Vauxhall issues massive Corsa recall

13 December 2007

Faulty braking system means 355,000 cars need repairs

Vauxhall has initiated a massive 355,000 car recall after a problem with the vehicles braking system was not fixed properly.

Despite an initial recall of last-generation Corsas in March 2006 and a further recall of 250,000 models in August 2007, the brake fault still affects newer models.

Total recall: The Corsa is back in the garage

The problem lies with faulty ABS brake control units that can allow water to get into the unit's harness, which could cause a short circuit and potentially a fire.

ABS problem

Vauxhall needs to recall the cars to modify the brake unit harness.

Affected models include the Corsa C generation 3 and 5-door variants - built between 2004-2006 - and the Combo Van and Tigra models built between 2004-2008.

Vauxhall said it would be writing to affected customers on Friday to initiate the recall and plans on making the repairs in phases in order to allow dealerships to cope with the volume.

In the interim Vauxhall said customers would be able to continue using their vehicles “in the normal manner”.

The Vauxhall Corsa has been a fixture in the UK's top ten sales list since 1993.
It peaked in popularity in 2003 with annual registrations of 109,000 units – last year it sold 73,923 units.

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Comments

steve says:

2 things that vauxhall need to sort out is the newer vauxhall cars are greedy on fuel even the diesel cars and secondly every vauxhall ive had has had the service light and the engine managment light always on you have to turn the ignition on and off while the cars rolling to get it of otherwise it drinks fuel and limits the revs mines been into vauxhall 5 times with nothing showing on the computer||

23 Jan 2008 11:06:13

sam says:

what reg is every1s corsa mine is due for its first service next month constantly making htis whistling noise shud i mention the recall wen takin for its service

24 Apr 2008 13:28:01

dave waring says:

vast improvement to brakes ,but still grinding on pulling up

28 Apr 2008 09:30:21

dave waring says:

my corsa has been called back to the dealer monday night for a full days inspection and hopefully to be put right. vauxhall have finally admitted there is a problem and i have been assured it will be sorted . i will be putting a report on this site monday night to let you people know the outcome whether it be good or bad . keep at them !

17 Apr 2008 09:20:07

claire says:

this is not the only problem i have had with my 04 corsa there was also a recall for the engine about a year ago hope every one got that sorted

17 Apr 2008 09:19:39

Carmella says:

Well i have finally got my car back from Vauxhall but now i still dont feel safe in my car, i have lost all confidence in Vauxhall and im now thinking about changiny my car. Out of my frustration i created a group on facebook about so if if anyone wants to leave a comment please feel free too. There are many more of us that still have problemshttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25447761304

14 Apr 2008 13:32:30

Martin Boughen says:

On direct instructions from Vauxhall my Corsa is being fitted with what is believed to be the the solution to all our problems. These pads have apparently been tested over the last few months in light of the complaints from customers. I am told it WILL work. I will of course let you all have the details after the fitting has occured. Holding my breath....well actually no!

15 May 2008 12:40:54

albert drinkwater says:

l have every faith in vauxhall's integrity but l do wonder when they are going to send out recall letter's.Brakes are rather an important item.

31 Jan 2008 14:39:45

kerrie says:

i got my new corsa in nov 07 and it made the grinding noise from day one. I was told that the brakes need to be bedded in. It has since been back to Perrys 3 times & now Vauxhall are saying that the brakes are not faulty as they stop the car and its not a fault that the brakes are grinding & screeching. They hav replaced pads & discs whihc do not work, the screeching gets so loud it's embarrassing. I think we should take this further? With all these complaints on here whoever regulates vauxhall should take action. Any suggestions???

16 Apr 2008 09:51:54

Sarah says:

Well where do I start!! I have had my 54 plate corsa since almost new and here are just a few of the problems I have had.. After having had the car for only 3 months it needed a new timing chain, it had 32000 miles on the clock and was still under warranty.. however vx wouldn't repair it under warranty cos the dealer I had bought it off had missed it's first service..something I NEVER thought to check when I bought the car. So that cost me £260. The car was actually recalled for this problem, the 54 plate being one of them.. but just not my chassis number..how convenient for vx. Then my car was part of the ABS recall in January 08. Last week I needed a new water pump. Then yesterday I was on the motorway doing about 70 when I was slowing down to come off at my junction, I lost all my gears, the stick may as well not have been there.. It was rush hour, and it really shook me up..The RAC came and temporarily fixed the problem...with some putty !! He said it would get me home..he did mention that this is a common problem with corsas! . It was the gear selector arm that had popped out of its housing, so watch out for this one. I have never had any gear problems before so there was no indication that there was anything wrong.. Lastly, just to mention, I had my tracking done in February and it needs to be done again now..apparently it needs new steering arms! This in never ending... please if you are reading this and are thinking of buying a corsa, let it put you off. Sorry for the long thread but I have to vent my frustration with the worst car I have ever had

27 May 2008 12:42:39

karen roy says:

I have decided to trade the corsa in after the dealership told me that to get a full refund vauxhall state that the car has to be back for repair 5 times once it has been repaired 5 times and it still has a problem then they will give you a refund. I decided i dont want to be back and forwards to the garage so i have traded it in. They offered me a deal that i could not turn down, a 56 reg astra 1.8 sri xp on forecourt for sale at 12,000. I got this deal through being a very determined customer who would not give up.

07 Apr 2008 09:52:57

Gary says:

e have a Corsa Design 1.4 Dec 07. It has grinding brakes from delivery. We have had new disks replaced, two sets of ned pads and the so called new compound brakes. None work. The grinding brakes is still evident. Vauxhall Customer care simply close off any previous references and give new references which simply looks like the problem has been resolved. Vauxhall have no fix whatsoever for the grinding brakes so dont get any hope up if you are offered so called new compound pads. We are now considering our position to return the car as defective under the sale of goods act. Its a pitty there arent any good solicitors out there willing to take up everyones cases !!

