Renault recalls 66,000 British cars over handbrake which can apply itself while being driven
Renault is recalling more than 66,000 cars amid fears of a faulty automatic hand brake which can apply itself while the vehicle is moving.
The car giant is in the process of writing to British owners of its Scenic II models which were made between September 2003 to June 2005.
The mammoth task was sparked by several incidents involving the parking brake unexpectedly coming on as motorists were driving along.
Renault Scenic II: More than 66,000 owners of the popular people carrier have received letters from Renault recalling the car due to a handbrake fault
Renault engineers investigated the cases and tracked the problem down to battery cables fitted incorrectly to the vehicle's Engine Control Unit (ECU) .
In a move likely to cost the car company in excess of £10m, Renault UK is spending 10 weeks tracing the owners of 66,735 Scenics manufactured between the two dates.
Staff will re-program the ECU on the family vehicles to correct the potential fault free of charge.
So far, about 13,700 Scenic owners have had their vehicles fixed.
A Renault spokesman said: 'We are having to trace 66,735 owners of Scenic II that were manufactured between September 2003 and June 2005.
'The mailing to owners will be carried out over 10 weeks. This started on July 1st and will finish until early September. So far more than 13,000 have returned to date.
'There is the possibility, in a very rare case, that the automatic handbrake could apply whilst driving.
'Investigation of a few very rare cases outside of the UK have shown this to be the problem.
'The electronic parking brake computer (ECU) that manages the automatic handbrake will be re-programmed.'
The spokesman said they were unaware of any such incidents happening to Scenic owners in the UK.
The Renault case is the latest blow to the motor industry following a catalogue of recalls involving millions of Toyota, Citroen and Peugeot cars.
The biggest case to date has been Toyota which has issued a staggering 14 separate recalls in the last 12 months worldwide.
More than 8.5 million vehicles have been recalled since autumn last year, amid a variety of technical problems including the accelerator pedals sticking to the floor.
Just last month, a further 70,000 Lexus models were recalled due to an engine problem which could cause the car to stall.
In February, Peugeot Citroen recalled 100,000 Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 cars worldwide to change the accelerator pedals.
In the same month, Honda also recalled 437,000 cars worldwide because of a potential fault in the airbags.
It came a month after they were forced to recall 650,000 cars worldwide to fix a switch defect feared to cause a fire.
Most watched News videos
- British tourists fight with each other in a Majorcan tourist resort
- Brawl after thug steals man's neck chain at Piccadilly Circus
- King Charles unveils first official portrait since Coronation
- Moment British tourists scatter loved-one's ashes into sea in Turkey
- Boy mistakenly electrocutes his genitals in social media stunt
- 'Reuniting the right': Rees-Mogg calls for Reform UK to join tories
- Youths shout abuse at local after warnings to avoid crumbling dunes
- Terrifying moment people take cover in bus during prison van attack
- Emergency services on scene after gunmen ambush prison van in France
- Fighter jet bounces off runway after low-altitude triple barrel-roll
- Sun coronal mass ejections leading up to last week's solar storm
- Police cordon off Stamford Hill area after a woman was shot