The Electronic Parking Brake is the Greatest Failure of the Ford Bronco

[BroncoBoy22]

Manual hand brakes feels better. The electric one def sounds better. Sounds like a transformer hahaha

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[jehines3]

I like the parking brake being electronic. I just wish they ran it the same way my wife's Lexus works. It can be set to automatically apply when placed in park. I hate when my vehicles develop excessive roll from parking pawl wear in the AT. I use the parking brake and it works just fine for parking.

 

[cowman]

Never had a problem with mine

 

[Area51BS]

Now what has taken me a little getting used to is last 2 Fords went into park when ignition was turned off. Caught myself a few time in the Bronco with dash warning vehicle is not in park. Oops.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

My Bronco in particular has already had a total failure of the electronic parking brake in it's first 200 miles. I have been told by the dealership that this is rare, but they have seen other Bronco's experience this as well. I've been told it's is an electric/wiring issue and apparently the fix is simple, but the part needed is of course backordered for months.

This would never have been a possible problem if the engineers hadn't decided that they needed to reinvent the wheel here.

What is the answer to the question, WHY an electronic parking brake? What, they thought people who wanted to drive a MANUAL transmission Bronco would just love if their parking brake was anything but manual? And of course they devise the stupidest electronic solution possible, put it in a horrible and inconvenient location and design it poorly enough so that Bronco owners see it failing completely within weeks of ownership.

To my knowledge, it's also quite useless as an emergency brake - as it won't work if the vehicle doesn't have power, and would be very tricky to use (if possible at all) in a brake failure situation. To my understanding, you have to reach for it in it's tucked-away location under the dash, where it's quite impossible to find unless you have great muscle memory of exactly where it is, and even more so impossible in the dark, and then you have to remember whether it's push or pull to engage, hopefully pick the right direction, and HOLD it there for an extended period of time. You have to do all of this while steering and shifting and pumping your brake pedal and honking your horn and whatever else you would be doing in an emergency brake failure situation. Since you have to reach so far down and forward, it would probably mess with your driving position making you less safe in the event of a crash. I'd also be curious if it can be disengaged if the vehicle doesn't have power at all. I would assume it must be, somehow, because if not, that would obviously be extremely problematic.

As a side note, it's also completely useless for having fun with, as you have to clutch kick or use the transfer of weight to slide the car around. Ford obviously considers this a factor for some cars (e.g., the new Ford Mustang which has a handbrake built for drifting). Do they think Bronco drivers don't like to do the same thing? We must just want to drive to the mall and to the grocery store and we surely hate having fun, right?

Sure, not a big deal for those who drive the automatic transmission Broncos, but this is probably widely agreed as the #1 grievance that 7MT drivers have with their Bronco. They clearly spent a lot of time designing and engineering the vehicle and succeeded at that in many ways, ways that we all love, which just makes this stand out even more as such an absolute and utter failure. I really don't think they put more than 30 seconds of thought into it.

I would like to hear any suggestions for improving the electronic parking brake experience with the Bronco. From my preliminary research, I think a hydraulic handbrake would be the easiest solution. A hydro handbrake can typically be installed on any vehicle without much difficulty. The only tricky parts may be ensuring the lever itself is discrete and matches the Bronco's interior. I imagine a second brake caliper would then be required for the rear wheels as well. Does anyone make anything like this, or any alternative systems? Has anyone tried this yet, maybe for a ad hoc use case like Ultra4 or SEMA, but still? Would love to hear all thoughts on this! Thanks.

I don't like it either. It isn't located in a great spot (I have it muscle memorized but still) and I can't imagine if I'd have to use it in emergencies. We've never had problems with it but I don't like the design of it.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

I could care less about the parking brake. I'd rather they beef up the steering rack and give me a physical button to turn off the 12" display.

 

[bronco100]

I like the parking brake being electronic. I just wish they ran it the same way my wife's Lexus works. It can be set to automatically apply when placed in park. I hate when my vehicles develop excessive roll from parking pawl wear in the AT. I use the parking brake and it works just fine for parking.

Again this post is discussing the issue as it pertains to drivers of the manual Broncos. If you drive the automatic please refrain from commenting about how much you like the electronic parking brake.

 

[jehines3]

Again this post is discussing the issue as it pertains to drivers of the manual Broncos. If you drive the automatic please refrain from commenting about how much you like the electronic parking brake.

You clearly tried to oversell your thread title. I've owned mostly manuals and I get what you are saying but It's a parking brake, how can it be a huge failure? Being electric is also how it works on hill start assist which is a huge bonus for manual trans owners in steep terrain. I've had 7 manuals in my life, the brake is actually a pretty good design. My Isuzu manuals all had that stupid leaver that pull out to the lower left of the steering wheel. Anyone in a salt environment will flat out tell you a cable driven parking/E-brake running on a drum setup is junk. Parking Brakes get stuck and locked on with that junk even though you released the cable pressure. I've been under a truck or two with a heat gun trying to get the cable unfrozen.

So biggest failure, nope, Better mouse trap.

 

[bronco100]

You clearly tried to oversell your thread title. I've owned mostly manuals and I get what you are saying but It's a parking brake, how can it be a huge failure? Being electric is also how it works on hill start assist which is a huge bonus for manual trans owners in steep terrain. I've had 7 manuals in my life, the brake is actually a pretty good design. My Isuzu manuals all had that stupid leaver that pull out to the lower left of the steering wheel. Anyone in a salt environment will flat out tell you a cable driven parking/E-brake running on a drum setup is junk. Parking Brakes get stuck and locked on with that junk even though you released the cable pressure. I've been under a truck or two with a heat gun trying to get the cable unfrozen.

So biggest failure, nope, Better mouse trap.

Electronic parking brakes are far more likely to get stuck, particularly in vehicles that go off-road frequently. Also I live in an extremely hilly area and go off roading in steep mountainous roads and I’ve never used hill start assist. It’s a useless feature for anyone who actually knows how to drive. Again you don’t understand because you drive the automatic, but in the manual, dealing with the parking brake is something you do every single time you drive the vehicle.

 

[cyberfalco]

Lol, I agree. A lever parking brake is the best way to go. I was made fun of when I voiced this to so many people that I was not with the times.

I also said this about the transfer case shifter that a mechanical lever is ideal.

 

[bronco100]

I could care less about the parking brake. I'd rather they beef up the steering rack and give me a physical button to turn off the 12" display.

You drive the automatic.

 

[bronco100]

Lol, I agree. A lever parking brake is the best way to go. I was made fun of when I voiced this to so many people that I was not with the times.

I also said this about the transfer case shifter that a mechanical lever is ideal.

Absolutely agreed.

 

[cyberfalco]

Electronics package easier which is why vehicles are moving in this direction. Manufacturers are more interested in saving money and not really worrying about longevity.

 

[RhodeIslandRed]

I get that you had problems with it and you are mad. But all my new cars have had e pkg brakes for a while. The bronco e brake has worked fine for 20k miles for me. I didn't love the location of the lever at first, but it's totally automatic now.

What's interesting to me is that this system enables the trail turn assist functionality. Of course, we don't have this with the 7MT. But if someone hacks that, I'll add four distinct hard buttons to be able to lock wheels independently. I say expand this thing, not get rid of it.

 

[FoxFour281]

Being electric is also how it works on hill start assist which is a huge bonus for manual trans owners in steep terrain.

It's the ABS system that controls the hill start assist. My Mustang had a traditional parking brake and hill start.
I found a article on how Ford saves 20lbs per F150 using electric parking brakes vs. traditional systems. So to me Ford is trying to save weight for MPGs where they can.

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