01 Jul 2008 10:11:54

Trish says:

I have a Corsa design 2007, noticed about a month after buying it a grinding noise from the breaks, this was at it's worst when slowing right down or coming to a complete halt, phoned Arnold Clark (Dundee), where I was told that this is the way new car breaks now sound, the reason being older cars had asbestos in their breaks, new cars dont and this results in them grinding (ha ha), asked to speak to manager and he told me there is a fault with the new corsas breaks and a lot of complaints had been coming in. He said there was a modification for this fault and to take the car in, I did this and the car seemed to be okay for a week the problem is coming back. It was in for its service this week and I explained to them that the noise seems to be coming back, he said they would have a look, on returning for my car he said they had looked and did not find anything so there was nothing they could really do and besides new cars sound like that anyway (dont think so). Any info would be appreciated of what steps to take next?

17 Mar 2008 10:11:10

Gary says:

Further to having new pads fitted which we were told had been provided by the Vuaxhal Factory in order to resolve grinding problems, we have now been driving with them for about three weeks. The grinding noise is still there most prominent when coming to a stop. However the noise is less than before. That said they still grind so something is still not right. We have already now had two sets of Pads and new disks fitted with no real result. Have threatened to take car back as faulted under the sale of goods act but really just cant be hassled. Will probably inform garage next week of ongoing problem and see what excuse they come up with next. Will post update.

21 Apr 2008 10:15:56

dave waring says:

taken corsa out today, i must say there is a vast improvement in the brakes although there is a slight grating on pulling up, our car is a test case for the dealer we bought the car off so they are determined to get this right they are being really helpful and telling us if there is any problems we have got to ring them immediately. I threw a benny with them last night thinking they had once again only cleaned the brakes out but after my wife phoned them today it seems they have "adjusted" them,as i didnt think disc brakes were adjustable it might mean they have put new anti squeel shims in, they must have done something as the car has the same discs and pads on as before and something has made them better . I will run the car for a few days and see how it goes but will keep you guys updated regularly

25 Apr 2008 09:52:34

samt87 says:

hi my may 07 vauxhall corsa 1.2 sxi over the past few months has been making a whining whistlling noise when pulling away or accelerating in low gears does anyone else have this problem

21 Apr 2008 10:16:11

kenneth amor says:

I have had a vauxhall corsa 1.2 twinport for two and a half years from new. I am aware of the abs fire hazard problems but i can say that i have not experienced any problems with this vehicle at all. The lookers dealership have called the vehicle in for inspection for the second time which showes their concern.

30 Jan 2008 10:27:39

claire says:

i had been for my recall on my corsa and as i have an o4 corsa they had to do it for free. i took it in and when i got it back i aksed what they had done she sed ( thay had put a pin in ) my fella had a look at what they had done which was put a box over the breake box so i think i have been fobed off like everybody else as my car still squeaks at me when i put the breaks on :-(

15 May 2008 12:40:23

sam says:

after fan belt and alternator replaced and same problem persisting and grinding brakes i have now been given the option to trade my car in for a 1.3 diesel breeze with air con which i am doing also been given free mats and tank of diesel for my troubles after persisiting and going to trading standards

30 Jul 2008 09:41:02

johnny says:

ive just bought the corsa 07 reg im having problems with the brakes and the abs control module which leaks in water and puts the engine managment light on the dash went to vauxhall there reply was thats how the cars are i think ill be going back to a new clio

23 Jan 2008 11:06:13

Martin Boughen says:

I also have the grinding problem. The first time it went back to the garage I was told this was normal. As it only effect the front off side brake I pointed out that if this was normal then the near side must be faulty as it does not make the noise. A week later the complete disc assembly was replaced. One day later it started again. Back in again and the pads cleaned, worked for about an hour! The dealer called the Vauxhall Field Service engineer, he already new about the problem and stated that there was currently no solution. I was given a case number and told to contact customer services. How useless are they then?! After five calls and promises of solutions and options I finally received an email stating that this was an annoyance and therefore they would do nothing. I stated that to them it may be an annoyance to me it was fault and should be fixed. I am told it will be put right in September 2008. Next step is the Office of Fair Trading.

22 Feb 2008 15:42:56

Ray Stanley says:

Ihave a corsa sxi2007 with the same brake problems they grind all the tim when you brake slow the dealer says its ok theres no prblem with them crap they take no notice

07 Mar 2008 12:34:35

natalie.jones2@btinternet.com says:

Had a meeting with the Regional Manager today. He finally admits there is a problem with all Corsa brakes - apparently the materials used are too hard. There are new discs available from next week - so the proof will be in the pudding as they say! Nice to hear they are finally admitting to a problem and that we are not all going mad or having hearing problems! I strongly advise everyone to go back to their garages and not to give up as the fault is now admitted. Will let you know if problem gets solved - good luck!

18 Apr 2008 15:25:29

Natalie says:

have now been given another 10 weeks to wait until the new brakes are in circulation after being told initially 2 weeks ...conversation subsequently denied .... now think the time is for legal action. I have contacted Watchdog and 2 of my local consumer programmes and I advice the rest of you to do so as we clearly are getting nowhere and need to make a substantial case against Vauxhall

06 May 2008 14:59:36

dwellis says:

is this fault going to persist

09 Jan 2008 11:56:09

steven says:

date on my new corsa will not change to right date been to garage today they say nothing wrong with car they say it got do with the signal had to go in to setting to change it tryed it still not right

12 Mar 2008 10:01:24

R Banks says:

Reference Corsa D Grinding Brakes, I picked up a new Corsa Design on March 1 and noticed right away that the brakes did not seem right.I was told to run them in for about 400 miles which I did,no improvement.Dealer fitted new pads , ran those in for 450 miles,no improvement,dealer is raising it with Vauxhall,not holding my breath.

