2006 Vauxhall Vectra Exclusiv from UK and Ireland - Comments

Given the recent news on Watchdog that Vauxhall are to introduce a scheme to add an additional spring to the handbrake mechanism of Vectras/Signums in this age range, has anyone else been on to Vauxhall to pursue the idea that this is an admission of "a problem"? I've written to them several times before with no joy, and again since the Watchdog programme. They still say there is NO problem with the handbrake, and that they are not liable to repair costs despite the vehicle still being under manufacturer's warranty. Anyone else had better luck?

We have been the victims of complete handbrake failure in a large car park. Fortunately nobody was hurt, however when the car was taken to vauxhall they advised us that there was no problem. We now NEVER park without being in gear as we are 100% sure the handbrake failed as when we were called to our vehicle by the store that we were in the handbrake was in fact in the engaged position. We would very much like Vauxhall to recall before someone is hurt. So come Vauxhall, do the right thing.

I too am a victim of a runaway vectra. I have owned my vectra Sri cdti for 3 1/2 years and never had a problem. I parked outside my sisters house yesterday to collect my son, I applied the handbrake as usual (i have parked this way hundreds of times at her house), got my daughter out of the car, locked up and stood to speak to my brother-in-law for about 5 minutes and went into the house. I had been in the house for a good 10 minutes when we saw two people walking into my sisters driveway, I stood up and noticed that my car wasn't there (my sisters car was parked in front of the window blocking view of my car). Instantly my first thought was that it had been stolen until I answered the door. My car had rolled 100 yards down the what is normally quite a busy road, scraped along the front of a neighbours car, gone through there front lawn, dropped 2 feet and crashed through their livingroom window. Luckily no-one was hurt, as I said before this is a busy road to both cars and pedestrians leading to the main street, and fortunately the family had been sitting in another room. The first that they knew of it was when they heard a loud bang then the smashing of the window. There have been a few times that I have stopped at my sisters house to drop something off and I have left the kids in the car returning instantly (MY KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CAR!!!).

I now have to claim my insurance, I don't know yet if my car can be fixed and obviously the family are going to claim my insurance for the damage to their property.

When I phoned RAC to have my car recovered they told me that it was probably a handbrake failure as this Make and model of car is bad for it.

The police that attended were very understanding and advised not to stop at only claiming my insurance. If there is a problem, which now looking at this website and others, there certainly is a problem, to take it further!!!

I am angry that vauxhall are aware of this and doing nothing, oh sorry, they are sending owners the sticker on how to apply a handbrake.

If I do get my car back I don't think I will ever feel safe in it again.

Suzy03871@aol.com.

Vectra 06 plate, sri 2.0 turbo. My car was parked on my drive and moved itself 6feet into my garage door. I thought it was somehow my fault! 2 days ago, car parked on drive over night, I was sat looking out of bedroom window and my car was reversing down my drive, I looked closer and my husband or anyone wasnt in it, it was empty, then is crashed into my house, smashed my rear lights and ruined the bumber. The hand brake was on both times. I took it to vauxhall garage today, but they are going to send an engineer to check it, I have just browsed the web for these V V handbrake faults and it is full of them. Not happy, they better do something about it.

I have a vectra 1.8 sri 2006 the hand brake has released it self 8 times I have only had the car one year. but I all-ways park in gear (lucky) IT has to go to vauxhall for its first service soon so see what happens when I tell them.

Just had the same thing happen to me; my 03 Vectra rolled out of our drive and stopped in our neighbours garden after damaging the gates and the bumper. Knew nothing of Vauxhall's problems until I read today of the same thing happening in our local newspaper (Belfast Telegraph).

Rang the dealership I bought the car from today 22/2/08 and was told by the salesman he knew nothing of any problems.

Hi all, just part ext my Astra SRi for a 56 plate Signum. Needed more space with having kids, knew nothing at all about the handbrake issues, had it a week and my partner was in the car parked up, waiting for the kids from school and she just started to go backwards really slowly; not good.

