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JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
Vauxhall Astra
There's a couple who keep their horses at the same livery yard as me who have bought a new Astra(well it's less than a month old now) Last week I saw them and hubby was giving herself grief as she'd backed into a bollard in the supermarket carpark. Tonight I saw her and she was none too happy with the new car complete with a ding at the front and scrape marks down the side!

Last night she came back from work(care assistant) parked it on the street outside their house, pulled on the handbrake, locked the door and went indoors. About an hour later a neighbour was knocking on the door asking if it was her car parked in his wall 2 doors down the road! They went to it, opened the door and the handbrake was still in the up position! It seems that there is a problem with some more basic models of Astras so if you have one or end up parking near one make sure it will roll away from your motor when the parking brake fails!

Nobody's going to get any answers untill Wednesday when the dealership opens after the bank holidays, I for one shall be waiting for the definitive reply Whistle
Post #148483 3rd Jun 2012 10:37pm
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Retroanaconda



Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2555

Scotland 
This is why you always park a car in gear! I was taught that when I learned to drive, thought it was part of theory test, as well as pointing wheels toward/away from kerb etc?

Definitely sounds like there's an issue there though, if it's that new it should be covered under the sales of goods act let alone any warranty!
Post #148484 3rd Jun 2012 10:41pm
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JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
That's what I said to her, personally I very rarely use the handbrake(might wear it out Whistle ) but on the fact it failed on a nearly new car smacks to me like a manufacturing fault. They have spoken to a customer line at Vauxhall and as a matter of course they are allready starting to make noises of driver error. Untill it goes into the dealer nobody will commit themselves and she was worried that if she had to claim on her insurance she would lose her NCB. I told her that the insurance should be on her side if it comes to that as there is allready documented proof on t'internet of people having the same problem and there's nothing that the insurance companies would like better than to take on a company like Vauxhall when it is a Vauxhall problem Cool
Post #148486 3rd Jun 2012 10:54pm
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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
there was an article about exactly that on watchdog a while ago, it's a known problem with astras, might be worth googling it Thumbs Up
Post #148507 4th Jun 2012 9:11am
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Projectblue



Member Since: 22 Nov 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 1096

England 
In most cars with new electic h/brake it's almost impossible to not apply the handbrake as even if you don't apply or yourself, it does it automatically when you take the ignition key out. It doesn't get past the leave in gear (which I always do) but it does prevent you from trying to avoid rusted on brake pads.

Electric hand(park) brakes are the work of the devil Laughing
Post #148593 4th Jun 2012 5:44pm
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Rozzer



Member Since: 22 Sep 2011
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 43

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black
It's true about the handbrake. We use them at work and a few people have fallen foul of the fault. It appears the brakes get hot very quickly and swell up. If you then apply the handbrake when the brakes cool they shrink back and the car rolls.

It's a tad embarrassing.

Not that I've find it I hasten to add.
Post #148627 4th Jun 2012 9:53pm
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