13 May 2008 14:56:05

Cat says:

I have Corsa 07. Been to garage 3 times with seized handbrake (due to excessive water I was told). Have now been told that Vauxhall are aware of problems. They changed their brake pad supplier for new model Corsa, and apparently brake pads are like a sponge, they just soak up the water. Could be summer before they are fixed!

06 Feb 2008 12:05:36

Simon says:

I've got the same problem on my 2007 corsa sxi,the brakes are making a grinding noise,its back with vauxhall today for the third time,find out later if they've mastered this problem as they have told me before this is normal (what a load of crap)i'll keep you informed of the outcome later.

27 Feb 2008 14:35:40

karen roy says:

I wrote a strong letter to the garage exercising my rights under the faulty goods act 1979 and they have now asked to me to bring in the corsa to get a refund or a exchange for possibly an astra.

18 Mar 2008 13:32:53

jim horner says:

would like to know if corsa brake problem is also a case of servo / pads not freeing after use as arnold clark will not confirm or deny,also no contact number in regard to recalls information

25 Feb 2008 09:42:36

dave waring says:

taking my corsa back today after my wife demanded to see the manager.I should think staff will be reading the "vauxhall guide to feeble excuses" before i get there, anyway will keep you all informed as to how i get on.Keep at them its the only way we will get anything done. I think the way everybody has been treated over this is just not good enough. Can vauxhall afford to lose future customers over a simple brake problem, theres lots of small cars on the market out there and unless something is sorted soon i shall be looking elsewhere, as i am sure the rest of you guys will

06 Mar 2008 12:12:47

BERNARD says:

57 CORSA DESIGN going in to have the brake pads changed 18/04/08 I will keep everyone informed

16 Apr 2008 09:52:00

DAVID WARING says:

Ive just bought anew corsa 1.2 design the brakes have ground from day one, we have just had new discs and pads on and guess what its just the same, its going back again next week for further investigation i shall be taking this report with me to show them .WE NEED A SOLUTION TO THIS VAUXHALL !

30 Jan 2008 10:27:38

sharon says:

i had to have new brake pads and discs they were completely rusted my car is only 6 mths old. i got told its because of the weather we have been having. ha ha !!

28 Jan 2008 10:43:12

claire says:

still not herd from vauxhall about the part for my car and that is from last wed/day. if people are getting told that there is no problem with the cars There is, I have the letter for recall

28 Apr 2008 09:29:54

dave waring says:

Hows things going with everybodys brake problems - mines still grinding and squeeling

11 Jun 2008 15:40:58

Gary says:

Further update on grinding brakes. Our car has now been back to garage following the last visit when the new composite pads were fitted. When we collected the car the last time the grinding brakes were still evident but agreed to give them some weeks driving to bed-in. Well it has now been some 5 or 6 weeks and the grinding brakes are still there. The car was therefore reuturned to the garage today for the Vuaxhall Field technician to inspect. The result is - the brakes still grind and they have at present no cure. We were also given a competely new customer care number. We raised the issue that surely the last customer care number shoiuld still be used as it has not been resolved but were told that we had to use the new number. We have now been told that the garage will try and resolve this witrh vuaxhall this week but have no confidence in that as this has now been going on for some five months. I think the only way forward is if it is unable to be resolved we apply the sale of goods act and look to return the car for a refund. Will post further updates as things unfold.

07 May 2008 10:51:51

Natalie says:

Had the new 'solution' brakes fitted - apparently I was the first in the UK (?) to have these done as I have complained to everyone who will listen and even those who wont! This seems to have solved the problem - my advice is for everyone on here to demand the same - if your dealership do not know what specific parts these are you can always refer them to FRF Motors - Bridgend as they eventually seem to have done the trick for my Corsa after 9 months of being lied to and fobbed off - good luck to everyone!

23 May 2008 14:19:15

Michelle says:

I am also experiencing this 'grinding' problem with my corsa design 57 plate. Went out in car with one of the technicians after being told by the front desk that there was no problem at all with the car. The technician seemed more willing to offer information on the issue: I was given the story about asbestos and the composition of the pads - he also said that vauxhall were in the process of manufacturing/testing new ones but that there was no date for these being made available. I have since written to vauxhall who have replied with the comment that it is a 'characteristic' of the car not a fault but that I am welcome to drive another similar car to prove the point ( seems a pointless exercise as all the cars are being fitted with the faulty brakes! ) - on collecting my car from them today after having a faulty driver seat cover replaced - was told more or less the same thing as the letter stated. I am being fobbed off with the excuse that it isn't a fault as such ( no safety issue ) just a 'noise'. Now what?!

06 May 2008 09:46:35

mark c says:

hi ive had my corsa 1.2sxi 2008 for 3months the brakes bind its been back to the dealer 3 times still not happy as its a brand new car lets hope they sort it soon

17 Jul 2008 14:59:11

R. Jackson says:

Is the car safe to use as a training car for giving professional driving lesson?

14 Jan 2008 09:10:38

Emma says:

I have received the recall letter for my brake system, /when driving through the city my fault light comes on i can only assume this is because I am using my brakes more as I do a lot of dual carriage way driving. The biggest thing that wories me is the comment from lauren on the 18th feb about steering problems and temporary loss of controll. This has been a major problem for me as they said it was my steering rack and column. I have had the steering rack replaced but the column still needs doing but after just purchasing my car (from a used dealer) this is not something I thought would ever happen on a car that is less than 4 years old. Has anyone else had problems with their steering??

