Parking Brake Malfunction: What It Means and What to Do

On many cars an electric parking brake is a small motor at each rear brake, not a cable you pull, so its faults arrive as messages. That changes the fixes too, because a weak battery or a software update can be the whole repair.

What does a parking brake malfunction message mean?

A parking brake malfunction message means the electric parking brake found a fault, and some clear by themselves, as a section below shows. Carmakers word it differently, so here's what each parking brake message means, with what to do:

The wording comes from Ford, Toyota, Honda, GM and Chrysler owner's manuals and bulletins, and it changes by model. Check the warning page in your own manual.

The red parking brake light usually shows the brake is applied, and the amber one warns of a fault. A red BRAKE light can also mean low brake fluid. Our brake warning light guide covers the red BRAKE light when the parking brake is off.

The amber parking brake light

Can you drive with a parking brake malfunction?

You can drive to a shop if the car drives, brakes and parks normally, but don't count on the parking brake to hold it. GM goes a step further: other safety functions that rely on the parking brake may be limited too.

When you park, put the car in P, or in gear on a manual, and block the rear wheels if the brake won't apply. Driving with the brake stuck on is the bigger risk, because the rear brakes overheat and wear fast.

Stop and get help instead when the fault reaches the brakes you drive with, or it can't hold the car parked, in any of these 6 cases:

• It applies or drags while you drive. Two recalls cover parking brakes that could switch on by themselves, so pull over and switch off.
• Smoke from a wheel, or a soft pedal. A dragging brake overheats, and one recall warns that the heat may start a fire. Have it towed.
• The red and amber brake lights together. Honda treats that pair as a stop-now warning, so pull over somewhere safe and call a dealer.
• The red parking brake light flashes. On the recalled 2016 Civic the brake may not have applied, so check that it holds the car and see a dealer.
• It's stuck on and won't release. Don't drive on it, because the rear brakes can fail. Have it towed on a flatbed.
• It won't apply and the car could roll. Park in P, or in gear on a manual, block the rear wheels and get it serviced.

When the brake won't release, Hyundai wants the car carried on a flatbed, so the rear wheels stay off the road. Turn on your hazard lights while you wait, and don't touch a hot wheel.

Why is the parking brake malfunction light on?

The light comes on when the parking brake can't do what it was told, from a weak battery to a failed actuator (the brake's motor). Here's what sets a parking brake malfunction, with the test for each cause:

The first three causes are the cheapest to rule out. The sections below explain each one, from the cheapest check to the dealer's.

1. A weak or dead battery

A dead battery leaves an electric parking brake unable to apply or release. A drained one can also set faults.

So charge or jump the battery before anyone tests the brake. Our guide to a bad alternator or battery covers the charging test.

2. Heat from repeated use

Work the switch several times in a row and the system stops itself to keep from overheating. The light blinks, or a message says it overheated.

A Honda is ready again after about a minute, while Ford allows two. If it comes back without the repeated use, have the codes read.

3. A setting or another system

Some cars apply the brake at switch-off only when a menu setting is on, and Honda delivers its cars with that setting switched off. On others, the parking brake warning comes on because the stability control light is on, not because of a parking brake fault.

Some warning lights also stop the brake from releasing by itself as you drive off. Then it stays on until you use the switch, which can look like a fault.

4. Damaged wiring or a wet connector

The wiring to each rear brake runs close to the axle, and a harness that rubs through can switch the brake on by itself. Two recalls cover harnesses that wore or corroded, which is why a brake that applies while you drive is a stop sign.

Water in a connector does the same on a smaller scale. Jeep dealt with this in a bulletin, fixing a brake that won't release by replacing a corroded connector, and the module where needed.

5. Brake module software

Several carmakers fixed the parking brake malfunction message with a software update to the brake control module. The stored code points to it, so ask for a VIN check before any part is ordered.

Software can also stop the brake from engaging right after you switch off. One recall fixed exactly that with an update.

6. The actuator motor

The actuator clamps the rear pads for parking. When one fails, the brake can stop working on that side, and one recall replaced the actuators on cars whose brake might not engage.

A failed actuator is the last cause to accept, after the battery, the wiring and the software. Ask which side the code names, because only that side may need a part.

What if the parking brake is stuck or won't release?

An electric parking brake that won't release needs power, the brake pedal and the switch together. Work through the 4 steps below to release a stuck electric parking brake, in order:

1. Switch the car on. Turn the ignition fully on or start the engine, because the brake's motors need power to move. If the dash stays dark or the engine won't crank, skip to step 3.
2. Press the brake pedal, then the switch. With the car on, keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal and press the parking brake switch once. You may hear a short whir from the rear wheels, and the red parking brake light should go off.
3. Charge the battery if nothing moved. A weak battery leaves the brake stuck where it was, so jump or charge it, then go back to steps 1 and 2 with the power back on.
4. Don't hold the switch down. Holding it doesn't reset anything, and a Jeep lights a fault lamp if you hold it past 20 seconds. If the red light stays on after the battery is charged, stop trying, because the car needs a flatbed tow.

Some cars also release the brake by themselves when you drive off with the seat belt on and the engine running. The owner's manuals we read give no mechanical release, so if nothing works, have it towed on a flatbed instead of driving on it.

The electric parking brake switch

A cable parking brake that sticks

A lever or foot-pedal parking brake works on a cable, and a stuck one is a different job, because the cable can rust or freeze. Nissan's advice for freezing weather is to leave the parking brake off below 32°F.

