A3 Handbrake Failure 2 On One Street!!
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- www.steeplejack.co.uk/NewsEngineer.php?PageNumber= 2
Our new 07 A3 Sportback was less than 3 weeks old when its handbrake failed, it had been on a short 2 mile round journey from cold first thing in the morning (how could the brakes have even reached operating temp during this period?) before being parked on our slight incline of a drive. The car was left with the handbrake applied (but unfortunately out of gear), on the drive for at least 30mins (we had been in the house for at least 30mins before walking past the car still parked on the drive) while we went out on foot, we returned to find the car missing off the drive, only to discover it had rolled backwards off the drive down an embankment hitting a tree before resting in a neighbouring fence. The cost of the repair (at an Audi approved repairer!!) approx £1300.
The ironic thing is Christmas week a 56 plate A3 sportback had rolled down from further up our street embedding itself in the same fence!!!! Two on the same street, the same postcode and still a problem is denied by the dealership and Audi!!!
Being new to the street it wasn't until we suffered the handbrake failure that we learned from the 56 plate A3 owners the reason as to why their car had parked itself in the fence, if we had discovered the reason earlier we may have thought long and hard before buying our A3 or at the very least been mindful to leave the car in gear.
The response we had from our Nottingham Audi dealer was one of complete surprise
, claiming to never having heard of an Audi handbrake failing. It would appear this particular dealership has, at the very least a short memory..... December 2006 a 56 plate A3 sportback, from our street, handbrake failed??
Fortunately to date I have read of no one being injured as a result of this most alarming and obvious
fault... I fear however that unless there is immediate recognition of the braking fault by Audi and its dealership network and a recall on the A3 it will only be a matter of time before we are reading of something catastrophic that could have and should have been prevented....
I am sure there are eminent and influential people from Audi who read these forums, one things for sure if a hand brake related incident does result in an injury or a fatality there will definitely be a certain group of professionals (wearing big white wigs) who will refer to the contents of this forum
Deepest sympathy's to all who have experienced this trauma, it shouldn't happen regardless of whether or not the car is left in gear or not a handbrake at any point in a cars life should remain capable of securing a vehicle on any gradient otherwise what is its use??
Good luck to you all as you pursue your claim with your respective Audi dealerships, particularly as you discover the main culprit
AUDI continues to keep its head plugged firmly in the sand!!