You all need to report this issue to Skoda UK.

 

It would take two minutes using this online form...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us

 

Skoda always, and I mean always roll out the normal "we've never heard of this before" drivel.

 

If the 10 or so owners from this thread all fill in the form then Skoda will have to respond.

Just found this thread after suffering some of the discussed symptoms.  

 

My first encounter was after parking up on a gentle slope on a busy main street (with handbrake engaged), after walking away from my car I looked back to see it rolling down the street towards another stationary vehicle.  Had to give chase, unlock and enter while moving and pull the handbrake back on, unfortunately a second late as I collided into the other vehicle with two children on board.  Fortunately no injuries or damage, but could have been disasterous had a pedestrian been standing in the way.  This really knocked me, believing I'd failed to put the handbrake on, doubting myself and not to mention utterly embarrassed.  Then a couple of weeks later, just after parking up and about to leave the car, heard a loud 'clunk' to find the handbrake had disengaged, slipping off the ratchet.  Not impressed.  Unfortunately, I'm unable to recreate this, so I'm stuck with a handbrake I cannot rely on and no real way of proving it has issues.  Glad to find the thread - hope everyone affected is reporting here and to Skoda.

 

For background - I'm in a 2013 vRS estate and on both occasions, only short journeys beforehand, so not related to hot disks.

Although I have some slight sympathy with the owners of roll away cars, I really can't believe that people do not engage first or reverse gear when they leave their car. I always do this & was taught 22yrs ago to do this as any handbrake can release for any reason!

 

Car in gear or in "P" is the only way to make sure it ain't rolling...always has been this way & will continue to be so. If you don't know that & don't do as per the manual then your own fault & any car manufacturer will not be held liable.

 

By the way, I still put my car in gear even with the EPB as these can slip due to cooling.

I've been thinking about this since it happened to me. I think the issue is that the ratchet doesn't start right away and the cable is quite taught. So if you don't put the handbrake on quite hard, it doesn't engage the ratchet (or not properly at least) and can pop off again. For this reason I try to remember to always leave it in gear, but it isn't an automatic reflex yet.

Leaving in gear also a habit here too, has been for 27 years of driving. Can be a shock to someone not used to it 

 

Had an E-class merc on hire once and came out of tesco to find a car jus stopped 4 inches from back bumper after their handbrake had failed  :peek:

Never had the handbrake release when parked but then again I would usually leave it in gear too, except at home where my drive is flat and I leave the handbrake off entirely but car in first gear.

 

Only thing with mine and I think I've mentioned it before on one of these threads, is that the handbrake does not hold at all well on steep hills, even when you push the button in and pull it up as far as it will go, the handbrake ends up full up hitting off the arm rest with the handbrake making a lot of grumbling sounds and occasionally rolling back a little. It has been tightened several times but the cable does seem to stretch a bit too easily. Has been reported to the garage several times but they seem to think it is fine, unfortunately the garage is not all that handy for me as I am rarely ever in Glasgow. All in all not a very good handbrake!

the handbrake ends up full up hitting off the arm rest

 

My handbrake clashes with the armrest when the armrest is pushed forward but not elevated. What happens with the armrest moved out of the way?

The armrest on my car just slides back and forwards all the time to be honest, it is usually sitting nearer the handbrake as that is where my elbow tends to push it if I lean on it, which means that when you use the handbrake it will often hit off of the edge of the armrest. A bit of a strange design to be honest, I'd much rather be able to lock it in position further back a bit. There is a small permanent dent in the top section of the handbrake just from hitting off of the armrest.

But can you get the brake on better if you slide it back? I'm asking whether the armrest is limiting the action and whether the poor hill performance can be improved by pulling up more on the handle once the physical obstruction (the armrest) is removed?

I think there a few causes and have to admit I have seen two myself.

 

First one is definitely cooling brakes. As they cooled it was just enough to let the car slowly roll. Often the friction of the roll will heat it enough to stop it again. Quite spooky when you see it has just moved a couple of yards and stopped

 

The second was pulling the pawl off the side of the ratchet. This goes with a bit of a bang and the handbrake is completely off. This was on a Volvo but the Skoda is similar in as much as the Handbrake is on the wrong side for a RHD car. On a LHD you pull the handbrake up more. On a RHD you pull the handbrake more across because they generally do not change the handbrake side when making a RHD model

 

This was very pronounced on the Volvo V50 where the handbrake was on the outside of the tunnel on the passenger side. Ironically the more you pulled to tighten the brake the more it deflected to the side unless you really leaned over the tunnel to pull.

Handbrake position on the Octavia isn't much of an issue IMHO. It's only a couple of inches further over.

Handbrake position on the Octavia isn't much of an issue IMHO. It's only a couple of inches further over.

 

But its only a couple of mm that makes the pawl slip so a couple of inches might be all it takes (sorry to mix units!)

I once had this happen in a car park, fortunately it only rolled gently about 3 inches and neither car was marked.

But I had already noticed how hard it was to get the handbrake even to the first "click".

 

Now I always push the footbrake down hard while pulling the handbrake up - seems to make it firmer.

I suppose it makes it easier for the handbrake to do its work because the pads are already in the full on position.

This happened to me the other week - I applied the handbrake at a set of lights and it released with one hell of a bang. shxxe myself.

Just experienced the handbrake 'failure' while parked on the drive :(

Was facing away from the house on the slightest of declines, opposite our neighbours house so the front of the car rolled into their small shrubs and wall and possibly the garden tap (which is on the front of the house but that's another story). Bumper, lights, both front panels & under tray have been damaged, oh and the bumper scratched in lots of places as hit a brick wall! Wall seems fine.

