From The Sun today,
FURIOUS drivers of new Vauxhall Vectras have blasted the car giant - claiming duff handbrakes have caused a spate of smashes involving runaway vehicles.
One owner was dragged 15 yards down his driveway before his car came to a halt.
Graham Cadwallader, of Derbyshire, said: "I was getting something off the back seat when I heard the handbrake click and release. By sheer luck I was not killed."
Fellow owner Barry Lord told how his Vectra, hooked to a caravan, rolled towards a cliff edge with his wife in the car.
She was only saved by the caravan's own brake.
Consumer magazine Which?, which has a dossier of more than a dozen cases, says the problem also affects the Signum model.
Signum owner Rhys Davies saw his car roll into a neighbour's BMW and write if off.
He said: "Vauxhall needs to acknowledge this problem to ensure it doesn't happen to others."
Vauxhall said it was "aware" of the allegations but insisted the handbrakes had been examined by Government car safety watchdogs and passed all tests.
The firm is now writing to all Vectra and Signum owners to remind them how to apply the handbrake properly.
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The Sun has merely rehashed page 5 of this month's issue of Which? - in fact the Press embargo finished at midnight Wednesday/Thursday, so the paper is very slow off the mark.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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That's typical Sun for you ;-)
I did feel quite bad posting from The Sun, I'm a Mail man normally........
Chris
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Amazes me the amount of people who rely solely on the handbrake, and don't put the car in gear as a secondary backup.
As some of you know, I drive an auto and cannot remove the ignition key until the autobox is in Park. All our pool cars at work however have manual boxes. The number of people who complain to me that I've left them in gear after I've finished using them and that they've gone and nudged the bumper against the wall / fence in the car park when they've gone to start them up.
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Yep, I always leave the car in gear.
But then is always amazes me the number of people who park on a steep hill and leave the wheels facing straight ahead rather then turning them into or out of the kerb.
Chris
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When I was taught how to drive [way back in 1984] one of the first things the instructor told me to do was put your foot on the clutch and fully depress. To this day the first thing I do [after buckling up, checking the mirrors and starting the engine] is depress the clutch pedal - it's a habit now.
We always leave our cars in gear when parked and quite often do if I am driving someone else's. Have to remember not to do it with my mum's car as she always complains afterwards!
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Update in this week's Auto Express relating to this fault.
Apparently fault has been traced to the handbrake mechanism of post 2002 cars and they will be able to get a free fix carried out at dealer.
Apparently if you applied the handbrake whilst pressing the release button then the device could be left partially released.
Worried owners should contact customer service hotline on 0845 090 2044.
Does this amount to admitting liability for all the reported accidents I wonder?
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Ever since I got my first Saab (1975) I had no option but to put the car in reverse to get the ignition key out. As a result, every car I've had since gets left in gear as well as having the handbrake on.
The problem is simply down to heavy braking which heats up the disc pads, which cool once the handbrake is on so retract just enough to free the wheel.
But this botton nonsense is.... dangerous nonsense - how on earth did GM get type / safety approval?
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