Auris Handbrake Fault

[robbie72]

bought my wife a new auris 8 weeks ago, the brakes are dreadful, very noisy and sound like the pads have worn as we get a metal to metal grating sound, one minute its super sharp to stop then the next your pushing your foot through the floor trying to get it to stop at all, when the handbrake is fully on i can push the car along with little effort.

my wife visited a friend the other day and parked the car, 20 minutes later when leaving the car was at the end of the street in a wall with handbrake fully on, called toyota and they implied that my wife is too short and weak to drive the car properly, she needs to put her seat fully back when parking and use both hands to raise the handbrake lever.

NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE IN MY BOOK

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Robbie - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

You need to take it back to the dealership, politely explain to the Service Manager and show them what is wrong. If need be, take a Technician out with you on a short drive, or get a Technician to drive it.

This topic really relates to the first generation Auris (pre-facelift) which had a different design of handbrake lever, which could be difficult to use. Toyota fitted a more conventional design to the post facelift models.

[robbie72]

It's been back to the dealers many times, the device manager told my wife she's too short and weak to operate the hand brake, total ***** takers, brand new car which isn't road safe

[FROSTYBALLS]

OK - all that you said in your first post was that you had 'called Toyota'. No mention of it being back to the dealers many times. Perhaps a more accurate post would help.

[bruce e]

It's been back to the dealers many times, the device manager told my wife she's too short and weak to operate the hand brake, total ***** takers, brand new car which isn't road safe

T are not shy in initiating recalls and I am not aware of a recall regarding the handbrake, so......

Over the years I have dealt with a number of T dealerships, all I can say is you seem to be very unlucky with yours

[FROSTYBALLS]

Presumably both you and your wife test drove the Auris - didn't you notice the issue with the handbrake then?

[robbie72]

Frosty I never test drove the heap of crap, my wife did and had no issue using the handbrake, or has she since her car arrived, it's the dealer manager who said she isn't talk enough or strong enough to operate it and she is to blame for it rolling into a wall. Is there a height chart at every dealers or a strength tester before you buy one. The brakes are awful, I ignored her at first when she complained to me about them and told her to call toyota which she did and they checked it out more than a few times, I eventually drove it after she nagged me so bad and I couldn't believe how bad the brakes are, the start stop mechanism doesn't work at all and the dealers now want toyota specialist to check it out, 8 weeks old and my wife won't drive it as it's a death trap, do we wait until she can't stop and has a crash injuring my wife and young children before toyota listen never mind other road users or pedestrians, sounds like you all love toyota so much you need to defend them, kind of sad to be honest when they don't give a **** about anyone other than their fat profits selling unsafe pieces of crap.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Firstly, you need to calm your posts down, as being derogatory to members isn't going to get you anywhere at all.

Secondly, as regards the car rolling into a wall - did she not leave the car in gear when she parked as one is supposed to do. Leaving a car in gear when parking, prevents the car rolling away if the handbrake isn't on sufficiently (see extract from the Highway code - para 252 https://www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/parking-at-night-248-to-252 ).

Thirdly, after the handbrake is applied, when the brake pads and discs cool and move apart, the holding effect of the handbrake lessens - which is why one should always leave the car in gear when parked. This can happen with any car.

Fourthly, if you read the stop/start section of the owners manual, you will find that the stop/start operation is subject to certain conditions. These include: the ambient temperature being above 4 degrees centigrade; the Battery being fully charged; the car not being under a heavy electrical load (for example having the air conditioning on, or having the heater, heated rear window, fans and audio on together).

[robbie72]

Your obviously a toyota nut frosty, we have had many makes and models of cars and never had to leave a car in gear in any of them, I'm over 6ft and can apply the handbrake with some force yet I can exit the car and push it quite easily without any effort at all, stop start hasn't ever worked in any temperature and my wife drove 1/2 a mile before she parked why would the brakes be so hot and need cooling, you sound like toyota everything is everyone else's fault other than toyota and their pathetic vehicle, if there is an issue with the hand brake not being good enough to hold a car when parked then why don't you and toyota inform everyone before they buy one, for a manager at a dealers to happily take thousands off us for the heap, then to tell my wife she isn't tall or strong enough to drive it afterwards maybe you can see why I'm a tad angry. Toyota have the worst in my opinion after sales service I've ever came across, how dare they claim my wife's not suitable to use their car yet happy to sell her the vehicle. I'm obviously talking to the wrong people as everyone here thinks toyotas are the mutts nuts and never have any problems ever, worst car worst after sales worst experience ever in 25yrs of buying and driving cars

[FROSTYBALLS]

The statement that you've never had to leave a car in gear when parked doesn't excuse the fact that not to leave a car in gear when parked is poor practice.

With any journey, brake discs and pads heat up. The issue where the handbrake effect lessens when the handbrake is applied and the brake discs/pads cool again happens with any journey. The degree of heating and cooling of the brake components and any lessening of the braking effect afforded by the handbrake obviously varies from journey to journey.

The fact that your wife may have difficulty applying the handbrake may just compound things.

If you want to rant at Toyota about their aftersales service, there is little point doing so on this forum as the forum isn't monitored by Toyota. I suggest you contact Toyota directly.