2006 Vauxhall Vectra Exclusiv from UK and Ireland - Comments

Yesterday my 5 week old Vectra 1.8 Exclusiv also decided to release its handbrake and roll off the drive and into a neighbours car parked opposite, fortunately no damage to her car, but my rear bumper damaged. The car has stood on the driveway every day for 5 weeks and never moved. Yesterday it had been parked for approx 20 minutes before incident. Another neighbour who lives opposite and next door to the owner of the car I hit also has a Vectra 1.8 Exclusive approx 18months old which did exactly the same about 12 months ago, he was parked on drive and had full wheel lock on so when it released it rolled off drive and turned 180 degrees into the fence of the same neighbour who was my victim.

Also having ongoing problem with Vauxhall concerning excessive pulling to near side whilst driving at any speed. Have had to get an independent report before Vauxhall will investigate and still they are dragging their heels probably hoping I give up. Any similar incidents contact me at brianbbailey@hotmail.com

Last Thursday I parked (52 plate Vectra Elite hatchback, which I have driven from new) on my drive (around 12:00), and applied the handbrake as usual. I don't pull the handbrake on against the ratchett, but depress the thumb button, and then pull one more time against the 'click'. I have to apply the handbrake when parking as (surprise, surprise) my drive has a slight slope on it!

Ten minutes later someone knocked at my door to ask if that was my car across the road against the neighbour's tree... The car was still locked, someone actually saw it empty, rolling across the road, and the handbrake was now flat against the floor in the 'off' position.

Now I've gone through my insurance to get the car repaired and the handbrake checked, but it will cost me my excess and a year's no claims. But if there is a design fault I believe I have a reasonable case to recover these costs from Vauxhall.

I feel slightly vindicated that I'm not such a bad driver now. I crashed my Zafira in Nov 06 all my fault so can't complain, just felt like a wally!

I was given a Vauxhall Vectra as a hire car. It was switched after 5 days for another Vectra. It only had around 500 miles on the clock.

The next evening I went to the shop with my 4 year old and was in the shop for at least 10 minutes. I was at the till when someone came in asking who owned a silver vectra as it has just crashed into another car.

I has parked on a slope and the car must have been stationary for at least 5 minutes before it moved. How could I have walked around the car to the rear passenger door to get my son out if I hadn't put the handbrake on?

Even though when I moved the car (had to as it was blocking other cars in the car park) I was sure the hand brake was not completely off. I was so upset especially as I had crashed a car just 6 days previously and the woman who's car I had damaged was screaming at me like I was a murderer or something that I accepted liability and now have another claim against me. No damage to the Vectra, but a ding in the woman's passenger wheel arch that cost £900 to fix!!

I will follow this with interest because even if I am never able to prove it wasn't me I will know that it probably wasn't.

Just this afternoon I parked my Vectra Z18XE on our driveway (slight incline), put the handbrake on properly (otherwise it would roll away), got out, removed items from the car, locked the car then went round the back of the house. After about 5 minutes I heard some people shouting, a bang, then a knock on the front door. My neighbour told me that my car had rolled back across the street, past some children and smashed into another neighbour's house. Another neighbour who fixes cars said he had received an email recently, warning him about problems of handbrakes on Vectras. When I looked into my locked car I noticed the handbrake was fully down, but I knew I had put it on! I had experienced the handbrake very rarely not engaging very well previously, but on those occasions I reapplied it so that it engaged properly and thought nothing more of it, but now I am convinced this is a lethal fault which is out of the user's control, and Vauxhall should be obliged to correct it. My email: issa@talktalk.net.

9th July 2007.

I met a friend for lunch today, parked in the car park, got out of my car and walked over to say hallo. As we stood greeting each other I saw my car which is a Vectra Exclusive rolling away. Luckily the fence surrounding the car park stopped the car. The front of the car has a fair amount of damage, but what horrified me was that if I had parked a few spaces away my car would have rolled into the main road, possibly killing someone.

I took my car to a local garage to access the damage, and was shocked when he informed me that Vectra and also some Saab's (which are both General Motor cars) had the same problem, which allegedly stems from the way that the rear brakes have been fitted. My understanding is that VOSA are investigating this problem.

I phoned the Vauxhall dealer where I purchased the car, but he denied knowing anything about this problem, but did say that he would look into this and get back to me.

Has anyone had the same problem with a 2007 model Astra. To make things more difficult, the car is semi automatic and has no Park setting on the Auto Selector, so it's not possible to park in gear.

There are reports on Audis in particular where the handbrake fails after the brakes cool off (and the Disc contracts?)

Back in April I suffered a similar problem with my 2005 Vectra, although the circumstances were slightly different. I stopped on my sloping driveway, but as I was only stopping briefly, I am fairly certain that I left the engine running. As I shut the car door, I heard an unexpected 'twang'. I soon realised that it was the handbrake releasing, as the car started rolling back down the slope. Up until now I had assumed that I hadn't applied the handbrake properly. That may very well be the case... but these other incidents have got me thinking.

I have now experienced the same thing. Last night I arrived home from work and parked on the drive. It is on a slight slope so if I had not engaged my handbrake then the car would have rolled down the slope.

