Avensis Electronic Handbrake Failure

[FROSTYBALLS]

Welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

When was the car first registered? If on or before 31st May 2010 it will have had the 3 year/60,000 mile new car warranty. If it was registered on or after the 1st June 2010, it will have had the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty - in which case, if the warranty is still valid (ie has the required service history), you may still be covered.

Just be aware that when one buys a car, your contract is with the retailer - not the manufacturer.

If you bought the car through a dealer, you will probably have some comeback against the dealer either through the Sale of Goods Act 1979, or if you bought the car on Hire Purchase through the Supply of Goods Implied Terms Act 1973. So unless the car was bought through a private sale, the retailer you bought it from has to be your first approach

[scheissefuergirn]

My 2013 model has an intermittent fault and has been in the garage twice for repair but they say that they can't find a problem. I have been advised to take care when parking but that isn't good enough. How can I "take care" if I have to park on a steep hill? The parking brake failed once on a hill start. If I had hit the car behind I doubt that Toyota would have paid the insurance bills.

[revband]

My 2011 model keeps refusing to release the brake until tried three or four times, ( embarrassing when sat in traffic) a few hundred yards down the road I get a single warning beep and a yellow triangle lights then goes strait off. Toyota say no code no repair.

I have had Toyota cars since a friend of mine became a Toyota dealer in the 70s but I think this will be my last one.

[Heidfirst]

" I have been advised to take care when parking but that isn't good enough. How can I "take care" if I have to park on a steep hill?"

leave it in an appropriate gear & with the front wheels turned towards the kerb.

"The parking brake failed once on a hill start. If I had hit the car behind I doubt that Toyota would have paid the insurance bills."

It failed on a hill start - you mean that it stayed on? You should have the clutch at the biting point before you release the brake so that you don't roll back.

[Heidfirst]

My 2011 model keeps refusing to release the brake until tried three or four times, ( embarrassing when sat in traffic) a few hundred yards down the road I get a single warning beep and a yellow triangle lights then goes strait off. Toyota say no code no repair.

I have had Toyota cars since a friend of mine became a Toyota dealer in the 70s but I think this will be my last one.

Tbh all manufacturers are going the same way (even the Mazda 6 which had been a hold-out) so you are going to have the same issues if you jump.

[revband]

My 2011 model keeps refusing to release the brake until tried three or four times, ( embarrassing when sat in traffic) a few hundred yards down the road I get a single warning beep and a yellow triangle lights then goes strait off. Toyota say no code no repair.

I have had Toyota cars since a friend of mine became a Toyota dealer in the 70s but I think this will be my last one.

Tbh all manufacturers are going the same way (even the Mazda 6 which had been a hold-out) so you are going to have the same issues if you jump.

My problem is more with Toyota refusing to address the problem with an under guarantee fault than the fault itself, any car can develop a fault but it is the first time Toyota has refused me an under guarantee repair and is inexcusable.

[scheissefuergirn]

" I have been advised to take care when parking but that isn't good enough. How can I "take care" if I have to park on a steep hill?"

leave it in an appropriate gear & with the front wheels turned towards the kerb.

"The parking brake failed once on a hill start. If I had hit the car behind I doubt that Toyota would have paid the insurance bills."

It failed on a hill start - you mean that it stayed on? You should have the clutch at the biting point before you release the brake so that you don't roll back.

I have had my front wheel hit by a passing car whilst turned towards the kerb once (new tyre needed, new wheel needed and tracking to be done) so I won't be using your tip thank you. The auto hand brake released itself when I was doing the hill start.

Do you work for Toyota?

[scheissefuergirn]

My 2011 model keeps refusing to release the brake until tried three or four times, ( embarrassing when sat in traffic) a few hundred yards down the road I get a single warning beep and a yellow triangle lights then goes strait off. Toyota say no code no repair.

I have had Toyota cars since a friend of mine became a Toyota dealer in the 70s but I think this will be my last one.

Tbh all manufacturers are going the same way (even the Mazda 6 which had been a hold-out) so you are going to have the same issues if you jump.

My problem is more with Toyota refusing to address the problem with an under guarantee fault than the fault itself, any car can develop a fault but it is the first time Toyota has refused me an under guarantee repair and is inexcusable.

This is my problem too. They say because they can't find a fault that they aren't allowed to change any parts...ie...It has to fail whilst in the workshop. It has failed about half a dozen times in the last year. How long would I have to leave it in the workshop before they found the problem?

[FROSTYBALLS]

The 'tip' about leaving the car in gear when parked on a slope has been in the UK Highway Code for years, and is basically good practice..

As with any dealer (whether Toyota or another marque), unless they can see the fault or have evidence of the fault, their hands are tied as regards a warranty claim. Why not get someone to take a video of what happens when the fault occurs (ie warning lights and the beeping) so you can show the dealer.

