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Handbrake Failure


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Hi all,

I just wanted to know if anybody out there with the IS220d has had any problems with the handbrake of any kind.

My wife and I parked the car on a 4 degree slope, the vehicle held for about 30 secs to a minute. There was a crunch and a bang and the car started rolling. Unfortunately we were stood behind the car putting my 2 year old into her buggy. I tried to stop the car but could'nt. My little girl was crushed between ours and another car and I badly strained my back and chest. Lexus are admitting no fault, but my wife is physically unable to put the handbrake on tight enough to hold it on the most gentle of slopes. However, some bright spark left internal e-mails and technical information in my car. The info briefly admitted there was a drastic reduction in the efficiency of the handbrake in the first few thousand miles, the amount of force needed to apply the handbrake was very excessive, that clients would have to visit their dealer to have the handbrake reset between services and that there has been a production modification in the factory. Are Lexus putting our lives at risk for the cost of a recall?

What do you think?

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Wow, that's harsh, first time I've really heard of that on here but I know that both of the cars I've ever had serviced by Lexus they've had to readjust the handbrake cable every time I take it in as it's become slack, but sounds like something is up here for that to have happened on such a small slope!

I take it that you are all actually ok now - at least I hope so anyway?

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Hi Aido,

thanks for the concern, my little girl is fine but my back is goosed.

I have found 6 previous comments relating to this in a forum about poor MPG on the IS220d. Cant find them anymore, any ideas as I am new on here and clueless with computers?

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Glad your daughter is ok, shame about your back though, I'd be having serious words with them as what's to say this couldn't happen to someone else with fatal consequences - really scary stuff indeed!

I've just sent you a PM with a couple of links in there, there have been a few comments on issues with the handbrake on the manual IS250's and IS220's on here, I'd never seen them before as don't really read about that but looks like it is an issue that has been reported to Lexus GB on many occasions.

As for the poor MPG, basically it's an injector replacement, I'll dig that out for you :)

Welcome to LOC btw, shame it's in such circumstances you had to find us!

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Hope your back gets better soon...

My handbrake hasn't failed but from the day I got the car (brand new in February) there was a lot of slack before the handbrake started to bite.

I put this down to being disc brakes all around and all my previous cars having drums at the back.

My drive is pretty steep and you really have to pull the handbrake till it is nearly at the top of its travel and even then I have to leave it in gear.

On a morning I have to keep the footbrake depressed when I start the car - just leaving it on the handbrake would mean I'd be halfway down the drive before it even started.

Whilst I have every sympathy for the OP, as good practice, I have always left cars in gear when parked. To prove it's a good idea, some friends who were staying at our house left their car in neutral and his car rolled down the drive only to be stopped when it hit mine (fortunately only rolled about a foot before mine blocked theirs) - otherwise it would have rolled into the road.

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How do you find applying the handbrake? Is yours easy or difficult to pull up? Mine is a definite strain to get four clicks but that does'nt hold it on an average slope. I dont think it helps that the handbrake is on the left hand side on the centre console (trying to lift it with your arm extended). I wonder if it is on the right handside on left hand drive vehicles?

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Glad your daughter is ok mate, sorry about your back.

I cannot believe :tsktsk: they didn't insist on putting it on a ramp to

adjust the slack, or maybe doing so admits some kind of liability ?

Call one of the ambulance chasing solicitors lot and sue em :angry:

1.Suggest complaining to Lexus GB with a solicitors letter

2.If you are a member of the RAC etc contact thier legal advice dept

3.Call the BBC Watchdog program

It's terrible that this has happened and the seeming lack of action from Lexus

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  • 2 weeks later...

My handbrake is also not very effective, it has already been adjusted to the maximum but it still rolls back on my driveway which is quite steep. It has been booked in already to get a new caliper fitted but the parts had not came so a new date was arranged and it was picked up this morning and was supposed to be returned tonight but they did not finish as they had other jobs to do aswell.

Don't see why they can't just fit this improved handbrake in the first place especially when it is a safety concern :iraqi-info-minister:

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  • 1 month later...

Did you get any further with this? Mine had the Handbrake adjusted over 12 months ago (during a routine rattle visit), and though it is difficult, it does hold the car quite well.

My Dad has always told me that manual cars should always be left in 1st gear (or reverse), he is someone who has had too many mk3 Cortina's !! It also stops people snipping the handbrake cable and wheeling your car away!!

Hope you weren't too badly hurt mate.

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Have seen this happen in the past when people have not pulled it up far enough and the pads have cooled and shrunk enough to disingauge hand brake .but this was on older cars and cant see this being the cause on a new car as most have seperate pads for handbrake now ?. .

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Not sorted yet, the solicitor is on the case. I think the next step is an independent engineers report to test the force needed to apply the handbrake. Lexus tested it and said it is fine but do I trust them? :whistling: I think you know the answer to that one. The solicitor says it is a strong case so will see what happens and update. In the mean time I shall keep taking the painkillers and anti inflammatories for my back, visiting the hospital for xrays and MRI scans and hope I can get a decent nights sleep free from pain at some point in the future. Never mind, chin(s) up.

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  • 5 months later...
Not sorted yet, the solicitor is on the case. I think the next step is an independent engineers report to test the force needed to apply the handbrake. Lexus tested it and said it is fine but do I trust them? :whistling: I think you know the answer to that one. The solicitor says it is a strong case so will see what happens and update. In the mean time I shall keep taking the painkillers and anti inflammatories for my back, visiting the hospital for xrays and MRI scans and hope I can get a decent nights sleep free from pain at some point in the future. Never mind, chin(s) up.

Sorry to hear of your injuries, my 220is hand-brake is poor to say the least, I was warned by the salesman when I bought the car that the hand-brake was poor, he knew where I lived, my drive is quite steep, I have no chance of holding it on the hand-brake alone, I leave it in gear when I park up, apart from that I cannot fault the car, nice to drive and all the buttons&bells a man could wish for.

I will keep an eye out to see how you get on with Lexus, good luck!!!

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  • 1 month later...

I've had my handbrake adjusted several times and written to Lexus about it - who know there is a fault and were waiting for a "modification to become available".

I have also now had the entire assembly replaced including shoes, cables etc.

Brian.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Brian,

Dont know if you have read the other post on the brakes topic. Apparently there is now a recall. A llittle delayed in my opinion when they knew about the fault in at least Dec 2006. I never even received a recall letter, did you?

Is your handbrake working fine now?

Gav.

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  • 2 years later...

Not sorted yet, the solicitor is on the case. I think the next step is an independent engineers report to test the force needed to apply the handbrake. Lexus tested it and said it is fine but do I trust them? :whistling: I think you know the answer to that one. The solicitor says it is a strong case so will see what happens and update. In the mean time I shall keep taking the painkillers and anti inflammatories for my back, visiting the hospital for xrays and MRI scans and hope I can get a decent nights sleep free from pain at some point in the future. Never mind, chin(s) up.

Hi,I was reading your note and found how lucky we have been that no one got hurt. It happened exactly as you said but with more damage!to our neighbours house. Would you let me know if you could have succeeded with taking your case further with Lexus? Our car's hand break was known problem to us as we did raise the problem almost on every single service which we took the car for!

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Anoush

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