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2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - ddudgeon
Hi,

I have a 56 plate VW Passat, with the electronic handbrake (solenoid). I had parked at a petrol pump and went inside the shop. About 4 or 5 minutes later the car came crashing into the front of the petrol station, causing considerable damage. We were inside the shop for a number of minutes and someone saw the car start to roll. It would appear that due to the time delay the handbrake failed and the car rolled. The garage have the incident on CCTV and obviously its an insurance claim for me!

Has anyone heard of a similar problem?

Dave

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 21/09/2008 at 00:33

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - sarah h
Hi Dave,

I think a similar thing has just happened to me - I parked my VW Passat 2.0 Sport Estate 57 in our open fronted garage today - only to get to the front door to see it heading very fast down our drive way and crashing into the hedge.I have phoned the local dealer who say that they have never heard of this problem!! but have admitted there may be a problem with the electronic handbrake sticking on.I've booked it into the garage for them to look at this Friday.Needless to say it now has quite a few nice scratches down it which I'm reluctant to pay for if there is a known problem.
Have you heard from anybody else??

Look forward to hearing from you.

Sarah H
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - daveyjp
Usual advice, whatever the handbrake type leave the car in gear too. Electronic handbrake problems on Passats and A6s are not uncommon. The system was redesigned on the A6 as the first system didn't work properly.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - jc2
Handbrake cable could break on a conventional h/brake-cars with rear discs seem to be prone to moving off downhill particularly if brake is put on with discs hot.As above-always leave in gear.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Mode
Guys

We have had the same thing happen to us and have taken it a bit further than just the dealer.

Can I please please please ask everyone who has had this failure to e-mail me!. I will need you to fill in a form and send it to the vehicle safety department. I have a form in Word that I can send you.

VW should not be able to hide behind the small print in the manual when this could kill someone!!!! Leaving a car in gear is NOT a law, leaving the handbrake on is.

Please e-mail me on ambrose_keith@hotmail.com and we can then chat.

Lets not let them get away with it!

Mode
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - jc2
Leaving in gear is NOT a law,just sensible!!
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - injection doc
May be JC2 but what a poor design. Overcomplicated & no advantage over the old design. Loads of inherent problems with electrical ones even down to just going in deep water. Slip way's for boat owners kill the electrical handbrake. Handbrake cables have been around for years & given little cause for concern even with vauxhalls recalls on vectra's.
My fathers Vauxhall Meriva is a classic poor design with an Auto box that has no Park!. If you want it in gear when parked you have to switch the engine off whilst still in Drive! how bad is that.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - gordonbennet
If you want it in gear when parked you have to switch the
engine off whilst still in Drive! how bad is that.


C4 picasso's seem to be the same, almost impossible to leave them in gear, why anyone would want these silly electric handbrakes beats me, i would not buy a car with one...ever.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Simon
Am I right or wrong in thinking that if you parked your car up on a driving test and left it in gear that it would be frowned upon - either resulting in a minor mark or a fail?
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - bhoy wonder
Mode,

It may be worth posting your issues here as well.

www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Mode
Thanks Bhoy Wonder - I have done just that!

Am going to send all this info to Watchdog as well! Ooh I might be on telly!

Mode
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - theunitofg
Hi have had a passat hiline as a company car since may and it has been nothing but problems.noisy belts and fuel pump powersteering not working intermitantly, poor brakes, and after a van reversed in to the side of it at two weeks old it took a vw dealer 4 attempts and 10 weeks to put it right, and it still has bits falling off from the repair.(you know who you are wayside) now to top it off in the last week it has run away on it's own with the handbrake on, first time i stoped on a slop next to the bin at work and went to clear out my boot of rubbish, and the car rolled passed me and caught the door frame on the bin,i then had to chase it and get inside to press the brake pedel to stop the car as the hand brake was already on!! the second incident happened two days on my way home from work, sitting in traffic on a slip road with the hand brake on the car rolled forward and in to the back of a lorry in front of me, after reading the entries on this site i will be contacting vw first thing in the morning and lodging my comlaint, for what it,s worth?????. p.s had this happen to me a few years ago with a fiat punto and fiat took full responsability and paid the claim with no questions asked, come on vw pull your finger out!!
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - smalldog
My Niece
Left her car on a small incline in a car park and it rolled back and hit another car, the owner of the car was quite upset but will testify that when he tested the hand brake it was fully engaged...if my niece had one of her babies about to put them in the push chair then it would have been more serious than a bump on a car...
Regards
Peter
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - quizman
Tell your niece to leave the car in gear when parked.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - bow
i have recently had the same problem, I parked the car about 10 mins later it had rolled accross a car park and ran into the back of another parked car. I have noticed in the past that the brake had not deployed but I was able to apply it manualy by pressing the switch. On another note 1 week ago before the brake problem, after parking the car up one rainy night I came back to in the morning to find both driver and passenger windows fully open and I know they were shut the night before because it was pouring down down, a typical British summer!!!! so I had a wet backside for most of the day.