[TomdeGuerre]

The highway code tells you to turn the wheels in towards the kerb once you've parked but this means you have to turn the wheels the other way when you're ready to drive away. The highway code specifically warns against this "dry steering" since turning the wheels while stationary causes unnecessary wear to the tyres and steering mechanism.

Then there's the argument bout applying the parking brake with the brakes hot so when they cool down the brakes no longer hold. Many cars have the 'drum in disc' parking brake so as a drum cools down it contracts tighter around the shoes. With the 'pad on disc' system I've never seen this theory satisfactorily explained. You have a steel disc and an aluminium caliper with different expansion and contraction rates and I've never seen the direct correlation demonstrated (assuming the pads expansion / contraction is negligible). I'd say the problem is more of marginal design in modern parking brake systems which only require a 16% efficiency rate to pass an MOT where it used to be 30%.

[Heidfirst]

.

[Heidfirst]

My problem is more with Toyota refusing to address the problem with an under guarantee fault than the fault itself, any car can develop a fault but it is the first time Toyota has refused me an under guarantee repair and is inexcusable.

They only have your word for it as there is no code to show that there is/was a fault. Without that proof they won't get authority for a warranty repair as a new actuator is ~£1000. Toyota are widely recognised as being probably the best mass manufacturer regarding in warranty claims so you may find that going elsewhere is jumping from the pan into the fire.

The auto hand brake released itself when I was doing the hill start.

If it's a manual trans the epb is designed to auto-release once you reach the point of being able to drive away (it shouldn't on an auto afaik). Is yours a manual or auto trans?

No, I don't work for Toyota but I understand why they won't authorise an expensive repair when there is no proof that a fault exists.

[revband]

Take a video?, great idea just tell me when the fault is going to occur and I will.

The dealer is happy that there is a fault by the description of it I gave them and even took the car for repair, they were very apologetic when they had to return the car not repaired on instruction from Toyota, the computer says no fault so no fault it is, of course computers are never wrong it's impossible isn't it?.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Taking a video was a suggestion to help you prove your point - if you don't wish to, DON'T

At the one multi storey car park in Birmingham, where the parking bays are on a slope, vehicles rolling away as they haven't been left in gear is a daily occurrence for the staff to deal with. My other half witnessed this occurrence a couple of times, and the concrete pillars in the car park are quite an effective solution to preventing the vehicles rolling too far ........

[revband]

Frostyballs, I was not intending to be rude, taking a video of a fault which can easily not occur for six months and then do it three times in quick succession on one run is incredibly difficult.

[Woody.01]

I came across this and found it very interesting, My 2011 Avensis 18k has refused to release twice now, and its going in tomorrow !

http://www.surreyelectronics.com/leaflets/TOYOTA%20AVENSIS%20ELECTRONIC%20PARKING%20BRAKE%20SYSTEM.pdf

[Masondog]

Hi my 2012 avensis tourer electronic parking brake failed recently, I left the car to go to a shop, when I returned to it it was parked in the back of another car!! My dealer found a fault code relating to brake overheating causing it, considering I never operated the brake on that journey?? I have since operated it 6 times one after the other on my drive with no failures, I also used it every chance I could the next day on the same trip with no failures!! Toyota claim no responsibility for it saying I shouldn't have left the car without checking the brake was set, which I accept, but it shouldn't fail and Toyota should not blame a fault that cannot be right!! We all know now how VW rigged their electronics in their cars!!!

[FROSTYBALLS]

If you didn't check the handbrake was set, how do you know the handbrake failed?

Aside from that, it is good practice to leave a car in gear or in Park when parked.

[Heidfirst]

Is your car a facelift (1/2012 was the changeover but there can often be unregistered cars several months old) ? 

[Masondog]

2 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

If you didn't check the handbrake was set, how do you know the handbrake failed?

Aside from that, it is good practice to leave a car in gear or in Park when parked.

Because the car wasn't where I left it! How else could it move?

[Masondog]

1 hour ago, Heidfirst said:

Is your car a facelift (1/2012 was the changeover but there can often be unregistered cars several months old) ? 

 

[Masondog]

Yes post facelift, new front end.

[FROSTYBALLS]

2 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

If you didn't check the handbrake was set, how do you know the handbrake failed?

Aside from that, it is good practice to leave a car in gear or in Park when parked.

 

43 minutes ago, Masondog said:

Because the car wasn't where I left it! How else could it move?

....if the handbrake wasn't set

[Masondog]

1 hour ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

 

....if the handbrake wasn't set

When you turn the ignition off it is supposed to come on. You shouldn't be able to leave the car with the keys on you without it setting.

[FROSTYBALLS]

12 minutes ago, Masondog said:

When you turn the ignition off it is supposed to come on. You shouldn't be able to leave the car with the keys on you without it setting.

Yes I know that.

Toyota's advice to you, which you said you accepted, was not to leave the vehicle without checking the handbrake was set. So there are two scenarios - either the handbrake doesn't set or the set handbrake fails.