Water can also rust the parking brake shaft inside a rear caliper until it binds. Mazda and Mitsubishi both recalled cable-brake cars over exactly that, so check the VIN before a shop quotes a caliper.

Rear pads rusted to the rotors

Rear pads can rust onto the rotors when a car sits unused for weeks, something shops see often. The brake then feels stuck even after the electric parking brake has released.

Ford's storage advice is to leave the parking brake fully released and move the car at least every 15 days. If the car still won't roll after a release, a shop has to free the rear brakes.

What clears by itself and what doesn't

No carmaker manual we read gives owners a general reset for a parking brake malfunction, but three cases clear on their own. A message that keeps coming back needs a dealer or a shop with a scan tool:

• After battery work. On many Honda models the warning goes off after a short drive above 12 mph, so see your manual. If it stays on, have a dealer check it.
• After repeated use. A light that blinks because the switch was used many times clears in a minute or two.
• After rear brake work. On some cars the brake leaves its service mode when you press the brake pedal and apply the switch with the car stopped.

The tricks in videos, holding the switch for a set time or disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, aren't in any carmaker manual we read. Some shops find a light clears after a one-off glitch, but if it comes back, the fault is real, so have it scanned and checked before anything is repaired.

Why do several lights come on with the parking brake light?

Several lights come on together because the parking brake shares its control module and sensors with the main brakes on some cars. Here's what each of the 4 light groups with the parking brake warning can point to:

• Red and amber brake lights together. Stop in a safe place and call a dealer, because the fault may reach the brakes you drive with.
• The stability control or ABS light. On some cars the stability light alone turns on the parking brake warning, so have those codes read first. Our ABS light guide covers the anti-lock side.
• The check engine or transmission light. On some cars these stop the brake from releasing as you drive off, so release it with the switch.
• The battery light. Suspect the battery or charging first, because low voltage stops the parking brake working. Our battery light guide covers the charging side.

Which parking brake problems are fixed for free?

A parking brake fault is fixed for free when a safety recall covers your car and a dealer does the repair. The recalls we found cover software, wiring, the actuator and rusted shafts in cable brakes, and they're cards in the documents section.

Check your VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup, or start with our free VIN decoder for your model year's recalls. Bulletins aren't free programs, so a bulletin fix is paid by the warranty or by you.

How do you fix a parking brake malfunction?

A parking brake malfunction is fixed by finding which part or signal failed before anything is replaced. Unless the brake drags or won't release, which means a tow first, start with these 4 checks you can do yourself:

• Note the exact message and the lights. Photograph or write down the words on the dash and whether a light is red, amber or blinking. Then find that message in the warning section of your owner's manual, which says whether you can keep driving.
• Test the battery and check the fuse. Low voltage stops the brake working, so charge or jump a weak battery first and try the switch again. If the brake still does nothing, find the parking brake fuse in the manual's fuse chart and check whether it has blown.
• Give it the chance to clear by itself. After battery work on many Hondas, drive a short way above 12 mph with the parking brake fully off and watch whether the light goes out. If it came on after you pressed the switch many times, leave the switch alone for a minute or two and try once more.
• Check your VIN for a recall. Enter the 17-character VIN from the windshield or the door frame on a recall lookup. An open recall is fixed free by a dealer, so if you find one, book that dealer before paying any other shop.

If the message is still on after those checks, the fault needs a scan tool that reads the brake module, so book a dealer or a shop and bring your notes on the message. A good shop works through these 4 checks before it replaces a part:

• Read the codes and test the battery. Ask the shop to read the brake module codes, not just the engine codes, and to test the battery and charging. A brake code points to the circuit and the side, so it shows where to look next, not yet which part failed.
• Check for a software update. With the code in hand, the shop checks your VIN for a brake module update, because several carmakers fixed parking brake faults that way. If an update matches the code, it comes first, before any part is ordered.
• Inspect the wiring and connectors. If no update fits, the shop checks the harness near the rear axle, where it can rub through, and the connectors, where water can get in. A damaged harness or a wet connector is repaired before anyone blames the actuator.
• Replace the actuator or caliper only when the tests point to it. When the codes and tests lead to one side, the shop replaces that part and takes the brake out of its service mode, which on some cars needs a scan tool. Then it checks that the brake applies and releases.

Rear brake work on these cars starts with the brake in its service mode, so the pistons can move back. Our brake pad and rotor replacement cost guide covers the brake job itself.

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Common questions

Asked most often

Can a weak battery cause a parking brake malfunction?

Yes, because the electric parking brake needs power to move. Honda puts it plainly: with a dead battery the brake can't be applied or released, so test or charge the battery first.

How do you release an electric parking brake?

Switch the car on, keep the brake pedal down and press the parking brake switch. If nothing moves, check the battery, and have the car towed rather than driven if the brake stays on.

Can you reset a parking brake malfunction yourself?

Sometimes. A short drive after battery work or a short wait after repeated use can clear it, and a one-off glitch may clear after a battery disconnect, but a light that comes back needs a scan.

What happens if the parking brake is pulled while driving?

On many cars with an electric parking brake, holding the switch while moving brakes the car through the ABS, and letting go of the switch or pressing the accelerator ends it, so a short pull gives a jolt and then normal driving. We've had exactly that in our own car, and Ford's advice is to use it while moving only if the main brakes fail.

This article is general information, not advice about your specific vehicle. Where anything here differs from your owner's manual or your carmaker's bulletins, follow the carmaker. See the disclaimer.