Parking Brake / Emergency Brake Question

[Woz1976-MT]

I have a 2016 T4R TE, under 20,000 miles, and I just noticed the other day that my parking brake doesn't hold my TE in place on an incline. I use my parking brake almost all of the time (occasionally not when on level ground). To keep from damaging to parking pawl, I do the following: stop, apply the parking brake, put transmission in neutral, release the brakes (the parking brake would then catch the weight of the 4Runner), then shift into park (yes, I know, very OCD).

My question is, would this be something covered under the 3/36 warranty? I know brakes pads/shoes are generally not covered since they are normal wear-and-tear items. But it seems odd to me that the parking brake doesn't hold properly on a new vehicle.

I have read about the spongy brake pedal feel and how some have improved it some by having a full brake fluid flush (I'm planning on doing that anyhow), so I'm guessing it wouldn't be much of an extra charge for addressing the parking brake at the same time.

 

[MyanRagahis]

Mine wouldn't hold well either. I could give a tap on the gas and it would go. It was non exsistent in 4lo lol. I mentioned it to the dealer during my 10k service and they said they adjusted and tightened it. All is well now.

There was also a funky burning smell from the rear brakes when I got home when I checked it out. It was gone the same day though.

 

[slide531]

Yeah, it is covered. I had mine adjusted as well.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Jono.ful]

Takes about 15 min to adjust the parking brake. There are instructions posted here somewhere

 

[brtnstrns]

My parking brake doesn't do jack shit on hills. I had the service department look at it at like 10,000 miles but they said it was fine and functioning properly. I'm going to bring it up in a few weeks at my 20,000 service because it worries me that I'm going to destroy my transmission on the hills I sometimes have to park on in Seattle.

 

[Woz1976-MT]

Well, I finally stopped at my servicing dealer and the service adviser claims that the parking/emergency brake not being to hold the vehicle on an incline is normal, and that I should simply use the engage the parking brake and put the 4Runner in "park" at the same time, and let both catch the weight of the vehicle.

Being a "technical" (ie. OCD) person, federal regulations require a vehicle's parking brake to hold it on an incline/decline, but I can't find any reference to the specs on how much of a grade and how much force/weight must be held.

As an aside, my brake pedal feels a bit "mushy" so I'm going to provide my own Amsoil brake fluid and have the dealer doe a full brake fluid flush for me -- and then I'll mention the parking brake issue to the actual tech to see what he says about it.