Emergency brake horror story

Hi! I need an explanation please. I have owned/driven a 2006 LR3, 2013 LR4 and now a 2016 Landmark LR4 with keyless entry.

The car is always well maintained. I was parked on a very slight incline, which I was aware of. I wanted to cool the inside of the car for my dog as I had to leave him in the car.

I put the emergency brake on and put the car in park. If I had just left the car in neutral I would not have even been able to get out of the car because it would roll.

With the car running I open the rear hatches, climbing in and out numerous times, moving around the car.

When I was done, I closed the bottom hatch and left the top open.

As I have done many, many times before, I stood outside the drivers side front door, both feet on the ground, reached over and turned off the car.

The car immediately has rolled back, I threw myself to the ground, lay on my back, watched the door roll over me, jumped up, watched my car roll across a road and hit a tree.

Due to roof damage the car might be considered totaled.

What the heck happened? I called Land Rover service, the one I always use and told them what happened. I was told I always had to turn off the car with my foot on the brake. I was told because I did not do that, the brake got mixed signals and stopped holding.

I cannot find any instructions in the manual about not reaching in and turning off the car. For 13 years I have driven these cars. I have never, ever been told this by any sales or service person.

The roof is crumpled so the car might be considered totaled.

What happened? Emergency brakes are supposed to hold.

But it was in park?....

Yes, in park with the emergency brake on.

If the Rover was in Park it should not have been able to move. In your thread you said it was in Neutral, if it was in neutral then it could very well happen as the Parking brake/Emergency brake is electrical and not mechanical like years gone by.

Thank you. Your explanation makes sense in that it pretty much matches what my Land Rover service rep told me, that when I turned my car off the way I did, from outside the car, I gave the ebrake mixed signals and it released.

I checked my first description and it did say I was in park with the ebrake on, but that is still very scary that the parking brake no longer automatically locks the wheels. I know people think that even in neutral, with the emergency brake on, their car won’t move.

It is also very scary that my car did roll. Again my service rep said it slightly differently in that in all cases where I would have had the emergency brake on, by turning the car off the way I did, I caused the emergency brake to receive mixed signals and release.

For liability purposes, Land Rover should put that in writing in the car manual, that the emergency brake is not what it used to be, the default safety item that keeps your car from rolling. Land Rover should clearly state you must turn off the car by having your foot on the brake pedal when you turn off the car, or risk having it roll.

Thank you very much for your help.

I feel like the electrical emergency brake is not as safe as nonelectrical emergency brakes.

Nothing beats a mechanical hand brake as far as im concerned. Fwiw I tried this on my LR4 (while in it) and the ebrake stayed on when I turned the car off regardless of whether my foot was on the brake. The only time I've gotten it to go off without me turning it off is by trying to drive off with it set. In that instance it holds for just a bit then releases itself.