There are pros and cons to electronically actuated parking brakes, though if I had to choose, I’d always rather have a good, old-fashioned manual parking brake instead. Sure, an electronic parking brake saves interior space, but for me, the tradeoffs are too great.
Electronic parking brakes add weight and complexity, plus, even if it is just a button on the dash, it always seems to take longer to activate or deactivate than quickly pulling on a manual handle.
That added complexity means more things can go wrong. And that’s exactly the case with this recent Chevrolet recall, which says that a small number of cars could have damaged parking brake wiring harnesses that could cause the brake to fail or result in “unintended actuation,” even while the car is moving.
Let’s Get A Little More Specific
The recall, launched on Thursday, applies to just 20 Blazer EVs built in 2024 and 2025. It’s actually a fix for another recall that happened in June 2025, where over 40,000 of the cars were recalled due to the same problem. It turns out a very small number of those cars didn’t get the right fix. From the recall document:
Some vehicles remedied under recall 25V433 required wire harness replacement. An error in GM’s electronic parts catalogue (EPC) allowed dealers to order an incorrect replacement part. The design routing of the incorrect replacement wire harness does not sufficiently inhibit flexing of the wires and may cause shorting or breaking of the parking brake wires under normal driving conditions.
When these wires short or break, a light may appear on the dashboard, and in some cases, the car may not be able to shift out of park. That’s not all, though, according to GM:
If the parking brake actuates while driving, there is increased risk of a crash. If parking brake function is lost, the vehicle may roll away while unattended, increasing the risk of a crash.
In case you’ve never ripped the handbrake while driving at highway speeds, let me enlighten you: It makes for a very dangerous situation. Locking up the rear wheels while moving means that, effectively, you lose all control of the rear end of your car, which can result in a high-speed loss of control and, unless you’re very lucky, a crash.
How Did GM Find Out About The Mistake?
Issuing a recall to cover for a previous recall is nothing new. The most recent instance I can think of is back in October, when Jeep issued a recall for its Wrangler hybrid batteries to fix a previous recall that turned out to be potentially ineffective. Unlike some of these recall-on-recall fixes, this one wasn’t triggered by persisting issues or customer complaints. It was actually a GM employee who discovered the mistake:
On October 13, 2025, a GM brand quality manager submitted a report to GM’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) system after discovering that GM’s electronic parts catalogue (EPC) allowed dealers to order an incorrect wire harness for repairs under recall 25V433. Some vehicles remedied under recall 25V433 required wire harness replacement. The 25V433 service bulletin directed dealers to use the EPC to identify harness replacement part numbers. GM opened a product investigation on October 31, 2025. GM’s investigation reviewed warranty service data to identify vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement harness. On January 15, 2026, GM’s Safety and Field Decision Authority decided to conduct a safety recall.
GM says it corrected the original recall service bulletin the next day to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, and says it hasn’t heard of any crashes, injuries, or other incidents regarding the issue.
While dealers have already been notified, owners won’t be notified about the fix—a new harness for the parking brake—until March. That being said, even if you own a Blazer EV, it’s extremely unlikely you got the wrong fix in the first place, seeing as how this new recall only affects 0.04% of the cars that got the original recall. But I recommend running your VIN through the NHTSA’s recall site, just to be sure.
Top graphic image: Chevrolet
Wow, this really just illustrates to me that GM seems to have made progress creating a greater focus on safety and not sweeping things under the rug like they used to (ahem, ignition switch failures). My first thought would have been to consider the miniscule chance this really causes a problem and have done nothing. It heartens me to see they are better than me on this one.
I own a ’24 Blazer EV in RS AWD trim. Original recall is still outstanding because my local dealer can’t apparently get around to ordering the parts to begin with.
For what it’s worth, I’ve had this car since 03/25 and have put on 12k of completely trouble-free, easy miles. As much hate as this car gets, it’s actually a really nice vehicle that has worked out flawlessly for me.
I never did figure out why putting your car in gear with the parking brake engaged didn’t produce an audible alarm. The steering wheel inevitably blocks the brake light (also not like you look at the dash when starting to move) and it’s not like you’d ever intentionally drive with it activated.
My ’01 Jetta and ’17 Accord both started beeping when I tried driving off with the handbrake on. I like having a handbrake. It was especially helpful on Jetta around Seattle to keep from rolling backwards at a stop sign or light going uphill. I sold that car with 165K miles on it and it still had the original clutch. I did have to replace the brake pads and rotors.
On an automatic car, I don’t think I would mind an automated parking brake.
I will admit that an automatic brake is preferable to a foot brake. Hand brakes for the win, though.
I’ll give up one of my console cup holders for a hand brake with a stainless steel cable and sheathing.