After a couple of minutes my wife saw the car moving and it hit the wall of the house. Bumper. wing and light damaged. I am having to go through insurance, pay the excess and lose some of my no claims.

If Vauxhall know about this problem I will be following this up with them to try and claim my money back.

Strangely enough a few months ago a similar thing happened in a pub car park. Luckily my wheels were turned otherwise the car would have smashed into another one. I put this down at the time as not applying the handbrake correctly, but now wonder if this is the same problem as all you others have experienced.

The very same thing happened to me with my 2002 Vectra. I parked it on a fairly steep incline and about ten minutes later, heard an enormous crash which turned out to be my car slamming into a neighbour's garden wall backwards. I now leave it in gear whenever I park it, but there is clearly a flaw with the handbrake.

Back in March this year I suffered what sounds to be the exact same problem as the rest of people on here. I had parked my 2004 Vectra SRi on, what I thought was, a relatively small hill near an area of shops. I applied the handbrake fully, of that I am certain, locked the car and went into a couple of shops. On my return the car had disappeared and at first I thought it had been stolen, I wish now it had!

Approximately 100 yards down the street I saw that my Vectra had parked itself into the front wing of a young lady's small Corsa. It had rolled from one side of the road to the other, narrowly missing peoples gardens and houses.

Obviously being my car, I was responsible for the damage caused to my car and hers, a total which came to just over 3 grand. And being a 23 year old male (with a new No-Claims total of 0 years) I could no longer afford the insurance. So thanks to a possible fault with the handbrake on the car, I lost 9 grands worth of car and 3 years no claims bonuses and it now costs me 1000 a year to cover and 'L' reg Rover 418. Just great!!!

Don't suppose anybody knows if the fault on this variant of Vauxhall has been confirmed? If you do, please email me on either Deanchapman489@yahoo.co.uk or jar-analyst111@jar.mod.uk.

Following your headline ON FRIDAY FURY RUNAWAY VECTRA!

This happened to me last week on Sunday 1st July when my taxi a hired Vectra 07 plate suddenly ran down a hill for 400 yards, just missing a corner shop at the end of the road by smashing into a parked car.

To make matters worse I was holding on to the bonnet trying to slow it down!!!

I parked the car on a hill with the handbrake fully on, got out of the car to collect my customer. The car did not move when I left the car, but returning to the car with the customer, there was a noise from inside and the car started to roll down the hill with myself chasing it and desperately holding on to the bonnet to slow it down!

Thinking of it now, it sounds funny something out of Laurel and Hardy, but if I had not thrown myself out of the way I would have been killed!

I am a taxi driver with 27 years of driving experience, and nothing like this has ever happened to me!

Need to know more? Please ring 01934517373 or 07810417744.

Thanks Steve Eastman.

I have a Vectra Design (06) purchased this year & yesterday whilst parked on a slight incline the vehicle moved after about 90 seconds despite being parked with the handbrake on. It smashed into a low wall opposite & as far as I can see apart from damage to the front bumper panel the radiator has been pushed back. It was only the sound of the alarm on the moving vehicle that alerted me to the problem, but I was too far away to prevent the damage.

I will be taking this up with my insurance company who hopefully will pursue Vauxhall.

I have just booked my four year old Signum Design into my local GM dealer for its service. They tell me it will take a little longer than usual, as they have to carry out some checks on the handbrake, which are covered by the GM warranty. Something they're not letting on about?

Just want to say, I have got a 2003 2.2 DTI Vectra, just had the handbrake problem.

For a few months I have been thinking I have gone mad, I park the car in the train station and then come home from work and the handbrake is off.

But last week, I parked my car outside my house on a slight hill and if I hadn’t seen it for myself, well here is the story.

Parked the car, pulled then handbrake on locked the car and started walking up my drive I then heard a loud Bang!!!

I then looked back and the car was rolling down the hill, (Lucky for me my neighbours cars was a meter away and Crash), I thought the cable had snapped, I then got in the car to see what had happened and the Handbrake was flat down (So the ratchet doesn’t work) as I pulled the Handbrake bake on and left the car in gear….

Then the same on this Saturday, but I had booked the car into Vauxhall for a service and an inspection. I was told that the Handbrake system was worn and needed to be replaced (Worn not bad for a 2003 car), and new Handbrake system is costing me £250+, I asked the dealer if this was a know problem, he then said Vauxhall have not made a recall, but the “New” handbrake system is a different design.

I am not an expert in car design or manufacture, but why is there a “New” design, as the working are not shown so this I think is a cover up.

I am only glad my 2 Year old daughter was not in the car or my car did not run anyone over as would I be liable for a design fault?

Craig Pollard

Kent.

On Friday 27/7/07 I collected a vectra 1.9 CDTI 07 plate from the hire car company. On Saturday afternoon I parked the car on my drive which has a 30 degree slope. 20 minutes later I heard a smash, looked out the window to see the car over the road in my neighbours drive, firmly embedded in the back of his car. On checking the handbrake, it was flat down. I had definitely applied the handbrake 20 minutes earlier. It was pure luck no children were playing between the 2 cars. It could have been very nasty.

I cannot believe so many people have had this same problem. Martin, Derby.