03 Mar 2008 11:49:03

shirley murphy manchester says:

bought a 90 day old 1.2 design corsa car dec 2006 from day one had loud screech noise and grinding noise took it back twice was made to feel foolish that i dont know what i hear and the mechanics manager said the alloys let water in and makes rusty did change pads and sent me on my way he definetly has the gift of the gab off talking down to you and they are always right then the noise was still there and again fobbed off could not be bothered going again to hear all the jargon the manager comes out with i just put up with the noise i feel totally let down by what was my new corsa and i also think the car is to heavy for the engine size and the visability is poor

10 Mar 2008 16:28:53

allbert drinkwater says:

I called into my local dealership(SKURRAY'S of SWINDON)on the monday they promised to call me with in 10 days. on the wednesday they called to say the parts had arrived on the friday they were fitted everything now O'K no complaints

24 Apr 2008 13:27:52

dave waring says:

Been back to dealer tonight the garage foreman took it for a spin and agreed with me about excess noise from front brakes, he then proceeded to phone what i think was vauxhall motors and voiced our concerns, it seems vauxhall are aware of a problem with corsa d brakes and he has my telephone number to keep me informed on proceedings.He has given me a telephone number to ring so that i can complain personally i havnt rung yet , but the number is 08450902044 ishall be ringing them , but if anyone rings in the meantime i would be grateful if you would let me know how it went .The garage foreman did assure me that there is not a safety issue here and the car is safe to drive and that he will be looking further into this as i am not the first one to return the vehicle with this problem.

05 Feb 2008 13:50:23

Ray Stanley says:

My 2007 Corsa SXi has the same grinding noises on the brakes and the dealer also says its a Vauxhall problem and nothing is getting done and the grinding brakes is getting worse could someone help with this matter maybe Trading Standards should take this onboard.

10 Mar 2008 16:28:47

Christine Pearce says:

Further to my comments on the 20th March 08 the saga will obviously continue - I was not aware until using the Motor Trader Website that the brakes problem is so widescale. I took my 57 plate CorsaSX1 1.4 back to the Dealership in Tiverton on Friday 21st March where I was told nothing more they can do so they will contact Vauxhall for what to do no next - as was told that 'I am hearing a noise different than them) - ha ha ha ! I have also contacted Vauxhall direct myself and been issued a case number - WATCH THIS SPACE - i am fuming and will not rest until dreadful grinding/raunching is put right. Christine.

25 Mar 2008 09:57:49

BERNARD says:

I have the the same problem with the noisey brakes on the new corsa design sept 2007.I have phoned the vauxhall customer services and obtained a case number.The question I am asking is how can Vauxhall keep selling the new corsa with faulty brakes.They must be stop production until they resolve the problem.I would like know what are my consumer rights are on this matter.I think the scale of this problem is massive

14 Feb 2008 15:42:46

Gary says:

Update of Grinding brakes and clock date not changing on correct date. After threatening to return the vehicle as faulted under the sale of goods act, garage now has a aparently got authorisation to change the brake pads to a different type which we are told by the garage should resolve the grinding. The date issue we are told is as a consequence of a decoder used by a local radio station which has now been rectified and thus the date should change on the correct day. Will keep all posted as to how the different type of brake pad works. May be worth while you all contacting your own garage to see about these apparent different type of pads.

17 Mar 2008 10:11:15

Terry says:

I have just bought a Corsa design 07 and noticed the grinding brake noise. Was told it was rusty disc and will clear. After second day it went back, drove away and first set of lights the noise was still there. Was then told its because it has only a low mileage and will soon go. Thought I had better see on the net if anyone else had this noise,,,,,surprise!

16 Apr 2008 09:52:11

sas says:

hum bourght my corsa a while back and was never notified about this abs problem until service.. is this what other people have experienced? or was i just missed off the list?

12 Feb 2008 12:22:11

Natalie says:

Further to my last comments and the assurances of the manager of FRF in Bridgend and the Regional Manager to have new brakes last week they still have not been in touch and are seemingly dodging calls! Im now going back to Consumer Direct to see what the next step is - it seems Vauxhall know they have a big problem but instead of fixing (although Vuaxhall and the dealers seem to still be saying different things), they just want to wear people down until they go away ....picked the wrong person here then! Will keep you all informed.

30 Apr 2008 08:25:49

dave waring says:

just phoned gm. customer services on 08450902044 they took my details and said that vauxhall technicians were looking into the problem at the moment, but as yet there is no solution. I remember the times when a new model was introduced, they used to test them to destruction, in death valley, round racing tracks etc. does this not happen anymore ?They seem to be still selling these cars with faulty brakes ,it ought to be made public so people have a choice of another make of vehicle, maybe the technicians would get a move on then C'mon!!!

12 Feb 2008 12:22:04

Ronnie says:

I purchased a 57 Corsa Design 1.2 on 15th feb and the brakes were noisy (grinding and squealing). I took it back to the dealer and was told that it is a design error on the pads. Modified pads were fitted yesterday (17/03/08) and the problem is solved.

19 Mar 2008 13:57:23

Mike says:

This is worrying I was about to ring the garage we bought our new Corsa from as the brakes have been noisy from day one, never had a problem with older models or my Astra. Glad I found this though as I am the type who will keep on at them until its sorted.