A friend had the EPB fail on his Genesis G80. He didn’t even have his brake set but it failed to the lock position. No one would work on it except for a dealer that charged him $1200. I’m not a fan.
“Further, on some designs, you lose the ability to use the e-brake in emergencies.”
This is absolutely not true. By law if you pull and hold the button the car will slow down. The ESC will do it hydraulically if it can otherwise it will use the calipers at speed so it’s even got redundancy
What if say your positive battery cable got flung off? Or a small fire melted some wires or a solar flare sent an EMP and wiped out every circuit board on your car.
Checkmate
You’d have warning lamps before you even started driving
My main objection to EPBs is that you can’t release them when the battery is dead. Which is a niche situation, but if you have to tow/push a dead car after it’s been parked, it’s an additional hassle to either get a new battery/hook up jumpers. Or worst case scenario, jack up the car and remove the rear wheels to release the brakes manually.
I also once used a manual parking brake to nurse my car to the shop when the master cylinder was failing, but if I’m being reasonable, MPBs enabling my cheapskate risk-taking is not a good argument against EPBs.
The last time I had a dead battery I was parked facing downhill. I was all set to push start the car (manual transmission) but the parking brake was stuck. I had to wait for roadside assistance in the sun in triple digit heat.
Having had to replace both sets of shoes for the parking brake on my Ram, I’m not opposed to electric parking brakes. My one complaint about the one on my new GM truck is that sometimes it will auto-apply when you shut the truck off, but there are a lot of gentle slopes where I want to use it and it doesn’t. Instead of just habitually punching the button, I have to first check if it already applied itself. Not a huge deal, but a mental speed bump I could do without.
EPB are fine. The nightmare of assembling bag of springs, shims and other parts required to repair old school mechanical PB is enough to seal the deal for me. Repairing EPB is a caliper swap. Changing pads is easy.
I am many decades past messing with the parking brake while driving. I can get FWD or RWD cars to do most of the tricks I can do with a manual parking brake.
OTOH, I’ve owned a lot of vehicles and never had parking brake issues. I’m sure it happens, but I’d rather diagnose a bad cable than bad sensors and electronic modules. And I sure as hell wouldn’t trust a car after it engaged my parking brake on the highway with no input from me.
I could see that if it engaged on the highway. I keep my vehicles until they are fully worn out and have had to rebuild parking brakes on 80% of them. So far no problems with my EPB vehicles. Based on the circuits of the EPB on my Honda I’m not worried.
I normally drive my vehicles to about 10 years/150,000 miles and spray the underside off after driving on salted roads in the winter. Maybe I just don’t keep the vehicles long enough for the parking brake to…break.
Advantage for an e-parking brake: you know it’s fully clamped. There isn’t that sorta grey area where you pulled the lever, but the car can still creep a bit. And when it applies itself automatically (such as hill-holder): it gets regular use to keep it moving.
My dad always left the car in gear, and never used a parking brake. So when I, many moons ago, freshly instructed by my drivers ed to pull the parking brake when I parked: it had the effect of seizing up the rear brakes. My dad was less than thrilled.
But, over time, since I continued to borrow his car: the parking brake never seized again.
All of my subsequent cars I’ve owned over the years: I’ve always applied the parking brake as I really detest the few inches the car rolls after parking – and I worry how that might impact my transmission over the life of the car. And I’ve reached a stage of acceptance with an e-brake seeing how it has advantages, except, of course, when I want to slide the rear-end in the winter (I do miss that).
I had the same thing happen to me on my driver’s license road test. Instructor told me to apply parking brake after I parallel parked, but that was probably the first time the parking brake had been used in Dad’s ’76 Cutlass. Much rocking back and forth from Reverse to Drive, and it finally broke free.
Oof.
I hope they let you pass your test. I know some will fail you for any mechanical issue with the car itself.
“Why don’t you just make the EPB automatic when you shift into Park?”
“These parking brakes go to 11.”
Now that I have my first RWD car, I’m sort of wishing the parking brake locked the front wheels instead (mainly for jacking/safety). On an EV, I’m semi-surprised the parking brake is actually on the caliper instead of just programmed into the drivetrain.
I know there’s tradition, and plenty of situations where you need to lock the wheels and not the entire axle, but it’s still interesting that clean-sheet EVs often have so much old tradition built into them.
Some years back we found out the wife’s old X1 disengaged the front axle when parked- if she parked it in the short, steep driveway in wet snow, about a half hour later it would slide back into the street once it would freeze under the tires. The parking brake and transmission park both acted on the rear tires, but the front tires could just roll. Once the rear wheels had ice under them, off it went.
We never had the issue with the front wheel drive Bolt, with the transmission park locking the front, and the parking brake the rear wheels, although the Bolt did get slid into once by the BMW
A. I dislike electric parking brakes mainly because I do not use the PB for parking on flat land (99,99% of time) as to not have shoe/drum or pad/disk rust together.