{please take a moment to read the no swearing policy}

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/08/2009 at 00:31

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Mode
Sarah H - please get in touch with me - we need as many people to raise this potentially fatal defect! We are looking for VW to repair all the damage and then give us market value for the car. My wife does not want this car back!

Mode
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - freud1
well what can I say, glad to be alive, got a VW passat 2.0 tdi from Avis rentals , stopped for a sandwich , the car was parked on a sloping road , at about 6pm in London . remember pushing the P switch, the next thing I know the car started moving down the slope , I ran behind the car, there was a busy motorway in front which I wasnt aware of. it was barely a millisecond that I managed to get into the car that it got hit by another car. suffered a whiplash none of the airbags deployed.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Mark S
As per my post ref heated seat fire: Take the car to a VW main dealer. Ask the dealer to complete a fire & accident report with you. They are obliged to do this by VW even on a vehicle that is out of warranty.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - brs
Hi,

We have just had the same thing happen with our 55 plate 1.9 Passat. It was parked on our drive, and the next thing we knew was our neighbour across the road knocking on the door to tell us that the car had rolled out of our drive, across a busy road, and had only been stopped from running in to his house by a street sign, which has caused considerable damage to the car. Thankfully it didn't hit any other cars or any people. The handbrake was set, as our drive has a slight slope and you would know as soon as you started to get out of the car, that the handbrake wasn't set. Our insurers have said they will pay, but we will lose our NCB. Any ideas as to who at VW we should contact ?

Thanks
brs
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - cheddar
I suggest e-mailing Mode, (e-mail address above), it looks like he is compiling a case on this issue.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - daveyjp
Watchdog like handbrake failure stories - Vauxhall were their victims last series. Worth an e-mail from Mode to them if a list of those affected is being compiled.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - 659FBE
It rather looks as though VAG are beginning to get cold feet about this stupid device.

I notice the new Skoda Superb (built on same floorpan) has a conventional mechanical handbrake. They might just sell me one in the future - as long as the bean counter division has been kept locked up.

659.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Nigel D
Dave

I am an englishman living in North County Wicklow in ROI just south of Dublin, on Monday morning of last week (23/2/09) my 08 Highline Passat rolled down my drive, the engine was not on the doors had been opened whereby I left my briefcase door was then closed and I went down my drive to open the gate.

In horror I looked behind me and saw the car rolling down the drive the result was 36 hrs in A & E!!!

Suspected fractured skull, concussion excessive bleeding, and fractured wrist luckily my wife is a nurse and attended to me as she found me at 0700 staggering the ?other? side of our 3 ft gate!!!

12 Stitches and cast on my wrist and excessive bruising with at least 3 weeks off work.

The key question: as the car had not been used since being parked there from work on the Friday night why did it roll on the Monday morning?

Clearly I am lucky to be alive if not permantly crippled. Any advice on where and how I can seek recourse
SQ

