2018 explorer parking brake doesn’t work after brake service

[Mhgoodw]

Hi all, new here but could really use your help. Yesterday I took our 2018 explorer sport in to the dealer for a routine oil change and tire rotation. They called to say they recommended rear rotors and pads needed replaced. I told them to go ahead, despite them quoting $850 which I still think is way too much. Well today I go to pick it up, drive it home and find out that the parking brake no longer stops the explorer on the hill in our driveway. I have for years parked both my 2014 f150 and our 2018 explorer on this hill by first engaging the parking brake, releasing the brake pedal allowing the vehicle to roll into the parking brake, and then finally shifting the transmission to park. We do this to reduce wear and tear on the transmission and avoid that terrible “clunk” you get sometimes when shifting out of park when you are on a steep hill.

I take it back and the service advisor tells me that the parking brake is actually a braking assist and should not necessarily prevent the vehicle from rolling on a hill. The tech came out and I was able to prove to them that with the car parked on a hill and the parking brake set, it would roll if I pushed the car (the hill at the dealer is not as steep as our driveway). They took it to the back to look further and had a master tech look at it. They say that both left and right sides of the parking brake fully engage and that they don’t know why it continues to roll, they say it could be due to a stretched cable caused by our habit of setting the parking brake prior to shifting to park.

Any thoughts on why prior to taking it in for this service the parking brake would prevent the explorer from rolling on the slope of our driveway and after the service it won’t?

Am I totally off in setting the parking brake prior to shifting to park to reduce wear and tear on the transmission?!

Am I crazy?!?!

 

[mguy13sport]

The parking brake cable linkage on the rear calipers is spring loaded. They could have misaligned it or not seated the cable properly on the caliper. They are obviously sensitive to changes in tension. The vehicle should not roll at all.

$850 for rear pads and rotors is insanely marked up.

 

[peterk9]

Hi all, new here but could really use your help. .............................

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter

 

[peelman]

Wish I could help. There's not one brake video on how to set up the rear parking brake while servicing. The hydraulic and mechanical brake should be set during this service. Both professional and DIY'er fail to do this.

 

[peterk9]

Any update to the issue?

Peter

 

[mguy13sport]

This is a good video for dealing with the rear parking brake on the 5th gen



He uses some special tools but I did the same procedure with small pry bars and flat screw driver.

 

[peelman]

This is a good video for dealing with the rear parking brake on the 5th gen



He uses some special tools but I did the same procedure with small pry bars and flat screw driver.

Unfortunately no adjustment to the parking brake.

 

[mguy13sport]

Any adjustments would be made at the pedal. The cable is not adjustable like older generations.

 

[peelman]

Any adjustments would be made at the pedal. The cable is not adjustable like older generations.

There is a procedure on bleeding and setting the integrated parking brake as one is hydraulic and the other mechanical at the caliper. Just need someone with a service manual to post it lol

 

[peterk9]

Hi all, new here but could really use your help. Yesterday I took our 2018 explorer sport in to the dealer for a routine oil change and tire rotation. They called to say they recommended rear rotors and pads needed replaced. I told them to go ahead, despite them quoting $850 which I still think is way too much. Well today I go to pick it up, drive it home and find out that the parking brake no longer stops the explorer on the hill in our driveway. I have for years parked both my 2014 f150 and our 2018 explorer on this hill by first engaging the parking brake, releasing the brake pedal allowing the vehicle to roll into the parking brake, and then finally shifting the transmission to park. We do this to reduce wear and tear on the transmission and avoid that terrible “clunk” you get sometimes when shifting out of park when you are on a steep hill.

I take it back and the service advisor tells me that the parking brake is actually a braking assist and should not necessarily prevent the vehicle from rolling on a hill. The tech came out and I was able to prove to them that with the car parked on a hill and the parking brake set, it would roll if I pushed the car (the hill at the dealer is not as steep as our driveway). They took it to the back to look further and had a master tech look at it. They say that both left and right sides of the parking brake fully engage and that they don’t know why it continues to roll, they say it could be due to a stretched cable caused by our habit of setting the parking brake prior to shifting to park.

Any thoughts on why prior to taking it in for this service the parking brake would prevent the explorer from rolling on the slope of our driveway and after the service it won’t?

Am I totally off in setting the parking brake prior to shifting to park to reduce wear and tear on the transmission?!

Am I crazy?!?!

Any update on this issue?

Peter