Hi all,

My 2007 Octy's handbrake has started to become stiff when releasing it, you physically have to push the lever down to release the handbrake. It feels like your pushing through a damper.

Before I start crawling under the car in the cold (and potentially snow!) over the weekend, has anyone had this happen to them or know what the problem is?

Thanks,

Ian

I think you will find it's probably the rubber bit that slides when you disengage the handbrake. Has it buckled up and is sticking. Exactly the same thing happened to my old 57 plate Elegance just before I changed for the Scout.

Absolutely spot-on, I've just been to have a look at it and the rubber cover has buckled! Thanks for your reply.

Does anyone know if it's easy to replace?

If it's still within warranty, get to thy dealer!

Mine did this and was replaced under warranty on Monday.

Mine was replaced under warranty aswell

Guess what, warranty ran out beginning of October...

Try for a goodwill gesture?

It's worth a go I guess, but the dealer I bought it off went under, the dealer I bought the wife's Fabia off went under and my local dealer stopped selling Skodas too. I'm not sure any old dealer would take it on under good will....

Do not know the specific issue with the rubber but a short term fix might be to spray it with a silicon lubricant spray - very good on rubber

I had exactly the same thing after 38 months - just before car went back to be replaced by new one, so I just left it!

Thanks for the suggestion. Funnily enough I've just brought some silicon lubricant to put on the door seals as they kept freezing me out of the car! I'll give it a go and see what happens.

Same thing with my previous 2007 L&K, The contents of a red bull can went all over the place when my car was rear ended which I think may have contributed, the corrugated rubber slider jammed up. Easily remedied with a few squirts of WD-40.

Usually the warranty is X years or X Km. They clearly state "or" but I found out that if you're under in one of these parameters, you'll get quite a lot of goodwill gestures. I surely got for Audi and Seat few years back. Btw, here in Israel the importer of VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda is the same one and they have the same policies across the range of brands. So what I'm trying to say is, it's worth a try...

So where abouts is this "rubber bit"? Mines doing it too.

It's the bit that slides up and down when you operate the handbrake, it follows the contour of the centre console.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you meant something underneath the car.

By coincidence the other day I noticed the same on my 59 plate vRS. Looked today and yes there is a fold in the robber just below the handbreak lever.

By coincidence the other day I noticed the same on my 59 plate vRS. Looked today and yes there is a fold in the robber just below the handbreak lever.

Exactly the same as mine. Eventually it starts to make a 'clunk' when you release the brake.

Sticky drinks, dust and crap creep in and seem to gorm it all up causing the problems a few peeps are experiencing

If it can't slide sufficiently the pressure from the handbrake mechanism causes the rubber to ruck up below the handle.