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 01/03/2009 at 12:01

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Woodspeed
Very sorry to hear of your plight. I think your first port of call would be VW just stating the facts rather than opinion and see what their reply is. Obviously worth taking much further.
It appears there are problems to these electric mechanisms, but to be realistic there have been probs with other actuator mechanisms over the years too. I had a 86 Scirocco and in 2006 a cable snapped when I pulled on the handbrake. Later investigation revealved the crimped rivet at the end had broken off the cable. The other side was being held with just 3 strands of cable. A Corrado with rear discs had a habit of slipping after a high speed run when the pads and discs contracted while cooling, and caused the car to roll (mercifully no harm done). When I first learned to drive in the 60s I was constantly nagged to always press the button while applying the handbrake (but not according to Vauxhall or Honda now) AND leave it in gear. Certainly I now ALWAYS leave the car in gear or P if an auto................ just in case!
My examples happen to be VW, but could equally apply to any car or handbrake mechanism.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - foss
just purchased passat 56 reg 1 month ago electronic handbrake fine when working but have been having trouble with it sticking on, parking brake error. Phoned VW AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN TO GARAGE (still in warranty) may be the solenoid or in need of a software upgrade as apparently a number of cars of this year have been having the same trouble. Would have thought VW WOULD CONTACT IF CARS ARE IN NEED OF VITAL UPGRADES.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Charlie I
I've got a 07 passat estate - got back from work last night parked on the drive - all ok - tried to go out again later, car won't budge, handbrake stuck on - 2 flashing lights and a use handbook message. checked brake fluid as suggested, ok - how on earth do you get the darn thing off ?. I live aboout 15 miles from my VW dealer so no doubt this is going to cost a fortune for them to come out if I can't release it and get the vehicle to them. Should've stuck with my 04 model - more room in the back for the dogs, electric rear windows for easy ventilation when the dogs have 'shared' something and a good old fashioned manual handbrake.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Dynamic Dave
how on earth do you get the darn thing off ?.


Is there nothing in the handbook about manually overriding it, eg, removing a cover and pulling / pushing on a lever?
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - papaclio
Called out the emergency services as I also had a jambed Electronic handbrake.


First of all he says it can happen if you " upset the brake "

By activating the Electronic brake when still moving

Anyway he cleared the problem by disconnecting one of the battery leads and touching the lead end on the battery three times each time you could hear the solenoid clicking

When he reconnected the battery all was well

Hope this helps for those with brake jambed on

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - irishbatman
Hi I have a 2006 1.9d passat and

I had a similar problem to your this evening, except my handbrake is not jammed on I can drive. However the handbrake warning light is flashing and audio alert (v b***** annoying) keeps beeping. Even now parked in the garage for an hour the warning lights are going. I'm going to try you emergency services tact and discovery battery in the morning ... Hears hoping!
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - freeto

Same Here! 06 1.9 TDi and the electronic brake was jammed open and beeping like mad. Just got it fixed from a local garage and they stated this is a common problem with this model Passat. If so, surely they should not be deploying electronic handbrakes in future models?! I had my doubts about this 'feature' and only went thru with the purchase due to the extremely good price on the car. No more electronic brakes for me! I have heard of planned obsolescence, but this is ridiculous!

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - Math
Dave I have a very similar problem to you in that very recently my 55VW Passat was parked on a hill with automatc handbrake on and after 15 minutes it rolled down the hill smashing into a bus shelter causing damage to the shelter and my car. How did you get on with both the main dealer and manufacturer? Did any modication have to be done? Mike.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - marty1979
It appears that "VW" could translate "VERY WORRYING" in the light of this serious defect.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - davecuk
I really wish manufacturers would design a mechanical transmission lock in addition to the normal brake pads on Handbrakes for all cars. This mechanical lock could easily be designed to only engage when the car is completely stationary (allowing people to still do handbrake turns and the like when the car is moving etc..).

Handbrakes coming off for whatever reason has been a problem on so many cars for years and years. Unfortunately it won't get fixed until it costs them more to not fix it than to fix it....best of luck.
2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - cdc280

I currently own a 03 Passat 1.8T sport and wanted to update to the latest model but have been put off by the electronic handbrake, ref all the issues raised here too!

My question is why? - the electronic handbrake appears to be the answer to a question nobody asked. Can you ever recall anyone saying 'damn this handbrake thing, why can't someone make it automatic?', I certainly can't! I know several people who feel the same and will not be buying the new Passat. Dealers treat you like a flat earther if you express and doubts about said device..... then that Skoda have not adopted it says a lot too!

I've tried desperately to convince myself it is a good idea as I love the look of the new car but so fundamental is the handbrake to a manual car I cannot and do not wish to adapt. Sorry VW, my business is sadly going to go elsewhere for the first time in 10 years (3 passat sports)

Please get rid of this unecessary and impractical device - give us a handbrake again!

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - unthrottled

It came about because of consumers' (pointless) lust for disc brakes on the rear wheels. Disc brakes and mechanical handbrakes are a tricky (pricey!) combination.

With drums, the electronic handbrake serves no purpose and is never utilised.