26 Feb 2008 10:12:35

Caroline Pearce says:

Hey get in touch with watchdog and which magazine, my vauxhall vectra had faulty hand brake it has taken 2 years but eventually they have taken notice and are recalling all the vectra cars. Good luck. C Pearce

22 Feb 2008 15:43:04

mongy john says:

looking at these reports and hazards with vauxhall my opion is if they cant fix them get a full refund or take them to trading standards for dangerous hazards and affects

07 Feb 2008 14:59:24

Gary says:

mongy john What is the cure to the noisy brakes. Is anyone else experienecing problems with the date on the clock not changing on correct date of Cors Design 12/07 model.

27 Feb 2008 14:35:38

Martin B says:

After Vauxhall told my local dealership to completely replace the whole brake system they thought that would be that....two weeks later just as bad again. This is he second time I've had a complete brake system change. I'll be back on the phone to them again tomorrow.

17 Mar 2008 10:11:02

Martin Boughen says:

Three weeks after the new compound pads were fitted it seems to be OK. I suggest that you all hassle your local dealerships and demand the new compound pads that are recommended by Vauxhall.

03 Jun 2008 09:13:04

Gary says:

We purchased a new Corsa design in Dec 07 and the date on the clock has never worked properly. We have been given excuses that it is due to satelites ( Funny that since there is no satelite navigation system in the car), due to tuning into Metro Radios and that the RDS was not selected. To date no solution. We have found that if you select Radio 1 for a while it changes the date correctly but once you change radio stations the date will revert back to the previous days date. Funny how the clock knows to change itself each day when the radio is actually off but cant seem to retain the corect settings. We also have problems with grinding brakes. To date we have placed the garage on notice that we consider them to be in breach of contract under the sale of goods act and have recently wrote again as we have had no solution. We have now indicated that if a solution is not found within a periuod of time, we will consider returning the vehicle as faulted goods under The Sale of Goods Act. Will keep everyone posted with results.

13 Mar 2008 11:18:14

mongy john says:

ive found a cure to solve the problems with the new corsa brakes i must be a genius best part it only costs 12 pounds :-)

26 Feb 2008 10:12:38

Gary says:

Just got back from the garage. The vauxhal factory had apparently delivered some new pads to try. It is still early days but the grinding noise is significantly reduced. Will post an update after a week or so after the pads haved bedded in. The possible solution is therefore now being issued to dealers - would advise you get on the phone and demand your new pads before they go out of stock !! That said if the grinding noise comes back we will also be looking to return the car as faulted under the sale of goods act. So anyone who may be reading these from Vuaxhall should be really ashamed that their customers are so dissappointed with their new cars that they are treatening to return them. Would be nice also to get a comment from Motor Trader on these Corsa brake issues, perhaps even some engineer expert !!

19 Mar 2008 13:57:20

Christine Pearce says:

Well I have he patience of a saint but I have never known anything like this ! Further to my last comment 25.3.08 and new brake pads being fitted a few days after driving back to square one grinding away! Telephoned Dealership and was told they had another meeting with some Vauxhall technicians on 24th April for a Corsa D and would await the outcome of that on what to do with mine too! - last evening on back roads in wet conditions had to brake suddenly and never heard such a noise in all my life! - sounded to me like metal against metal - is this vehichle safe! - i am told it is - more expense time off work to make phone calls etc. Wait for next story. !

21 Apr 2008 10:17:11

dave waring says:

Brakes still grinding seven months down the line , car has been logged with this problem with vauxhall so am waiting for next solution from dealer

21 May 2008 13:24:12

dave waring says:

have phoned dealer today ,mechanic is testing my corsa friday night then getting on to vauxhall technical centre. Will keep you all posted on developments

31 Jan 2008 14:39:45

Gary says:

Corsa Design - Dec 07 model. Update on grinding noise from brakes. After two visits, the garage has replaced the brake pads twice and put new disks on to the car. However the grinding noise is styill apparent. The garage has checked other new cars which they have and they all apparently have the same grinding noise from the brakes. The noise is most prominent when braking at slow speeds and when coming to a stop. The garage has told us not to worry. However my concerns are that obviously by the noise something is grinding and coming into contact with something else when braking therefore somnething mus be wearing, which ultimately may result in exacerbated wear and possible failure of something connected to the brake system. We nopw have to wait for a possible solution from vauxhall. Given that this probvlem is brake related, I wonder how long it is going top take vauxhall to resolve this properly and quickly. Very interested in other persons with similar problem and actions taken on theior cars. Will post any further updates for everytones benefit.

21 Jan 2008 14:11:39

craigboy72 says:

my corsa 07 has the same grinding of the brakes, took it back to vauxhall they scrapped and greased the pads and said that was it, guess what the noise came back 2 days later. going back to vauxhall see what they say this time, will let you all know

28 Jan 2008 10:43:08

Lauren says:

I have had nothing but problems with my car, firstly the engine management light come on and they told me it would go off on its own.. a week later and guess what still wasnt off.. then again i went back in to the arnold clark dealership i bought this from, and they reset the engine management light and told me it should be fine.. I took it away and within a couple of days it was back on again. they checked the car over and said that i needed a new co2/o2 monitor as the one I had was faulty they said it would be in within a week.. guess what wasnt in within a week i went back again.. and took my dad with me who then complained and they said they would ring me when they had a date. a couple of days later and the cars guzzling £10 a day and im doing 20 miles a day.. I went back in as they still hadnt rang me, they said it would be january (a month later) before the part would be in so i explained the fuel guzzling problem and ended up with a hire car, surprisingly a week later my car was ready. And now I hear that there is a recall on them as well.. not really impressed by that. And there isnt just the one recall there is another one to do with the steering that could result in you losing control of the car.. could n e one tell me how long the VIN number should be on a car as I think mine is one of the affected..

