, the first time I don't leave a car in gear when I park it and the hand brake fails. Damaged three panels, at least it didn't hurt anyone or hit another car but still very P'd off.

What, if anything can be done about this there seem to be a vast number of people having the same problem and it's only a matter of time before someone gets injured.

handbrakefail77 · 05-23-2008, 04:06 AM

Hi, My wife bought an A3 3 weeks ago went out last night, parked on a slight incline and we returned to find the car had rolled across the car park and smashed into another vehicle. This problem needs sorting and is unacceptable, someone is going to be seriously injured or even killed. Seems to be lots of complaints on here about this fault. I ve emailed watchdog today so will see if I get any response.

07-27-2007, 01:53 PM	#31 (permalink)
Badger61 Super Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 386 Gallery: (0)	So now you can't recall how many clicks...........lol..... Yes indeed BEWARE of this person parking anywhere near you vehicle!! Just sell it and use the bus....sorted. __________________

10-03-2007, 03:33 PM	#33 (permalink)
Sarah W Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1 Gallery: (0)	Another handbrake failure I have a 2001 1.9 TDI. A couple of months ago I parked on a steep hill after a long, hot drive (I live in Portugal). Came back to find the car had rolled into the wall opposite. No damage other than a scrapped bumper but if hadn't parked scrappily - i.e. facing foward rather than at an angle - it would have gone straight into a house and caused untold damage and injury. At the time I blamed myself but having just seen Watchdog and googled A3+handbrake I found this site......

10-03-2007, 04:06 PM	#34 (permalink)
Badger61 Super Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 386 Gallery: (0)	Strange one this, I googled it too, no mention of anything on watchdog and certainly nothing on the UK web site, the only reference to your problem I can see is on this forum. Anyhow I have been doing a bit of research myself on this, I know people from 50 different centres in the UK and all but one has had a customer complaint on handbrake failure but that was an A2.I have found complaints from other manufacturers, these being, Honda, Merc, BMW, Skoda, Mini and all the French ones, all have been isolated cases which as they all pretty much use similar systems and technology, ie, rear discs that heat up then cool down,leads me to believe that if the operator doesn't pull up the brake hard enough there is a chance that the brake would release enough for the vehicle to roll. My advise would be, and as previously posted, observe the vehicle handbook and highway code, apply the handbrake,if on a gradient steer the front wheels into the kerb and select a gear. __________________

10-18-2007, 03:40 AM	#38 (permalink)
stefanb Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1 Gallery: (0)	Handbrake failure Audi A6 Avant in Belgium Hello, A few weeks ago our A6 avant whas parked outside on our little gradient parking behind our house in front of our underground garage. The car stood still for about 3-5 minutes and then rolled backwards in to our underground garage hitting two of our 37 years old Karmann Ghia's. The dealer found no evidence of a handbrake failure. The car whas not in gear because the motor turned. On the place the car stould still it is not possible to leave the car because it starts rolling immediatly. Our there similar cases with a A6? Any reply should help. Kind regards, Stefan

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07-28-2007, 06:53 AM	#32 (permalink)
CAO Newbie Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 6 Gallery: (0)	Audi Ireland sent some muppet out to check my story was for real and the guy simulated (or at least tried to given that the most important sequence of events was ommitted) the scenario of how the handbrake failed on my car. When my car was found at the bottom of the hill the handbrake was on the fourth notch. The car would not budge unless the handbrake was released. When Audi Ireland parked an A4 on the same driveway it held for 30 mins on the thrid notch. How does that work then?? It was abundantly clear to all involved that the handbrake failed as a result of the heating and cooling and not pilot error. This rather over used term, 'firmly applied' is merely a way of disguising the flaw in their cars. Surely 'firmly applied' is when you park your car on a gradient and it holds. I have since learned that this has happened on another new A4 car in the Dublin area. The guy parked his new A4 (4 weeks old), applied the handbrake firmly enough so that it held on the gradient, unloaded his boot and went inside his house. Approx 20-25 mins later his A4 ran down his drive crashing into a BMW. Fortunately again no persons were injured. Perhaps someone at Audi could clarify the term 'firmly' in the context of applying the handbrake on their cars when parking on a gradient ??

10-06-2007, 08:14 AM	#36 (permalink)
CAO Newbie Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 6 Gallery: (0)	I too saw the watchdog feature (3rd Oct 07) on the vauxhall handbrake failures. To be honest the stories told by those affected by the dodgy vauxhall handbrakes were remarkably similiar to those relayed to me by audi owners with similar dodgy handbrakes. Vauxhall, just like audi, continue to deny anything is wrong with their precious cars. Yet as stated on the Watchdog programme, a parking brake is a parking brake and when applied car owners expect it to hold even when a car is parked on a gradient. So why is it then that this ridiculous notion of having to leave your car in gear and the brake not being applied firmly enough continues to be used by the car manufacturers? Thankfully audi have replaced the manual handbrake in their new A4's with an electromechanical parking brake.

10-06-2007, 08:18 AM	#37 (permalink)
CAO Newbie Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 6 Gallery: (0)	I too saw the watchdog feature (3rd Oct 07) on the vauxhall handbrake failures. To be honest the stories told by those affected by the dodgy vauxhall handbrakes were remarkably similiar to those relayed to me by audi owners with similar dodgy handbrakes. Vauxhall, just like audi, continue to deny anything is wrong with their precious cars. Yet as stated on the Watchdog programme, a parking brake is a parking brake and when applied car owners expect it to hold even when a car is parked on a gradient. So why is it then that this ridiculous notion of having to leave your car in gear and the brake not being applied firmly enough continues to be used by the car manufacturers? Thankfully audi have replaced the manual handbrake in their new A4's with an electromechanical parking brake! An investigative journalist is investigating audi at present why don't you drop him a line sarah w, pbh@rte.ie

10-22-2007, 06:26 AM	#39 (permalink)
essexboyupnorth Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1 Gallery: (0)	Had my 2003 Audi A3 for a week, the first time I don't leave a car in gear when I park it and the hand brake fails. Damaged three panels, at least it didn't hurt anyone or hit another car but still very P'd off. What, if anything can be done about this there seem to be a vast number of people having the same problem and it's only a matter of time before someone gets injured.

05-23-2008, 04:06 AM	#40 (permalink)
handbrakefail77 Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 Gallery: (0)	Hi, My wife bought an A3 3 weeks ago went out last night, parked on a slight incline and we returned to find the car had rolled across the car park and smashed into another vehicle. This problem needs sorting and is unacceptable, someone is going to be seriously injured or even killed. Seems to be lots of complaints on here about this fault. I ve emailed watchdog today so will see if I get any response.

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