I have a 2008 xB that the parking brake (left rear wheel specifically) sticks on in cold weather. I have taken it to the dealership twice and am getting ready to take it in for the third time. Basically, the rear wheel is locked up when driving the car on snow, and drags when on clear pavement (but rotates). When the problem is occurring, the hand brake has an additional 2 inches of play without tension, whereas it normally has tension as soon as it is pulled up.
No amount of wiggling, pulling, foot braking, rocking will disengage it. Take it to dealer, car gets parked inside, problem goes away.

I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this problem. This only occurs when the temperature gets below 25F. Occurs whether or not there is snow, so I don't think it is snow refreezing on the cable or locking the calipers.

Dealer has been helpful, but the problem persists. I had a trouble free 2005 xB that I traded in for this car, and am a little disappointed....

 

Usually I would think it's just the pads freezing to the rotor. But that bond normally just breaks free when the car moves a little. I've never seen one that wouldn't break free or drag the locked up wheel on the road. And I also kind of think it could be that because it's fine if your xB is sitting inside out of the cold.

Having said all that, what you're going through isn't normal. At least I don't think it is. My car stays out in the freezing cold and I haven't had any problems (knock on wood). And this is the first I've read of your specific problem, but not the first complaint of new xB brakes sticking/popping etc. I'm wondering if Toyota had some bad grease or something.

Hope you get it worked out.

 

Parking brakes seizing on when in freezing temperatures is nothing new. This has gone as long as we have had the automobile. And yes, while the design of some brake systems versus others may cause this to happen less or more, it is not abnormal. The rear brake design of a 08 to 05 is definitely different, so comparing the two isn't accurate. Simple reason why this happens, moisture gets on the inside of the rear rotors, & when you apply the parking brake, the moisture gets trapped inbetween the parking brake shoe & the inside of the rotor. Now left outside in the freezing cold & voila, stuck brakes. You are probably wondering why only one side does it, simply the other side is not adjusted as tight as the sticking side. Simpliest way to avoid all the problems, when you know the temperature is going to drop very low, leave the parking brake off. You could take it to the dealer a third time, but really there's nothing they can do.

 

mind you that most rear rotors also has drum brakes just for the parking/e-brake only

 

i always had a problem wiht my 98 new beetle e brake sticking it is the prob with disk brakes, i just never used it car was stick but just left it in 1st or 2nd gear no probs, never really had to worry about parkign on hills, so far with my xb2 i dont use the ebrake hardly at all but when i do i have not had a problem with it sticking.

 

Yeah they're the suck. Toyota is the only one I've had to work on that uses that. My VW was nice, it used the caliper for the parking brake. less stuff to work on/adjust.

I agree with Sasnuke, but for it to stick bad enough to keep dragging on the rotor on dry pavement, doesn't seem right. I would think if it's breaking free enough to allow the wheel to spin, but still dragging, the parking brake shoes need to be adjusted and/or they're not releasing all the way. Seems like if it's dragging, it would always do it regardless of outside temps and moisture. But in this case it's only dragging after they were frozen, unless it's always done it and keckert didn't notice. But then again, I don't have as much experience with the inner-brake-shoe parking brakes.

 

Not to get off topic, but VW calipers I agree are a much simpler design, but this simple design comes with a price. The cost of one rear caliper for a VW (from VW) can get you the brakes for one rear wheel of an xB2. Remember as well, simpler doesn't mean better, that style of integrated caliper gives no ends of trouble if not constantly serviced.

 

I've recently begun having the same problem only it's the right, rear wheel that is sticking. I've noticed that if I don't apply the hand brake with a lot of force, it doesn't stick as badly but there's still a noticeable pop when the car first starts moving.

Like you, I took the car in to the dealer but by the time I got there it wasn't happening any more and the stupid tech I talked to just drove it around the dealership and pronounced it "fine." I tried to explain to him that, of course it was fine as I had just driven it 15 minutes to the dealership but I couldn't get him to understand that it's just going to happen again even if it wasn't happening now.

 

I just want to chime in and say that I'm having the exact same problem. I have a 2008xb (automatic) that I purchased in August, 2007. I just had my 25k service.

 

I seem to remember there being something in the owners manual about leaving your E brake off in freezing temperatures, I know my previous cars manual did.
Kiiski

 

im having the same problem but i was thinking it was because i get rear ended the other week, but i dropped it off on Friday night and when i went in this morning to let them know what needs to be done it lit up the ABS, Brake, Trac, and Stability control lights so i got them looking into it and ill let you guys know what they say.

 

Its probably just freezing. Could be moisture in the brake cable too. When you want to release the parking brake, try pulling it a little more to see if you can break free the moisture. That or leave the parking brake off.

 

About the play in the e-brake. I have at least an inch of play before anything happens.

 

sucks for u guys in really cold weather. most peeps here in so cal dont have 2 worry about this =p

 

i agree. its most likely moisture in the cable sheath. have had this happen on several vehicles.

 

I park my car outside in Michigan every night. I've never had this problem in the 37,000 miles I've had the car...

 

I was just reading about this and had the same question asked of me on ToyotaNation. I was looking in the Catalog and noticed that the cable part numbers have changed.
The early production was up to Nov. 2007 and from Dec 07 and later.

I've heard some people say that the later cables have been revised to help but I have no proof of that.

 

This just started happening to me. Its -8 outside. I gotta figure this out!