I have never parked in gear unless on a steep hill. I've had this car for 16 months from new and this is the first time it's happened. Actually it was my partner who used it last but she definitely applied the handbrake, she couldn't have left it without as car would have rolled immediately. What was interesteing is the boot was open (colour maxi dot showed red boot symbol) when I went to recover it.

Here's what I think happened.

My partner got out, having applied the handbrake as she normally does, no idea how many clicks (neither of us hold the button in first) and just let it click at least once. I usually give it 2 or 3, sometimes more if it doesn't feel secure, like when on a proper hill. She got put, went round to take our son out of his car seat, walked round to the boot and opened it, took out some shopping and then closed the boot, without realising it hadnt shut fully. She 'locked' the car and came into the house.

I came down from working upstairs a little later and casually looked outside and saw the car in my neighbours parking space, only rather too close to the wall for my liking and asked, he he, why she'd parked there?! Then suddenly realised oh f***, the handbrake as failed and rushed out.

Sure enough, the car had settled back away from the wall, with a bunch of leaves sticking out of the grill. The handbrake had fully disengaged.

I've since experimented, having read all of the above, and even with just one click of the ratchet, the car won't budge, even with me getting a leg out and helping it along. Tried it forwards and reverse, it won't budge, it doesn't even creak as the incline is so slight.

I wondered if when the boot was dropped, did it help the handbrake to fail somehow? That whack, although it didn't shut fully so may not have been that forceful, but this ties in with someone else above. Possible link? Enough to give the car a shove on its way somehow?

I'll definitely be reporting it to Skoda but boy am I annoyed right now. Undecided whether to leave it as is as everything still works, go through insurance or just get repaired. Had a few stones chips any ways so had bought some touch up paint to fix - gonna need a bit more than that now! ;( Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Edited 1 July, 20169 yr by Ciderspace

Can't believe Skoda still haven't sorted this out

Never thought it would happen to me - in all my years of driving, can't quite believe it.

 

Have gone via my insurance direct as no doubt the owner of the property will want their wall checked out... Got an approved Audi/VW/Skoda garage calling me Monday to discuss next steps.

 

I plan to call Skoda anyway but will it all get investigated via the bodyshop and if there is a fault with the handbrake, how does it get back to Skoda? Obviously Ill be pushing for them to pay my excess etc but I know its not going to happen is it - handbrake has performed fine since.

 

One question - if one is supposed to engage a gear as well as the handbrake when 'parked', what would happen when you stop on a hill, take it out of gear (stop/start does or doesn't function) and apply the handbrake (as we all do everyday) - if it then pings off , rolls back but you aren't quick enough to apply the foot brake/handbrake and you whack the car behind - should you still be expected to have engaged a gear to prevent it? Why is it different for parking?

The issue with the handbrake is possibly that people aren't pulling them on fully. If a few ratchets really are worn, Skoda will excuse any wear as incorrect operation, I.e. not pushing the handbrake button in. Leaving the car in gear should prevent further mishaps.

The issue with the handbrake is possibly that people aren't pulling them on fully. If a few ratchets really are worn, Skoda will excuse any wear as incorrect operation, I.e. not pushing the handbrake button in. Leaving the car in gear should prevent further mishaps.

 

Mine released when the car was only 6 months old so wear was definitely not an issue.

Still a non issue IMO. It's just down to but being applied properly. The handbrake would have to fail repeatedly fur this to be an issue.

Still a non issue IMO. It's just down to but being applied properly. The handbrake would have to fail repeatedly fur this to be an issue.

 

Mine's failed serveral times, luckily all but one when I've been sat in the car.   Not really sure how you can call the handbrake releasing and cars rolling a none issue?? Mine nearly ran over someone the time it crashed.....

Mine's failed serveral times, luckily all but one when I've been sat in the car. Not really sure how you can call the handbrake releasing and cars rolling a none issue?? Mine nearly ran over someone the time it crashed.....

A non Skoda issue. Mine has popped off twice too but that's down to me not paying full attention. For it to be an actual design issue is be expecting it to pop off sever times a week. It doesn't. It's only done it when I've been rushing and I suspect that's the same for most in here if not all. All my opinion of course.

With mine "failing", it had to have been applied properly/sufficiently otherwise as my partner vacated the car it would have run away immediately. She had enough time to walk round the front to the rear passenger dor, remove my son from car, walk to the boot, remove shopping bag or two, close the boot and walk inside... We don't know whether closing the boot helped it on its way at that point. I'll need to try it. So far, just clicking the handbrake on one click allows car to remain in place securely - even with me getting a leg out to push - it won't budge.

With mine "failing", it had to have been applied properly/sufficiently otherwise as my partner vacated the car it would have run away immediately. She had enough time to walk round the front to the rear passenger dor, remove my son from car, walk to the boot, remove shopping bag or two, close the boot and walk inside... We don't know whether closing the boot helped it on its way at that point. I'll need to try it. So far, just clicking the handbrake on one click allows car to remain in place securely - even with me getting a leg out to push - it won't budge.

 

When mine crashed I'd parked it up at work on the carpark which is sloped enough that it would roll immediately without the handbrake, got out, opened the boot, closed the boot and went inside..... 5 minutes later it rolled across the carpark into another parked car, when I got in it the handbrake was all the way down....

Edited 4 July, 20169 yr by Neily03

So that's three of us where the last thing done was shutting the boot - could this be a pattern?