Interesting/worrying story from Scotland - ZS with no brakes.

My wife doesn't drive the MG4 as she cant get used to the new driving techniques and detests the driver aids. I used to encourage her but no longer do so after the last incident 6 months ago. She stopped at a set of temp traffic lights, (first in queue), and correctly engaged hill hold and then electric parking brake. When lights changed she depressed the pedal and nothing happened. The pedal was depressed repeatedly with screams of panic and a few expletives filled the car as she was aware a long queue of cars behind us were becoming somewhat impatient. I checked that the car was in drive mode, which it was, and still she slammed her foot into the pedal and would not move off. I then glanced into the drivers footwell and there the problem became apparent. "Babe, it might help if you pressed the accelerator and not the brake pedal!" I drive everywhere now and she is quite happy with this arrangememt. We are both aware the matter would have been more serious if the scenario was flipped, i.e. we were moving and the accelerator was pressed in an effort to stop the car.
Just highlighting my experience of MG4 human error and in no way saying other drivers have been incorrect in their recollection.
 
Just to come back to this. When I had to move the car, after the vacuum pump was gone, I did manually push the brake pedal and gave it everything I had. To put that in context, I'm a 6 1, 17 stone lad and I was not pushing it lightly. The car was extremely difficult to stop - and essentially it was like driving without brakes - that was my real world experience. As it did kind of slow down, the car was juddering massively - kind of like being in a manual car if you tried to stop the car without pushing the clutch.
 
legend99 said:
Just to come back to this. When I had to move the car, after the vacuum pump was gone, I did manually push the brake pedal and gave it everything I had. To put that in context, I'm a 6 1, 17 stone lad and I was not pushing it lightly. The car was extremely difficult to stop - and essentially it was like driving without brakes - that was my real world experience. As it did kind of slow down, the car was juddering massively - kind of like being in a manual car if you tried to stop the car without pushing the clutch.
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that happened to me on my last diesel car, the whole servo thing switched off.... and yes, you have to dig your foot into the brake as hard as you can. don't get me wrong when I say "it's normal", but these things happen, tyres burst, wheels fall off ...
warning should have flashed to stop the car immediately?


1715721688478.png
 
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Nelly said:
Wow. You must be an expert. This happened to me on 6th April this year. I pulled into a very large off road parking space. As my foot engaged the brake pedal (with a witness in the car) it took off and accelerated very quickly no acc engaged. I was shocked as it ru over 10ft gaining speed with my foot on the brake and rammed into the back of a transit van. If as you are insinuating that this is my fault the anti collision should have kicked in but it didnt. It catches pedestrians and other cars rurning corners but didnt catch a huge transit van in front of me. It done the sane as I was drivi g it home down hil with my foot on the brake as it was a vwry steep hill. All i cannsay is that if this was in a busy residential are there would have been fatalities.

The vehicle has been repaired and is booked in to MG for a full diagnostics on Friday.
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Hi sorry can’t believe this happened I know of instances that people have pressed the acc instead of the brake especially coming from a manual to automatic.
And u would definitely take a picture of the damage if so please post?
 
Nelly said:
Wow. You must be an expert.
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Non of us are experts here but not being involved and reading the recollection, some parts are hard to believe if you look at the facts as reported with an open mind.

Nelly said:
This happened to me on 6th April this year. I pulled into a very large off road parking space. As my foot engaged the brake pedal (with a witness in the car) it took off and accelerated very quickly no acc engaged.
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The witness in the car just happened to be looking at your feet and didnt look up when the car was shooting off out of control? I personally find that unlikely, even as an ex driving instructor I wouldn't be watching a drivers feet.

Nelly said:
I was shocked as it ru over 10ft gaining speed with my foot on the brake and rammed into the back of a transit van.
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10 ft in an accelerating EV would take less than a second. In this one second you have assessed you had your foot hard on the brake and your passenger had witnessed this to be the case whilst in a fright/shock mode of the unexpected taking place?

Nelly said:
If as you are insinuating that this is my fault the anti collision should have kicked in but it didnt. It catches pedestrians and other cars rurning corners but didnt catch a huge transit van in front of me.
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Anti collision wouldnt initiate at parking speeds and you wouldn't have got to 20mph plus in 10ft.

Nelly said:
It done the sane as I was drivi g it home down hil with my foot on the brake as it was a vwry steep hill. All i cannsay is that if this was in a busy residential are there would have been fatalities.
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Surely after such an incident, uncontrolled acceleration, unable to stop with brakes and front end impact having rammed a transit van, you didnt really drive it further after such events?

Nelly said:
The vehicle has been repaired and is booked in to MG for a full diagnostics on Friday.
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I must say, youre very laid back about this situation. If it had been me, I would have had the car towed to the garage where it would have stayed to be fixed and diagnoses.

