The performance arm of Fiat is the only mass-market manufacturer to offer manual handbrakes on all models across its range, though that only consists of souped-up versions of the previous-generation 500 superminis.Įven Dacia, which is famed for its budget-friendly motors, has started One brand that won’t be forced to implement such recalls is Abarth. In the same year, Tesla also issued a voluntary recall of 53,000 Model S and Model X vehicles worldwide due to a parking brake fault – while Audi, Renault and Toyota have all also had to recall models for similar issues with electronic parking systems in the past. This affected the hugely popular Golf hatchback, Touran MPV, Tiguan SUV and Passat family saloon and estate. In 2017, Volkswagen was forced to recall 766,000 cars globally, of which 134,000 were UK models, due to a recurring problem with electronic parking brakes. And electronic parking brake issues are not what you would call rare. The priciest electronic parking brake repair cost on MotorEasy records is a £2,005 bill to fix the system in a 10-year-old Range Rover. Meanwhile, the bill to put right a faulty manual handbrake rings in at an average of £149. The average repair cost for a faulty electronic parking brake is £831, according to used car warranty provider MotorEasy with its claims data going back five years. But while push-button alternatives might be more convenient and take up less cabin space, they tend to be more expensive to fix if they go wrong.Ī Renault 5 that sold for over £100,000? Why the hot hatch is hot property 14 January, 2022 This budget-busting new, versatile seven-seater Dacia trounces competition on price 07 January, 2022 Why I’d choose the Kia EV6 over Jaguar’s I-Pace 10 December, 2021 Other big brands are on the verge of joining them, with less than a handful of models offered with a handbrake.įor instance, only one per cent of new Audis has the option of a manual handbrake – the Audi A1 Sportback – while just six per cent of Peugeot’s range offers the traditional brake. Household names including Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz now no longer sell a single passenger car in the UK with a handbrake, with every car in the brochure having an electronic version. Some manufacturers, meanwhile, have already pulled the brake on the manual handbrake across their entire model line-up.
For some popular models, the switch has been made recently.Ĭars including the BMW 4 Series, Seat Leon and Vauxhall Corsa – which is set to become Britain’s most-bought new car of 2021 – have all dropped traditional handbrakes over the past year, the report confirms. It means just 92 new cars have a pull-lever handbrake. It found that 550 cars now have an electronic alternative to a handbrake as standard. It reviewed a total of 642 new models offered by 38 mainstream brands in the UK.