9th Jul 2007, 17:54

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?)

10th Jul 2007, 13:28

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.

11th Jul 2007, 07:17

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.

15th Jul 2007, 12:35

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.

18th Jul 2007, 04:05

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.

21st Jul 2007, 04:47

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.

22nd Jul 2007, 05:27

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.

22nd Jul 2007, 13:15

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?

29th Jul 2007, 14:49

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.