Why did my car hit my neighbour's house?

My Volvo V70 was parked on my home drive when I started the engine put on the brake and selected DRIVE from PARK, After doing this the engine raced the car forward - braking appeared to have no effect - and hit my neighbour's house 20 yards away. Have you heard of this happening before?

Asked on 15 March 2014 by JB

Answered by Honest John

Yes, frequently when drivers do not left foot brake. You must have pressed the footbrake to start it. Best always to do this with your left foot and keep the car fully under control when manouevring by left foot braking continually. I think you probably stamped your right foot on the accelerator instead of the brake because that is the usual reason for this type of accident.

Tags: automatics technical issues

Similar questions

Is the gearbox in the 2013 Volkswagen Golf DSG sealed?

I am thinking of buying a 2013 Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI DSG. The dealer tells me it is a six-speed wet clutch DSG with a sealed box. Does this description sound correct to you?

Why is my automatic transmission sluggish in the winter months?

I drive a 1998 W208 series Mercedes-Benz 320 CLK that's had oil changes every 9000 miles and has been utterly reliable since new. The 3200cc M112 series engine is as smooth now as when I first got it;...

Automatic gearboxes and towing - what do I need to know?

Could you tell me what I need to look out for on my Volvo XC60 when towing a 1500kg caravan? The car has the eight-speed automatic gearbox, will I need to fit a gearbox air cooler and change the gearbox...

Related models