Should the garage have to cover the cost of repairs for my low mileage Honda Civic?

My 2013 Honda Civic failed its MoT on 'excessive handbrake travel'. I've been told by my local garage that it will cost in excess £850 but they will pay half. Should they should cover all costs? I've just recently had to purchase a new battery and two new front tyres and, while excuses are made by the dealership, I've only had the car since August 2014. I feel like I'm being held to ransom, left shocked and very upset because the car is only four years old and 20,000 miles. I asked whether this is a fault with the car itself but I was told they've not heard of it before.
Tyre and battery replacements are run of the mill with any car. 20,000 miles is average for the front tyres of a front drive car. The problem with the parking brake is that the cable may have been stretched by excessively heavy use. But we do have one previous report of parking brake failure on the model, remarkably similar to yours, so you can probably get the job done for the same £150: 22-11-2016: Report of 25,000 miles 2012 Honda Civic parking brake giving way and car rolling into owner's garage door. Honda dealer diagnosed that rear calipers needed replacing at a cost of £859. Owner complained and Honda paid for the parts, leaving the owner to pay £150. In 6-6-2012 we received a report of the previous Civic that a reaction between the metal backing and the material of the rear brake pads causes excessive dust to be produced which then causes the rear calipers to seize.
Answered by Honest John on

Ask Honest John