I went work the next day, sat there reading the Sun and there it was in black and white telling you about the handbrake fault, so I took it to the garage, they checked it and said nothing wrong at all with the handbrake or brakes, but they will put me 1st on the list when they get a say so that there is something wrong so they can fix it, what!!!

Oh, and they gave me a sticker telling me, well every one knows what the sticker says. The man at the garage to be fair did say the sticker is a cop out.. nice.

Hi could someone tell me when these stickers came out I only bought my vectra in june and first I heard about this was when my car ended up in nexy door neighbours garden last week.salesman never mentioned any problem when I boughtbthe car.looks like someone getting my new bumper and neighbours gate bill.

I cannot believe that they are still selling new cars without putting so-called safety springs on and then the dealers have the nerve to say that they didn't know of any problems??

Of course they know as this isn't a new problem. It is exactly a year since my signum ran-away across a main road and ended up through someones garden fence and its 4 months since it first featured on BBC Watchdog, so you're not telling me that dealers didn't find out about this problem.

They make me sick!!! It's about time vauxhall took full responsibility for this. I hope Mr vauxhall can sleep at night when there's a poor man in manchester that is awaiting prosecution for his runaway car killing someone, so beware not only can they runaway, but you may also end up in prison if it seriously injures or kills someone, through no fault of your own.

Just leaving my email addess so as I can be kept up to date with whats happening cheers neil.

Guddy73@ntlworld.com.

Sorry my comment should have read " I hope Mr Vauxhall can sleep at night"

5 days after purchasing a Vectra Exclusive in September 2006, I parked the car on a slight incline while I opened our office compound gates. I was returning to the car when it began to roll backwards and hit one of the gate posts, causing considerable damage to the car. After repair the car was taken to the local Vauxhall dealer who inspected the handbrake and reported no problem. After accessing Emails from other owners and contacting Vauxhall my car was taken in and the handbrake was replaced. Vauxhall subsequently reported that investigation of the original handbrake had found no fault. I have since received my sticker advising how to apply the handbrake. There have also been 2 instances where the handbrake released while the car was parked. Fortunately I was sitting in the car.

Ronald.lorimer@tesco.net

I am writing into this forum to give evidence of another handbrake failure on a Vauxhall Signum 04 plate. As an independent vehicle MOT station and vehicle workshop we have been reserved in our opinion of the alleged failures on Vauxhall handbrakes.

But the incident listed below has changed our minds.

Yesterday 26 Feb we carried out an MOT on a Vauxhall Signum. Having only failed on rear tyre's the vehicle was parked in our MOT parking bay (which we have used for the last five years) awaiting customer collection.

After approx 15 minutes a customer in reception drew our attention to the Vauxhall having gone down our forecourt and into the adjacent building, smashing a wall and window. On inspection the vehicle handbrake was completely disengaged and out of gear. With the slope of our MOT parking bay the handbrake would have been on fully to hold it there for 15 minutes. Our conclusion only verifies other people claim that the handbrake for what ever reason released its self. We have no defence because we did not leave it in gear, but we have not done that for the last five years with any other vehicle parked in our MOT bay.

I feel aggrieved now that as a result of this my unblemished insurance claim record for the last 14 years has been dented through what I feel is no fault of my own.

I own a 2003 Vectra 1.8LS and conversely I have never had any problems with the handbrake - BUT - I have it regularly serviced by a local garage that services cars the old fashioned way. I am not a fan of dealer servicing as little 'maintenance' seems to go on - they just replace bits!

We own a 1999 Vauxhall Vectra. Our main problem is that the hand brake keeps snapping. We have had it repaired twice already since we bought it last year and still the problem persists. Please advise the proper way of applying the hand brakes. Do you press in the handbrake top knob first then pull up or you just pull it from bottom and only press in the knob when releasing the handbrake? The second option causes some screeching on metal sound. I use the first option and my husband the alternative which leads me to think that one of us applies them wrongly resulting in them snapping constantly.