'04 Corsa - crap handbrake?

Friend has a 2004 Corsa, on which the handbrake will only just hold the car on a slope. She needs to pull it on so hard that she then needs both hands to release it, even on only a slight slope. She took it back to the dealer who said "the handbrake is bad on these cars" and basically ignored her. Anybody with a Corsa confirm the handbrake is really that poor, or is there a secret "fix" she needs to know about? I have had a look at it, the cable is adjusted properly and it all seems to be moving in the right direction, but it just won't hold! Any advice appreciated.

Reply to
Neil McDonald
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Have the drums off and have a look. You may well find a cylinder(s) leaking and fluid all over the shoes.

Steve

Reply to
shazzbat

Hmm. Poor handbrakes maybe, poorer dealers. Have you tried contacting Vauxhall customer care and another dealer?

Reply to
DervMan

Don't bother!

Youngest step-son has recently bought a new 1.0 Corsa. (Yes, I know, he should have listened.....). He has a number of problems with it, including it shipping water faster than the Titanic when it rains! As his first new car, having had several older ones that were trouble free, he is clearly upset.

The dealer, Inchcape at Reading, seem to be somewhat at the lower end of proficient, both in fixing cars and in customer care.

They have told him that they have replaced the door seal, when clearly they haven't. He was even told that the design was such that they always leak in heavy rain. Countless times he has driven there to leave it for a repair but the promised loaner is not there, or the person he needs to speak to has gone home. They never, ever phone back when they say they will.

I'm old enough to be cynical about these things, but even so I would be angry at the treatment he has had.

In desperation he rang Vauxhall customer care and they were useless! They told him they "couldn't get involved, and to try another dealer". The next nearest dealer, on being told where he had bought it and what the problems are, seem to be "too busy to book it in at the moment"!

He's at the start of his motoring lifetime, and would never, ever buy another Vauxhall.

Oddly enough, he has never mentioned the handbrake as being a problem :-)

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Absolutely *do* bother.

People not bothering to follow complaints up is the reason why some dealers are in such a state.

Then he needs to write to the MD of Vauxhall cars, or involve GM, or Watchdog.

Cars don't leak in heavy rain. Period.

Or he could hand it back? Shouting in front of the salesperson on a busy Saturday morning can do wonders.

Reply to
DervMan

OK. Don't bother in this context means if you are expecting Vauxhall customer care to actually do something.

He has written to the MD of Inchcape, and to Vauxhall customer service outlining his complaints. Letters 2, replies nil, after 3 weeks.

Oh, it doesn't need *heavy* rain; any sort will do!

It wouldn't be so bad if it was just the one problem. It makes more mayo in the cambox than Heinz! It takes 5 miles to get any heat out of the heater. The dealer *insists* the thermostat has been "checked" and is "in spec".

It cuts out at low speed in traffic, particularly from cold. The service receptionist explained they had cured that "by tightening the belt"! When challenged as to what belt could possibly have been tightened, he couldn't say. It still does it.

It should have been supplied with factory-fitted reversing sensors, but was not. Inchcape has retro-fitted them to a standard lower that most amateur electrical jobs I have seen.

There is now a badly done paint repair behind the N/S door, with over spray onto the door. No one noticed this when it was first collected, but the dealer refuses to accept any possibility that they caused it.

The dealer so far has refused to agree to the car being inspected by Vauxhall, but that is what he is trying to arrange at the moment.

I can sense you starting to yawn and glaze over, so I'll stop now.

Indeed. One couple walked out as he was trying to get the service desk people to listen to him.

Now, they show him straight to an office and refuse to speak to him in the show-room.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Ya. I may have come across a bit sharp heh.

That's appalling. I trust the letters said when the recipient should respond?

These may be "model characteristics," although if this is the case, that's poor showing.

There may be little one can do about this in isolation...

There may be little one can do about this in isolation too...

I'm not exactly sure how the dealer can refuse the car to be inspected from Vauxhall or otherwise. It isn't their car. The gentleman in question should go to Vauxhall direct. These dealers need to be named and shamed.

Not in the slightest.

It does sound that the gentleman in question needs to start becoming... noisier. He is the customer after all. Walking into the showroom and announcing that he is returning the bucket of bolts that they sold him, for the seventh time, then whilst he is waiting go over and talk to people with, "don't buy one, this place seem unwilling or unable to sort out my new car issues" can help.

It isn't easy. I hope I never have to do it again. But it does get results.

That written, I've always found that most of the battle is finding a good dealership rather than a good car. If the dealership is "on your side" you can get things sorted.

Reply to
DervMan

That's strange. Any people I know who've complained to Vauxhall directly, have had a response quickly, and the dealers actions have been questioned. Tip - recorded delivery letters, with mumblings about legal action, and unfit for intended use generally help speed things up.

The 1.0 is slow to warm up. I had one as a hire car last month, and it took about 3-4 miles of 'spirited' driving to emit any form of useful heat. One of the major disadvantages of small modern effiecnt petrol engines. As for the mayo, it could be a sign that the car's only used for shortish journeys (made worse by the fact the engine takes that long to warm up).

That should of been sorted. They definately aren't meant to do that.

That's strange. My last encounter with an inchcape dealer involved them not tightening a sump back onto a merc...

If it wasn't noticed when it was first collected, there is not much you can do about it. At work, when we collect/recieve any car, we walk around it and check for any obvious damage. Once you've accepted it, you've not got any comeback.

It's his car. He can have it inspected by whoever he wants.

As for the other dealer, I'd push to get it booked in. I wouldn't even mention when booking it in as to where you bought it from. Just say you want to book it in to get some faults checked under warranty.

moray

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Reply to
Moray Cuthill

He never makes really short trips - 7 or 8 miles minimum normally.

Thanks for the heads-up re the 1.0 slow warm up. I suppose I had thought that such a puny lump would need hard driving to make progress and therefore warm up quicker.

On re-reading how I wrote this I realise it was ambiguous. The damage/bodged repair was not present on the car at delivery. It was done subsequently on one of its trips back.

Reply to
Chris Whelan

I wouldn't of thought 7 or 8 miles would be enough to get the engine fully warmed up, so the mayo may just have to be ignored.

Not much you can do. The problem is proving it was them that done it. Without prove, there's not much you can do. We've had problems with damage done at dealers before, and unless you notice it and go back in immediately, they'll deny that it was anything to do with them.

moray

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Reply to
Moray Cuthill
[snip]

But that *is* a short trip...

Erm.... not really in general terms. The Vauxhall 1.0 is one of the finest modern naturally aspirated engines of its capacity in many respects, mostly it's revvy verve combined with allergy to petrol.

Was it spotted when it was done?

Reply to
DervMan

I would imagine many 1.0 Corsas regularly make shorter ones...

The significant part of that statement is "of its capacity" :-)

No.

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Yes, but a short trip is a short trip is a short trip. Just because somebody else does a shorter trip doesn't mean this one isn't short.

Correct.

This isn't a bad thing, though. Far too many people buy a car with (say)

150 bhp and for 90% of the time drive it as though it's a 60 bhp car.

With the Corsa 1.0 you can buy a 57 bhp car and drive it like a 57 bhp car... :)

Reply to
DervMan

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