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - gordonbennet

It came about because of consumers' (pointless) lust for disc brakes on the rear wheels. Disc brakes and mechanical handbrakes are a tricky (pricey!) combination.

Easily sorted though, as MB and BMW (not sure about Lexus) do, the rear disc brakes have small drum brakes inside purely for the handbrake

They prove very reliable and (including linings) usually last the life of the car unless an alleged driver tries handbrake turns too often, replacement discs are no more expensive than ordinary rear discs, quick sand down or wire brushing of the handbrake shoe friction surface when you change the discs, grease up the mechanism, job done.

I too will be avoiding this automatic/electric fad for as long as possible.

As for pricey, yes they will certainly be pricey for the car owner when the system fails...kerching.

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - madf

My view of people who park on hills and don't leave the car in gear is (censored).. It matters not whether the handbrake is electronic or manual.. Rear brakes do fail...

But then I was taught properly..:-)

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - lame_excuse

Think I was taught "properly" too. Handbrake on, car in first gear and wheels pointed towards the kerb (facing downhill) or car in reverse gear and wheels pointed way from the kerb (facing uphill). In those days (!) cars weren't so reliable and you knew you had to allow for possible mechanical failure. Incidentally, it is not only BMW and MB that have drum parking brakes bulit into the rear discs, Volvo have had this feature for as long as I can remember. Only problem is with automatics and drivers who never use the handbrake, only the P position on the gearbox. If you get one driven by one of these then the cables and mechanism may well be seized.

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - handson

with a firm view of not upgrading from b5 to b6 passat because of issue with electric handbrake etc, would there be an option for retrofitting a manual handbrake? If there was an aftermarket kit available, containing replacement calipers, handbrake lever, cable and mounting bracket, then garages could easily replace and test the new manual handbrake. Would this be feasible at all?

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - gordonbennet

Handson, i doubt calipers would be needed but seeing as i haven't and never will own a car with an electric handbrake i can't be certain, but suspect the electric pulley is under the floor and pulls the probably normal cables in the usual way...i sincerely hope there are not two individual motors, one attached to each caliper.

If there is room between the front seats then i see no reason, other than contravening some EU wide C&U regs, and this is where i think it will all come to a grinding halt, why a properly designed handbrake could not be retro fitted...possibly need the floor reinforcing to take the lever assembly, so fitting could be very complicated...read expensive, plus the car would need reprogramming to take out the handbrake.

I think cost would be prohibitive too, apart from legal implications.

Car buyers as with the no spare wheel scam have the answer to this...dont buy the junk, if owners of used cars with electric handbrakes found themselves saddled with unsaleable cars they'd soon stop buying them new....new car buyers/users in most cases arn't concerned with long term reliability due to warranty, so the cure for this rubbish lies with the used buyer.

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - TeeCee

...i sincerely hope there are not two individual motors, one attached to each caliper.

ISTR from other explanations on this subject that that is exactly how it works. Being built into each caliper there are no cables or other moving parts to fit and connect, making the system cheaper in manufacture than the conventional arrangement.

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - gordonbennet

ISTR from other explanations on this subject that that is exactly how it works. Being built into each caliper there are no cables or other moving parts to fit and connect, making the system cheaper in manufacture than the conventional arrangement.

That doesn't sound promising, scratch my previous post....rarely delivered VW group, different depot handled those so never got to poke nose too closely.

Citroen C4 Pic must be completely different system, when i've had handbrakes jam on when delivering new !!!!, there is to be found an item resembling an IUD in the toolkit whose purpose is to be fed through a rubber grommit in the NS footwell and engaging with a drive, then by turning eventually something snaps undeneath, presumably the cable or cable end, this releases the parking brake, its now broke mind and requires workshop repair..;)...i assume therefore that the Citroen has a forward mounted motor and cables.

2006 1.9 electronic handbrake failure - accident - handson

Having had a look at b6 passat I tested the electronic handbrake and decided not to go for it . Not worth the effort. But it can be helped by replacing the unwanted feature with b5 calipers and cable&handbake mechanism. There should be mounting bracket under centre console, at least , in theory if chasis is based on b5. If not it can be manufactured to fit where it should go in b5 model. Just an idea with potential to help existing and would be buyers of passat b6. Best outcome would be to have them all recalled and retrofitted with mechanical handbrake free of charge.