It will be interesting to hear what faults are found by MG, please do keep us updated.
 
legend99 said:
Just to come back to this. When I had to move the car, after the vacuum pump was gone, I did manually push the brake pedal and gave it everything I had. To put that in context, I'm a 6 1, 17 stone lad and I was not pushing it lightly. The car was extremely difficult to stop - and essentially it was like driving without brakes - that was my real world experience. As it did kind of slow down, the car was juddering massively - kind of like being in a manual car if you tried to stop the car without pushing the clutch.
Click to expand...
Hello yes vac pump is different as in servo assist, need plenty of push power to replicate a servo .
 
ozzz said:
Hi sorry can’t believe this happened I know of instances that people have pressed the acc instead of the brake especially coming from a manual to automatic.
Click to expand...

When I took my ZS for a test drive, first stop to join the main road, I slammed on the brake with my left foot - trying to press the clutch before pressing the brake with my right foot ... ???

and yes, I knew how to drive automatic but still... feet do their own thing after decades of shifting gears ...
 
fred12345 said:
that happened to me on my last diesel car, the whole servo thing switched off.... and yes, you have to dig your foot into the brake as hard as you can. don't get me wrong when I say "it's normal", but these things happen, tyres burst, wheels fall off ...
warning should have flashed to stop the car immediately?


View attachment 26527
Click to expand...
Actually, the warning said proceed with caution. It did not say to stop driving.
 
johnb80 said:
Non of us are experts here but not being involved and reading the recollection, some parts are hard to believe if you look at the facts as reported with an open mind.


The witness in the car just happened to be looking at your feet and didnt look up when the car was shooting off out of control? I personally find that unlikely, even as an ex driving instructor I wouldn't be watching a drivers feet.


10 ft in an accelerating EV would take less than a second. In this one second you have assessed you had your foot hard on the brake and your passenger had witnessed this to be the case whilst in a fright/shock mode of the unexpected taking place?


Anti collision wouldnt initiate at parking speeds and you wouldn't have got to 20mph plus in 10ft.


Surely after such an incident, uncontrolled acceleration, unable to stop with brakes and front end impact having rammed a transit van, you didnt really drive it further after such events?


I must say, youre very laid back about this situation. If it had been me, I would have had the car towed to the garage where it would have stayed to be fixed and diagnoses.

It will be interesting to hear what faults are found by MG, please do keep us updated.
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I have the diagnostic results from MG. 8 failures on the car.
Rather than tell cynical people on here. The report has gone to the DVSA, leasing company and Tesco Insurance company.
It did actually state that it Was dangerous for road users and pedestrians.
 
Nelly said:
I have the diagnostic results from MG. 8 failures on the car.
Rather than tell cynical people on here. The report has gone to the DVSA, leasing company and Tesco Insurance company.
It did actually state that it Was dangerous for road users and pedestrians.
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Please can you publish the report here and put and end, once and for all, to all the cynical comments.
 
Nelly said:
I have the diagnostic results from MG. 8 failures on the car.
Rather than tell cynical people on here. The report has gone to the DVSA, leasing company and Tesco Insurance company.
It did actually state that it Was dangerous for road users and pedestrians.
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In order for us to drop the skepticism/cynicism, you would be betting stating what the failures were.

Otherwise it's just fueling it.
 
Surfdog said:
Please can you publish the report here and put and end, once and for all, to all the cynical comments.
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I will do this tomorrow as I need to scan the report.

moth71 said:
Do hope if it is dangerous to drive it has been taken off the road
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The garage who repaired it told me that the vehicle was safe to drive when they returned it to me on Tuesday. Because i knew I wasnt to blame for the accident i needed proof of there having been something wrong with the vehicle. I booked it in with MG as soon as possible and this is what they came up with. This really is a long story and I am pursing the garage, tesco insurance and the leasing company. Tesco said the vehicle had to go to this garage. MG said it was ok as long as theynused genuine mg parts for the car it would still be under warranty. I see a long road ahead trying to get the garage to say they returned the car when it was unroadworthy etc etc. The scary thing is, why did it fail on so manynthings? How would you ever know? Do you have to have an accident for these things to be picked up? If I accepted it was my fault and took the car back, i would still be at risk of it happening again and could have possibly killed someone!! Thats not being dramatic thats telling the truth.
 
Susanna said:
Out of interest, today I asked my front seat passenger whether they could see my feet, and the pedals on the MG ZS. They could not, unless their head was almost on my lap………
Just saying ?
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And, when it's all going wrong you'd keep looking down there :unsure: Well, I for one would be looking out of the window.

I’m looking forward to reading the report of what the experts found on this car, it should be a revelation and especially for people with similar models and for MG themselves.
 
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