18 Feb 2008 11:23:34

Gary says:

Just bought a new corsa in December 2007. Had the car back for a grinding noise on brakes twice. First time garage said it was a fractured brake pad. Just been told that after the second garage visit thatr it is a problem with corsa's. And not to worry !!. Also the date on the clock does not change each day correctly and have been told that this was a problem with tuning into a specific radio station and now been told this is a satelite problem. Comments welcome.

17 Jan 2008 11:23:07

Gary says:

We had pads changed for new composite ones some four weeks ago. They are a big difference to the previous pads but there is still a grinding when coming to a halt. Phoned dealer earlier in week to advise that we were still not happy. They informed us that Vauxhall have told them not to fit any more pads as they have an aparent solution which will be rolled out shortly. When checking with Vauxhall Customer Care, they informed us that they have no solution at present. So back to sqaure one. From the dicussions of this forum, it is quite clear that all the Dealers and Vauxhall are simply telling everyone what thay want to hear and its just dragging on and on, with no real solution.

25 Apr 2008 13:35:16

izak hunt says:

mongy john 26 Feb 2008 10:12:38 ive found a cure to solve the problems with the new corsa brakes i must be a genius best part it only costs 12 pounds :-) Hey John whats the cure?

28 Feb 2008 12:45:31

Martin Boughen says:

RESULT!!!! I said before that I was contacting the Trading Standards Office, well I did and got some great advice. A case number was raised and I was advised to contact the SMMT and explain the problem.I phoned them and was told that it sounded like something that should be investigated. I was directed to the SMMT website and entered the details of the problems. I was told that the SMMT would contact me if they were taking action. They wrote to me today and have begun an investigation with Vauxhall under the New Car Code of Practice via the Regulations and Compliance Unit. I told the SMMT about the number of other drivers having the same problem. They advise you to do the same through your local Trading Standards Office.

11 Apr 2008 13:45:38

dave waring says:

dealer has had my car all day today , i phoned when i got home and they need to keep it for more tests in the morning ,must be something more than pads i suspect!

23 Apr 2008 13:56:49

claire says:

I have had the problem with my 04 corsa c with my brakes 2 years ago and i got it looked at and they changed the brake pads but it did not stop so i gave up on it. now i have only just found out about this and i thank you all for your info

14 Apr 2008 09:49:43

sam says:

took car in garage on friday found out my whistling noise is a loose fan belt so tht is gettin done in with service also dad drove my car to garage said my brakes are grinding like mad so i guess i have the same problem as everyone else should i mention this on service day and the fact of the recall

28 Apr 2008 15:38:31

Colin says:

Have recently purchased a 57 plate corsa 1.2SXi and am also experiencing the brake grinding problem. This has been back to the garage whereupon I was told 'they all do that Sir'. I am taking it back again tomorrow and will demand replacement of the pads. Had a similar problem many years ago with a SEAT and this was an incorrect brake pad compound which eventually resolved the problem. Looks like a case of cutting costs and using inferior materials. Will keep everyone posted on my success!!

04 Apr 2008 13:59:07

barry says:

heres a relove for people with corsa d braking problems grinding go to the local scrap yard and buy 2 front wheel hubs with the brake calipers etc from a late corsa c last of the old shape 53 reg upto 06 reg and fit these parts on the corsa d then fell the difference

11 Jul 2008 09:12:10

simon says:

No joy,had a call from the vauxhall dealer yesterday they've been onto the phone to vauxhall they are aware of this problem, they reckon they've had four of they same complaints in this area.If its only "four" and they can't solve this problem why are'nt the other million or so corsas doing it whats so different?can anyone give me an answer.I don't trust these garages as three tecnicians and the manager took the car out to hear the noise and none of them reckon they could hear it until i took them out myself.

05 Mar 2008 10:02:54

Christine Pearce says:

I am also caught up in a trap of grinding brakes on a 57 plate Corsa SXI - and after driving in wet conditions the following day the car appears to not want to go in reverse - then clunks then frees itself!!!!- Second time back to dealership for first issue of grinding breaks - first time new breaks fitted this time told breaks modified now two minutes down the road the same as I took it into to the garage - still grinding away - well and truly put off my nice new Corsa - back to the dealership tmw first thing.

20 Mar 2008 12:10:42

the truth says:

Vauxhall cant fix the problem

11 Apr 2008 13:45:45

lisa kelly says:

mines excactly the same been in today and the advice was to wait on vauxhall contacting me re brakes the garage won't do a thing

21 Jan 2008 09:34:51

claire says:

can not beleave what i have just found, after leaving comments with you all i have looked at all my letters from vauxhall and found my recall letter for the ABS brakes from feb 08 i called them and they sed that they will ring when they have got the part in for the car HA HA ( i dont think so )I will let you know if they do and what they say

22 Apr 2008 08:14:44

C J Spencer-Price says:

I myself pick up my new corsa design 1.4, 4 weeks ago and as soon as I drove it I could hear the grinding brake noise. I took it back to my local dealer Grasmere who like all the other dealers told me the same story it is a normal noise on the corsa and noting they can do! or won't do!. I have also noticed as mentioned in many of the comments that the car seems to be drinking petrol as if it is going out of fashion, they also said this happens due to using the air conditioning. whay crap will they think of next! I never had this with my old corsa thats why I decided to purchase again! My mistake!

23 May 2008 14:19:26

dave waring says:

Just sent an e-mail to the watchdog website it might be a good idea to try and get them involved Update on my brakes they are now squeeling really loudly, its a real headturner for all the wrong reasons!

