Brakes Faulty Hand Brake on Brand New Civic

padre · 9th June 2006, 00:31

On Thursday 1 June my daughter borrowed my brand new Civic (less than 4000 miles). She set the hand brake on a hill (the young woman in the car remembers her doing it), the car sat 10-15 minutes (there were 3-6 young people who saw this) and then it took off, taking out a mail box and ending in a tree.

She chased the car trying to stop it, fell, and could have been killed.

When a friend backed the car off the tree (my daughter was too rattled to drive) the brake was on so tightly that he had to lift the arm in order to disengage the break.

The dealer and rep refuse to fix it under warranty (est. $3200 and change). The say the renter is on me as is the repair.

I am really frustrated and it is costing me a lot of $$$ to rent a car. I am an Episcopal priest and have to have a car.

Anyone else having problems with their parking brake?

Jay Mills

basegreen · 9th June 2006, 07:24

This is an american Civic, yes?

Raegten · 9th June 2006, 13:06

I remeber years ago hearing of a car which had a faulty handbrake. The problem was that as you drove the car the brakes heated up...then you parjk the car, put the hand brake on, the car sits there, brakes cool down and contract and the car rolls off down the hill.
I'm pretty sure this was on "That's Life" or some other consumer watchdog show. I'd be surprised if after all these years the Civic has the same problem.

Pottsy · 9th June 2006, 13:48

All cars with rear disc brakes have this problem. The discs cool and the brakes slacken off. You can mitigate this partially by setting the parking brake quite hard, so the spring in the cable compensates a bit, but really you should always leave a car with rear discs in gear when you leave it. Reverse is best - it's normally the lowest gear so offers the most braking effect.

basegreen · 9th June 2006, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pottsy

All cars with rear disc brakes have this problem. The discs cool and the brakes slacken off. You can mitigate this partially by setting the parking brake quite hard, so the spring in the cable compensates a bit, but really you should always leave a car with rear discs in gear when you leave it. Reverse is best - it's normally the lowest gear so offers the most braking effect.

See, I only ever drive in the flattest bit of the country, so parking in gear is completely unnecessary. Of course, my mother moves my car on the drive (she lives on a great hill), and parks in gear.

You know what's coming next

*wipes blood from windscreen*

Pottsy · 9th June 2006, 16:12

You only need one "roll away" to learn this lesson.

Luckily mine was only a cheap car. I found it in the morning resting against a wall. In gear ever since!

Honda100 · 9th June 2006, 19:55

This has happened to my Accord on a couple of occasions as my drive is on a slope.
I agree that it is to do with the rear disks contracting after being heated up and then cooling. I always (almost) leave my car in gear otherwise it can be found in the middle of the road having slipped off the drive!
I also have an aversion to putting the handbrake on too tight and stretching the cable which does not help. Maybe I have been driving too long!

lost-again · 9th June 2006, 22:23

I have had the same event happen to me. Parked on a slope and applied the hand brake. Got back in the car 1 hour later and the car rolled away

Agree the best thing is to leave in reverse.

9th June 2006, 00:31	#1 (permalink)
padre Valve Cap Join Date: 9th June 2006 Location: Kingsport, TN Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Faulty Hand Brake on Brand New Civic On Thursday 1 June my daughter borrowed my brand new Civic (less than 4000 miles). She set the hand brake on a hill (the young woman in the car remembers her doing it), the car sat 10-15 minutes (there were 3-6 young people who saw this) and then it took off, taking out a mail box and ending in a tree. She chased the car trying to stop it, fell, and could have been killed. When a friend backed the car off the tree (my daughter was too rattled to drive) the brake was on so tightly that he had to lift the arm in order to disengage the break. The dealer and rep refuse to fix it under warranty (est. $3200 and change). The say the renter is on me as is the repair. I am really frustrated and it is costing me a lot of $$$ to rent a car. I am an Episcopal priest and have to have a car. Anyone else having problems with their parking brake? Jay Mills

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This thread is about: Faulty Hand Brake on Brand New Civic, it's in Wheels, Tyres, Suspension and Brakes at the Honda Civic forum Civinfo; On Thursday 1 June my daughter borrowed my brand new Civic (less than 4000 miles). She set the hand brake on a hill (the young ...

9th June 2006, 07:24	#2 (permalink)
basegreen Super Moderator Civinfo guru Join Date: 15th April 2006 Location: noitacoL Posts: 2,864 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	This is an american Civic, yes?

9th June 2006, 13:06	#3 (permalink)
Raegten Locking Wheelnut Join Date: 4th May 2006 Location: Dublin Posts: 125 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I remeber years ago hearing of a car which had a faulty handbrake. The problem was that as you drove the car the brakes heated up...then you parjk the car, put the hand brake on, the car sits there, brakes cool down and contract and the car rolls off down the hill. I'm pretty sure this was on "That's Life" or some other consumer watchdog show. I'd be surprised if after all these years the Civic has the same problem.

9th June 2006, 13:48	#4 (permalink)
Pottsy Administrator Civinfo guru Join Date: 10th April 2006 Location: Leics Posts: 4,668 Thanks: 3 Thanked 51 Times in 25 Posts	All cars with rear disc brakes have this problem. The discs cool and the brakes slacken off. You can mitigate this partially by setting the parking brake quite hard, so the spring in the cable compensates a bit, but really you should always leave a car with rear discs in gear when you leave it. Reverse is best - it's normally the lowest gear so offers the most braking effect.

9th June 2006, 16:12	#6 (permalink)
Pottsy Administrator Civinfo guru Join Date: 10th April 2006 Location: Leics Posts: 4,668 Thanks: 3 Thanked 51 Times in 25 Posts	You only need one "roll away" to learn this lesson. Luckily mine was only a cheap car. I found it in the morning resting against a wall. In gear ever since!

9th June 2006, 19:55	#7 (permalink)
Honda100 Supporter Triangular Exhaust Join Date: 31st May 2006 Location: Stockport Posts: 236 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This has happened to my Accord on a couple of occasions as my drive is on a slope. I agree that it is to do with the rear disks contracting after being heated up and then cooling. I always (almost) leave my car in gear otherwise it can be found in the middle of the road having slipped off the drive! I also have an aversion to putting the handbrake on too tight and stretching the cable which does not help. Maybe I have been driving too long!

9th June 2006, 22:23	#8 (permalink)
lost-again Valve Cap Join Date: 1st June 2006 Location: Cheshire Posts: 28 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have had the same event happen to me. Parked on a slope and applied the hand brake. Got back in the car 1 hour later and the car rolled away Agree the best thing is to leave in reverse.