It seems that if you suffer a handbrake failure on a new vehicle you are left to hang out to dry. There is obviously a problem with modern handbrakes. On my vehicle if I start the engine with first gear engaged the car will move away against the handbrake. This is why I did not leave the vehicle in gear ( I leave my new vehicle parked close behind my other vehicle on the drive). The interest of my Vauxhall dealer extended only to the offer of their services in repairing the vehicle under an insurance claim. As I have never had an accident or even a speeding fine in forty two years of driving I decided to live with the minor damage sustained.

Hello: On the subject of handbrake failure I have a strange story to tell. I have a new Vauxhall Vectra which was parked on my front drive on a slope. I do not engage first gear because I usually park close behind my other vehicle. A couple of weeks ago my neighbour knocked on my door in panic to tell me that my car had rolled backwards, crossed the road and hit a neighbour's garage and then come to rest with its front wheels in the gutter outside her house. This was a full hour after I had parked the car. On checking the still locked vehicle I saw that the handbrake was in the off position. Luckily no serious damage was caused to either car or house. I do not expect you to believe this story as I would not believe it if it had not happened to me. Nevertheless it is true.