08 Feb 2008 12:16:38

R.Banks says:

Corsa D Brakes,after having two lots of pads fitted the dealer has been told by Vauxhall not to fit any more parts as it will not cure the grinding brakes.

19 May 2008 17:07:28

mark says:

went back to vauxalls again 4th time lucky but they now say that they are aware of brake problems and that they have no solution at this time . so im left in the lurch until the car is recalled which could take forever

05 Aug 2008 10:53:52

Bali Bhogal says:

My 54 plate Corsa has been recalled. I have booked it with Vauxhall Lookers, who want £11.75 admin charge for the Courtesy Car. The car has been recalled by Vauxhall; why should I pay for the Courtesy Car? Vauxhall Lookers say this is their standard practice. I am not impressed!!

14 Aug 2008 11:23:17

Shane Miah says:

I owned a Vauxhall for 1 year in 2006, it was a corsa, a piece of crap i tell you. You name it and it went wrong. ABS, ESP, Head gasket, steering rack, Clutch, Gearbox, all in 1year. I Switched to an Audi A4, and ever since this day i have had no problems. The Dealership of Vauxhall and the Helpline are no help at all, all they know is how to inspect the vehicle and take £60.00.each time an inspection is made, whereas with Audi, there service is brilliant!THINK VAUXHALL NEED TO GET THEIR QUALITY AND STANDARDS UP TO DATE OR SIMPLY GET OFF THE ROAD!!

15 May 2008 12:40:00

Lisa Kelly says:

Just rang Evans Halshaw the dealer I bought the car from who confirmed the other week there is noise coming from my brakes and I would receive a recall letter, Today rang again as getting worse and no letter received only to be told to ring Vauxhall as they only sold me the car Rang Vauxhall who have said the garage should have fixed the car and they are not aware of any problems with breaks yeah right whatever, Now have been given a case number and still waiting!!!

11 Feb 2008 11:01:26

simon says:

I phoned the number given by Dave(08450902044) they're just as bad they told me they are wait for a fix for this problem until then i'll just have to wait for a call back on the car,i would have probably sold it by then!last time i'll buy a vauxhall.

06 Mar 2008 17:50:27

dave waring says:

Took corsa back yesterday, took manager for a spin, it seems there is a problem with the compound of the brake pads and he has assured me there will be a recall on all faulty cars. I would think with the cars being made in various countries they all have different suppliers of pads and it looks like we were the unlucky ones. I suggest you mention the pad compound problem to your dealers and see if you get the same answers that i did. Will keep you all informed on developments

07 Mar 2008 12:34:40

pbb says:

I think i have the answer to the 'noisy' brake problem. Corsa c's were heavy on brake pads, causing them to wear quickly, 15kish. Now i have seen a corsa d, 40k loads of pad material left. I can only guess that a 'harder' pad is now fitted, thus in my experience give a grinding noise, safe though.

03 Jul 2008 10:34:46

steve says:

we too have a 57 plate corsa which is grinding when braking, the first visit back to the main agents resulted in new pads being fitted and the comment see how they go? within a week the noise returned the car was returned but the service manager said they could find nothing wrong[selective deafness]i am now raising the matter with vauxhall directly

19 May 2008 11:51:13

Gary says:

Update on Grinding noise from brakes. Just spoke with Vauxhall Customer Care for the secon time. Have been told that there is no fix or solution to the grinding noise. My concerns regarding selling the car in the future may de-value the car if people hear a grinding noise from the brakes when test driving!! Basically vauxhall do not have a solution and are not prepared to discuss it further. wHAT CHOICES ARE THERE? I discussed taking the car back for a full refund and the Customer care manager advised that this would have to be put in writing to the dealership in the foirst instance and vauxhall would then consider the case. I think it may be time to speak with some leagal bods on refunds?????

06 Feb 2008 16:21:26

Ray Stanley says:

Ihave a Corsa SXi 2007 the first few months the brakes were o/k but now they grinding something terrible,they are a danger to passengers in my car and VAUXHALL MOTORS ARE RESPONCABLE .Ray Stanley

07 Mar 2008 12:34:38

Natalie says:

Heartwarming to hear all the complaints ....I thought i was starting to go mad or have reinevented a certain way of pressing the brake pedal to cause noise ...one of the excuses FRF Motors have come up with in Bridgend. My mums car has been in 4 times with the same fault (only logged as once on the PC which is worryin). Mine has also been in only to be both told 1. Must be the way you're pressing the brake pedal 2. Its the lack of asbestos 'love' 3. Thats the way all car brakes sound. I have contacted Comsumer Direct and advise everyone to do so. Open a case number and give them 14 days to put fault right within 14 day or you willbe escalating the claim for breach of contract under Sale of Goods Act. I have rang Vauxhall over 20 times and received no reply back. This letter seems to have done the trick as far as getting them to acknowledge me ..we have a meeting this Friday the 18th April - I will keep you posted. But I seriously advise everyone to go down the same route and not be fobbed off by the bullying belittling mentality of these people.

17 Apr 2008 09:19:51

Martin Boughen says:

Well, the journey continues. I was instructed by Trading Standards to give contact Vauxhall and tell them that their answer was not acceptable. I did not recieve a reply (no surprise there then!) however my local dealership were contacted this morning and told to replace the whole brake system, discs,pads, the lot. This will be the second time it has been done. If it works I shall of course be happy but even the dealership are not convinced it will make any difference. Will speak to Trading Standards again soon, when I have a formal way forward I will post the information for all to use.

