Hyundai i20 Handbrake

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Chloed1993
Chloed1993 Posts: 6 Forumite
in Motoring
Hi,

I’m looking for some advise. I parked my new Hyundai i20 in my parking space outside my house on a slight incline. Got shopping out of the boot and went in the house for 20 minutes. I think had a knock at the door to find my car had rolled across the road and onto a neighbours car. A witness saw the car suddenly go and the handbrake was definitely up. We got the witness to verify. It’s left a massive dent and damage to my car and damage to my neighbours car.

The garage I purchased the new car on finance from took it in for tests today and have said there’s nothing wrong with it and we didn’t put the handbrake on high enough.

Has anyone else had a problem similar or have any advice? They have said they might be able to fix the damage for slightly cheaper but I just don’t believe that it is working correctly as the handbrake was definitely applied and it was high.

Please help!
«1345

Comments

  • wgl2014
    wgl2014 Posts: 1,144 Forumite
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    If the garage has inspected the car and not found a fault you would need your own independent report to prove a fault is actually there.

    Even if the report came back confirming your thoughts that there is a fault I'm not sure where this would actually get you.

    I would suggest just passing the claim on to your insurance without mentioning the handbrake at all.

    For the future consider leaving your car in gear and if parking on a hill turning the steering so if it rolls the front wheels hit the kerb and the car stops.
  • IanMSpencer
    IanMSpencer Posts: 1,517 Forumite
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    The trouble with cable operated handbrakes is that on an unfamiliar car it is not always easy to tell how well engaged they are. Also, sometimes discs and pads cool enough to be enough to release pressure if the handbrake is not firmly engaged.

    Without knowing how hard you actually put the handbrake on, it is hard to argue that there is a fault, but some garages are inclined to demonstrate the lack of fault by applying the handbrake with their engine changing with bare hands abilities and then the owner can't release it.

    Unfortunately, just because the car doesn't move when the car is parked doesn't mean the handbrake is on firmly enough. The physical position of the handbrake is not entirely relevant, the trouble is knowing how much further travel there is - some handbrakes don't travel far, some seem to want to go to well beyond 45 degrees.

    I would certainly not avoid mentioning the handbrake. You can say the handbrake was applied and then it is either up to you to prove that the brake is faulty, where I would be looking to show that hot rear brakes and a reasonably firmly applied handbrake could release. In the first instance, try applying the handbrake to the angle you set and see whether someone could push the car with it in the same position as you believe you set it, then try it again after a run where you get the brakes well used, apply the brake to the same position, and then see whether it releases after it has cooled, say 10 minutes. A chock (aka a brick!) might be handy for safety.
  • Crabman
    Crabman Posts: 9,943 Forumite
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    If a witness saw the car suddenly go, it suggests the brake force was released suddenly.

    Vauxhall had problems with their manual handbrakes suddenly releasing and they had to issue a recall.

    +1 for IanMSpencer's post above - definitely worth doing some tests to try and replicate the problem.

    FYI I have an i30 and it took several visits to a Hyundai dealership before their mechanics diagnosed the problem and repaired under warranty. They had the gall to ask me to give them a 10 out of 10 customer service rating when Hyundai UK sent me a survey. :rotfl:
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,527 Forumite
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    I once worked in an office on quite a steep street. Handbrakes ‘letting go’ happened 3-4 times a year.

    Sometimes the teeth and pawl aren’t engaged properly, close a door or the boot, the pawl drops a notch and that’s enough to get the car rolling.

    Brake on, in gear, wheels turned, every time.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,215 Forumite
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    daveyjp wrote: »
    I once worked in an office on quite a steep street. Handbrakes ‘letting go’ happened 3-4 times a year.

    Sometimes the teeth and pawl aren’t engaged properly, close a door or the boot, the pawl drops a notch and that’s enough to get the car rolling.

    Brake on, in gear, wheels turned, every time.

    Indeed. As so often, attention to the basics of the Highway Code would have avoided this. Rule 252.
  • Chloed1993
    Chloed1993 Posts: 6 Forumite
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    It’s a slight incline not a steep hill. I have parked in this space for the last 3 years with my previous car and have not had any issues. There is no curb due to it being a row of parking spaces.

    We had noticed as soon as we got the car that the hand brake has to be lifted incredibly high especially for a brand new car. The mechanic pulled it up to the ninth notch. This isn’t easy to do and I tried it myself and it’s very difficult to get it that high. Surely not normal for a new car?

    A friend of mine also has the same car and has owned it from brand new since March 2017 and has had to have the hand brake tightened twice already.

    I just wondered whether anyone else has had any problems with their handbrake, I realise it’s very difficult to prove the hand brake was high enough but where is the line to say it’s high enough? On the ninth notch just before the cable snaps?
  • EdGasketTheSecond
    EdGasketTheSecond Posts: 2,558 Forumite
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    If its on a slope, leave it in gear.
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,527 Forumite
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    EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »
    If its on a slope, leave it in gear.

    Correction. If its parked leave it in gear.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Does it have disc brakes at the rear? If so you'll find in the owners manual it'll say to press the brake pedal down and then apply the handbrake. Reason for that is with rear disc brakes and handbrakes if you only apply the handbrake then as the discs cool down and shrink the force being applied when you initially put the handbrake on can end up not being sufficient to hold the car. When you apply the footbrake first and then the handbrake you apply more force than just using the handbrake alone.
  • Deneb
    Deneb Posts: 420 Forumite
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    edited 30 December 2017 at 11:03AM
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    Tarambor wrote: »
    Does it have disc brakes at the rear? If so you'll find in the owners manual it'll say to press the brake pedal down and then apply the handbrake.

    I would hazard a guess that the owners manual will also recommend always putting the vehicle in gear and fully applying the handbrake whenever leaving it unattended.

    Many owners manuals for modern cars with direct acting rear disc parking brakes contain similar advice, and certainly the owners manual for the older model i20 states that information both as advice within the description of operating the parking brake, and also as a highlighted "WARNING" to the effect that the vehicle should be placed in gear as well as ensuring that the handbrake is fully applied whenever it is parked on a gradient.
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