Fed up with parking brake!!!

Update: I took my vehicle for service to the dealership and asked them to fix this. I was told the parking brake (they called it E-Brake) is electronic and cannot be adjusted!... I looked at them with shock and said how is it electronic?! it's a 4Runner! You can literally hear the ratchet engaging...
Anyway they said it's like this in "newer" 4Runners. They even put it in the service report and told me to contact Toyota corporate and bring the issue to them because the dealer cannot do anything for that.

Is this true at all? does anyone have any experience or info if they actually changed this on newer models?

 

You need to either talk to the service manager and tell them that their employees are morons or find a new dealership.

Do you see a computer or any sort of electronics in this image?



I sure don't.

This is the relevant parts diagram for a 2023 Toyota 4Runner.

Now, I didn't need to pull this information, because it's painfully obvious, as you well know, but I don't work for a dealership and I don't work on TOYOTAS for a living.

Also, the parking brake really does suck in these.

 

Thank you @bassist
appreciate the diagram. Is this from the repair manual? Can you share the link to the document if you have it so I can take it to them and point this out as reference?

 

So that ratcheting sound…I’m assuming you hear it as you press the parking brake pedal? And your dealer is telling you it’s an electrically driven parking brake? And that it’s been designed as a non-serviceable and non-repairable system? Riiight….

Just curios, does the dealer you went to have a fairly busy service dept? I have a theory that shameless levels of deception and lying are used by busy service departments to control how much work they get. I simply don’t understand the motivation to lie to this degree. It boggles the mind.

Not that I’m implying they lied to you. After all, maybe you got an early 6th gen or something with an electric brake actuator designed to mimic the “analogue” old-school feel of a mechanical actuated parking brake . The imitation brake cables running down the trackbar to the brake rotor is a nice touch. Toyota really pays attention to the details ya know lol

 

I just googled 4runner parking break pedal and found a link to where you can buy Toyota parts online.

https://eparts-images.toyota.com/461122C.SVG

 

Skeuomorphism at its finest!

 

I knew for sure it wasn't electronic. I know this much about my 4Runner. I too suspected that they are either lying and dont want to do a warranty repair, or incredibly ignorant...But gave them the benefit of the doubt that maybe on a slight chance, similar to some other mid gen updates Toyota has done, they added an electronic module to the brake circuit for some reason. That's why I brought the issue here.

Funny thing is how confidently they told me to take it up with Toyota corporate. Wouldn't it look bad on them if I told corporate their "certified" servicemen gave me such response?!

 

I had to look that up lol. But now that I did, it’s a perfect word. I’m sure Toyota cares about it’s older customers and doesn’t want to scare and confuse them with new buttons and missing pedals lol.

That’s the shameless part. Brash additions to lies like that are an almost a universal tell that somebody is so full of feces that it’s starting to come out their eyeballs.

 

I only know that word because of the big shift in how things look on the iPhone that happened several years ago.

 

WELL my 2016 runner is inspecting it of the every year ... take the tires off , rotated it and inspecting the 4 calipers brakes .. cleaned it lubed it .. did the pins ..
take off the rear calipers .... inspect the parking brake shoe , did the shoe area ......cleaned it .. then adjusted it ..park brake shoes ..

the rear brakes of those vehicles ,,, an emergency shoe brakes ......NO CALIPERS REAR ..DID THE DRUMS ...
4 calipers of the total brakes 2016 runner is a great job .....I was the 2017 and the parking brake is the shoes adjusted it ...

so you was the parking brake of the rear axle .. then adjust it and cleaned the shoes and the rusted shoe area ...
you was the new runner of the drums of the rear ??????????

 

Also, it says in the manual somewhere that the ebrake should have 7-9 clicks (or something close to that) to fully support the vehicle.

When you show them the ebrake diagram, also show them that “7-9 clicks” statement and demonstrate the truck is not held by 7-9 clicks. That should help.

 

@MountainWanderer I say don't go back and talk to another shop

 

my boat trailer of the brake shoes 6-8 clicks turned it of the brake shoes of the drum ...did the adjustment shoe ...,, drum rotate did a shoe adjustment did a rotation of the shoe hearing and then 6-8 clicks of the adjustment running drums .. I was the trailer brakes 1987 ................

 

LOL. This dealership is trying to make you go away. If they are serious, I wouldn't trust them to wipe off bird poop from my car without causing 10 k in damage.

 

I think that’s precisely what the dealer was doing. That’s what’s so maddening.

Although, it’s possible to take the generous view. If they didn’t tell the customer to kindly f*ck off, they could check the parking brake, tell you “they all do that”, charge you a 180 dollar diagnostic fee, and then tell you to kindly f*ck off.

Wow, now I realize their behavior and lies are actually a kindness! My faith in dealerships has been restored!

 

Thanks everyone for your inputs. Appreciate the community support.

On second thought I don't think I will go back there anymore. Even if I get them to admit they lied, I can never trust them with my vehicle again so there's no win for me.

Such a shame! I bought the truck from them and they were convenient. Now for the remainder of my warranty period, I'll need to drive a bit find another one outside my area hoping they are any better!

I will contact Toyota corporate though. Show them the report, see what they have to say about their "certified" service department!

 

The emergency/parking brake on my 2020 was one factor that lead to them buying back the car (they didn't inspect the certified used 4R). 7-9 clicks should hold the car on a flat surface, in reverse, at idle.

I have gassed in reverse with the brake engaged (stupidity on my part). I have already loosened up the brake to 11 clicks. Doh!

 

8 clicks is a ballpark but not entirely correct. Tighten until you feel slight drag when rotating the rotor. After that release back by clicking opposite direction once or twice. Check the parking brake pedal travel. If it goes too far to the floor, tighten back up one or two clicks. I don't mind longer pedal travel because there will be no drag on parking brake while released.

 

The parking shoes cleaned it and the metal caliper drum shoe area sand paper ,,, mineral spirits .. I was the parking brake of that pedal ..... did around 5-7 clicks of that pedal and the drive way of the hill area did the no rotation of the runner ..

 

gassing in reverse shouldn’t cause it to loosen. In fact, you have to be driving at 20mph and brake with them to bed them in. If they dont hold, you might want to adjust them like I described in this thread.