B. “ripped the handbrake while driving … Locking up”
No? (I am in the EU.) My from the 80ties car did, but cars from ~2000 does not. Yes, they pass 12-24 month inspections measuring all brakes.
C. AFAIK the PB/Handbrake is not (no longer) considered an emergency brake, with the dual diagonal main system.
From past experiences, old mechanical e-brakes were one of the most neglected items on a used vehicle, up to finding vehicles on the road with them damaged or even missing components and not working at all.
Having an electronically actuated one doesn’t sound bad providing it is maintained.
The best way to maintain them is to use them all the time.
Matt’s Off Road Recovery are not fans of electronically controlled parking brakes, transfer cases, transmissions. My current car is first one with electronic parking brakes, I listen to the little motor doing its thing and wonder how much it will cost when it stops doing its thing.
For my F150, it was on the rear calipers, and RockAuto says $150-230(CAD) per actuator.
Which, having replaced many park brake cables and parking brake shoe assemblies, I’m willing to pay for the simplicity of it.
What are these designs where you can’t use the emergency brake in an emergency? Genuinely curious. I tested it on both my cars by holding the switch up while driving and they came to a stop in a hurry, but in a controlled manner.
Plus, having an electronic parking brake means it can automatically set when you turn the car off and prevent rollaways by automatically engaging if you do a dumb and open the door with the car in drive. Combined with modern stability control it can also prevent the situation you described where yanking the e-brake at speed can be dangerous. I think the weight of a small electric motor on the caliper is negligible compared to a steel handle, cable and mechanism also on a caliper/drum. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if an electronic parking brake worked out to be lighter than an old school cable and handle/pedal setup.
I know we generally hate anything different than it was 20 years ago and progress of any type, but they’re all-around safer than the old school manual brakes. And before you get your pitchforks out about how electronics can fail, remember how temperamental cable brakes could be. They required manual adjusting, the cables would stretch or break, the actual brake mechanism’s monkey motion of springs and levers could get stiff, and the handles had their own set of problems with ratchet mechanisms that got crusty, worn out and gummed up with fast food crumbs. The only place EPB’s fall short is FWD econobox Tokyo Drift hooning.
So the single most important thing.
I mean, I love drifting in winter and I’ve never had a FWD. And I love being able to initiate a slide while scrubbing speed with the E-brake.
The ‘ol scandy flick isn’t helpful when you’re carrying too much speed in to a corner in snow.
I had a Dodge Stratus whose ratchet plate wore down around 80k. Made me jump when I set it, stepped out of car and it released with a mighty metal ca chung sound. Until I had it fixed I used a couple pieces of kindling as wheel chocks, in case the manual trannie popped out of gear. If good enough for B-52, then good enough for a Stratus.
Forty or more years ago, personally, but point taken.
“In case you’ve never ripped the handbrake while driving at highway speeds, let me enlighten you: It makes for a very dangerous situation. Locking up the rear wheels while moving means that, effectively, you lose all control of the rear end of your car, which can result in a high-speed loss of control and, unless you’re very lucky, a crash.”
Tell that to the teenager who just watched the original Top Gun for the umpteenth billionty time and is looking to show off.
I have my first EPB right now and I stand by my dislike for them. I also never loved foot-operated parking brakes, but I can at least acknowledge that those started in older cars and trucks where they regularly had to work around a bench seat.
Main issue for me? It’s too binary. On/off. Regular brakes don’t work that way and neither should parking brakes. Sure, the EPBs usually have logic that don’t apply full pressure while driving, but that’s a level of trust I just don’t have. And this story doesn’t help 😉
I like the idea of having one that automatically engages when you park for steep driveways or hills, but being that I don’t park on either regularly it’s not something I want instead of a manual handbrake. Seems like something that could easily be triggered by a sensor for vehicle angle (doesn’t need to be perfect plus/minus 5 degrees) or just have it as an optional setting if you have a steep driveway. I can also appreciate that they take very little space and on my equinox it’s very conveniently located next to the shifter. But it’s adding complexity I don’t need, stopping me from doing cool drifts, and making rear brake jobs much more difficult on some cars.
This is all of course with an automatic – manual cars with electronic parking brakes are the devil’s work.
They don’t bother me to an immense extent, but I don’t like them. It’s a minor point, but in deep snow driving in a FWD, being able to pull the e-brake to get the rear end out can help stop you from understeering into a curb.
For those of us who like driving and know how to do it, an electronic parking brake just takes away yet another control we have of our car.
Even in my Tracker in RWD I find myself using the handbrake to counter understeer (in situations where I’d rather slow down than speed up with the gas). Did it today, in fact!