29 Feb 2008 14:38:39

BERNARD says:

Mines a 57 plate corsa design 14cc I dont think we will ever get an answer to the grinding brakes.I spoke to the vauxall customer services guy a couple of weeks ago, and he said it was an acoustic problem , the brakes were safe.I think there has been a cost saving exercise at manufacture, either the brake pads or the discs, using inferrior materials, We are unlikely to get any addmision of responabilty. having said all this I will never give up,They should not be selling anymore corsas until they resolve the problem.

18 Mar 2008 13:32:50

Dawn, Nottingham says:

We have an 06 Corsa Life which has just been recalled which coincided with the service date. We have just been told it will cost £175 for brake pads, £30 for brake fluid.????? Surely this is all linked with the ABS recall and we shouldn't have to pay a penny.Any ideas?

20 Jun 2008 13:59:54

dave waring says:

No news from vauxhall about my corsa yet,both the dealership i bought my car from and vauxhall helpline have my contact number ,Hey it would be nice to have an update, just a sympathetic phonecall would be nice, what have i had ? nothing, no interest at all. If you go onto the trading standards website you can download a sample copy of a letter both to the dealer and to the hire purchase company stating your grievances. I am sure there must be something under the supply of goods act , we can pursue.

25 Feb 2008 09:42:40

Dave waring says:

Seventeen days now since i took my corsa back and the manager assured me it was a pad compound problem, i have heard absolutely nothing since ,do they know anything about customer care and after sales service. I just hope they are not expecting a good report when i get the promised questionaire through. After sales service 0 out of ten customer care 0 out of ten Value for money 0 out of ten Bull**** 10 out of ten THE new Yaris looks a nice car by the way!

25 Mar 2008 09:57:53

R.Banks says:

Since my last post on this story,(19 May) I have also had to have the bonnet resprayed because of blemishes in the paint.I decided to contact the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders about the trouble with the Brakes and the paintwork.They replied and said it was a case for further investigation.However today I have received an answer saying more or less the same has Vauxhall,ie, its an irritation and does not affect the brake performance,no mention of what they thought of having to have a new car resprayed.This SMMT appears just to be a mouthpiece of the Manufacturers,so if you cannot afford a good Solicitor it appears you can forget getting anywhere with this.

02 Jul 2008 13:33:56

COLIN BUTTERWORTH says:

My 08 Corsa Design has Grinding and screeching brakes, if Natalie can get her problem solved everyone should be able to. Will be taking printout of her solved problem to my dealers (Sherwoods of Stockton).

01 Jul 2008 08:55:21

Louise says:

My outside temperature gadge is reading high temperature on my 2007 corsa something wrong with it especially when its freezing outside. can anyone help me

19 Feb 2008 12:34:39

Carmella says:

Im glad to see im not the only one with this problem, i have had nothing but problems with my car since i bought it in August last year. I have a vauxhall corsa 1.2 sxi 04. The list of problems ive had are, failing breaks going down a steep hill, loss of control with steering which i have had the tracking done several times and the problem stil persist, flickering lights on dashboard,cd player cutting out, mileage light coming off and on,handbrake failure,both headlights blown at same time which i had to pay out for and just in general the car driving like a tractor. After 2 months of receiving my recall later my car was finally taken in today to be changed and guess what my car has what the car has the fault and i was also told the car was too dangerous to drive so i was going to get a hire car, so went to the hire company who then wanted me to pay £50 which i refused to pay as its vauxhall's problem not mine, so i now have to wait till monday morning for vauxhall to pay this which has left me with no car. Has anyone else experienced this ?

07 Apr 2008 09:53:08

dave waring says:

went to pick my corsa up today theyve had it two days. man at the desk said theyd cleaned the brakes out and tested them braking from 70 to 50, 50 to 30 and 30 to zero and the car was braking fine, he even said mine was the quietest of the four he has had in, needless to say i went ballistic. Got the car at home now going to let the wife take it out tomorrow see what she thinks then take it from there

24 Apr 2008 13:28:11

dave waring says:

corsa gone in today for repair, have been promised it back tomorrow. will keep you all informed

22 Apr 2008 08:14:39

Colin says:

Further to my earlier comments my Corsa has been back again whereupon the garage have said that it is rust on the discs and that I should try braking harder! Not a good suggestion on early icy mornings. They have told me that if I bring it back again and they have to clean the pads etc again I will be charged. I think we'll see what Vauxhall have to say about that one. I have lost faith in this matter ever being resolved and viewing the other comments it is clearly very widespread and is something more fundemental that Vauxhall should address.

16 Apr 2008 13:29:26

Dee says:

Well I never! I was made to believe that I was the only owner with a problem! My car has had its brake systems changed twice, the second time they said it was a problem with 'bedding in' the brakes (ha) they drove my car at 70mph, 60mph, 50mph and so on to 'bed them in'. No difference! (suprise). I have allready registered my complaint with the service number, although the garage said I could make an appointment with a field manager to discuss getting a refund! After reading all of the comments I think I will persue this offer. They did say that I was lucky because the loan car sounded louder than mine!

31 Mar 2008 10:02:21

Jean Coleman says:

My 2005 Corsa got recalled last week. I took it into the local Vauxhall garage to be told it needed the nearside c/v joint boot replacing (which apparently is on the wheel)at a cost of £82 and there was play in the nearside tie rod which needed replacing at a cost of £622. The car was only serviced in February and passed its MOT at the end of February. This has really knocked my confidence in the Corsa as I have had the car serviced every year and it has a low mileage. Has anyone else had this problem?

06 May 2008 09:47:24

samt87 says:

had my car in for replacement fan belt 07 corsa ends up not fan belt alternator gone as noise did not stop when fan belt replaced noise is whistling noise due to be fixed soon shall let you no outcome

04 Jul 2008 10:01:10

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