Seized rear brake caliper

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Hypermiler

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2014
Messages
562
Location
N Yorks, UK
Hi all
Took my car in a couple of weeks ago because the handbrake had gone loose. Apparently a rear brake caliper had seized - the garage asked if I had been off-roading as the wheels were dirty! No, I just live in a rural area and it has been rather wet and muddy this winter! I was advised to jet wash my wheels - I don't think I've jet washed any wheels in 25 years of driving, without this sort of problem... Anyway, they said they would have to check with Mitsubishi whether the £400 part (preumably plus vat and significant labour) would be covered by the warranty. The car has done 19000 miles.

Just wondering if anyone has any comments before I call them to find out the verdict - I fear I may get into an argument...
Thanks
H
 
If you get an argument - Just confirm to them that you have been driving in accordance with the Owners handbook and that you don't expect to have to argue when a part goes wrong - that is what the warranty is there for.

Assuming the servicing had been done in accordance with the schedule, them "maybe" the service tech didn't check everything on the schedule?? :)
 
Do you use the handbrake a lot? I still apply it every time I stop in traffic (as taught 50 years ago) and after 6000 miles it would not hold on inclines. I assume cable had stretched but not surprised as these days it is only meant to be a parking brake, so built to a lower quality. Perhaps your usage is also "outside the design parameters" :eek:
 
Well, they shouldn't be selling 4WD cars if they even consider driving through mud improper use. Totally ridiculous. If they persist I would certainly be taking legal advice.
 
I would have thought the regenerative braking was more likely to be the contributor - the mechanical brakes get a lot less use and are more prone to rusting or seizing. Our Prius seemed to be more susceptible to brake issues than I would have expected.
 
Thanks for your replies. I don't use the handbrake that much and we live in a fairly flat area so even when it's on the car is generally on a level. The guy at the garage said it was a handbrake rather than a driving brake so don't think the regen would be in point here, but I do use that a lot.
Mitsubishi have asked the garage to strip the brake down and see exactly what failed. So they will have the car a couple of days while I have a Suzuki swift or some other tiny car (it is also a Suzuki dealer). It is going in on 1 March so will let you know what happens.
Cheers
 
Hypermiler said:
Thanks for your replies. I don't use the handbrake that much and we live in a fairly flat area so even when it's on the car is generally on a level. The guy at the garage said it was a handbrake rather than a driving brake so don't think the regen would be in point here, but I do use that a lot.
Mitsubishi have asked the garage to strip the brake down and see exactly what failed. So they will have the car a couple of days while I have a Suzuki swift or some other tiny car (it is also a Suzuki dealer). It is going in on 1 March so will let you know what happens.
Cheers
In my experience of driving (many) other peoples automatic cars, the parking brakes are often defective as auto drivers tend not to use it when stopping for short durations. Instead they blind the driver behind with their brake lights for two or more minutes whilst they wait for lights to turn green etc.

It's poor practice not to use the parking brake when temporarily stationary for more than a few seconds (according to the IAM / ROSPA) and inconsiderate to drivers behind. If you take a look at how typical parking brakes work it would be very surprising for them to continue to function if unused and the mechanism repeatedly saturated in mud and water. That said I haven't studied the design of the PHEV parking brake but I see no reason why it would radically depart from typical designs. If the mechanism in this case has actually failed I would expect it to be a warranty replacement; it might just need stripping down and cleaning so the calipers function correctly - thereafter use the parking brake regularly and it may function correctly for a reasonable service life. I can't imagine the dealership wanting to do that for you for nothing - you might take it to a brake specialist and ask their opinion; they will often check it FoC and tell you what the cause is.
 
My handbrake only gets used when parking. When stopped at traffic lights, or potentially other longish stays I push P - this locks the transmission and all is needed is a press on the footbrake and snick the selector lever into D and off we go. I too hate people in front dazzling me for ages with their foot on the brake so I don't do it to folks behind me. Its one feature brought over from America we can do without.
 
EssexBoy" It's poor practice not to use the parking brake when temporarily stationary for more than a few seconds (according to the IAM / ROSPA) and inconsiderate to drivers behind.[/quote said:
I think you misunderstood my comment on not using it "that much". Where I do most of my driving there are no traffic lights, jams or waits of more than a few seconds at junctions. I also do very little driving in the dark except in mid winter which reduces the blinding issue - so on balance I would say I don't use it that much compared with average, but enough to keep it functioning, and in accordance with best driving practice.

I did take the car to my local garage who looked at it for free and advised me to take it to the dealer since it is under warranty.

Cheers
H
 
Just wondered whether anyone else had had problems with the handbrake... I took mine in a few months ago because the handbrake was becoming 'loose', and they replaced one of the rear calipers (under warranty)... Just took it in again today for its 3-year service and mentioned that the same thing seems to be happening again, and they said the 'other caliper' needs replacing. They are doing it under warranty. I do have quite a steep drive so it gets a fair amount of use, but I've only done 27,000 miles... Just hoping it doesn't need doing again once it's out of warranty....
 
Handbrake mechanisms that use a disc/caliper combination do seem to be somewhat troublesome in comparison to drum brakes. Having said that, ineffective/vague handbrakes do seem to be common on a lot of cars these days. I've heard that overtightening of self-adjusting handbrakes by MoT testers can cause subsequent problems with the calipers.

I'd imagine that 'tightening' the handbrake cable (assuming its relative length can be adjusted) doesn't help if you've a partially siezed caliper. That shouldn't be an issue on a 3 year old car though. I noticed that my local Mitsubishi dealer offers a 'brake service' for I think around £90 - presumably then that would suggest to me that; a) brake 'servicing' (disassembling, cleaning, regreasing of moving components) is not included as part of a scheduled Mitsubishi service and b) Pragmatism has led them to expect problems with Mitsubishi brake calipers.
 
I don't like to reopen an old thread, but a massive recall has just been announced in Japan for most Outlander PHEVS and other models there due to seizing rear brake calipers. http://recall.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/Recall/displayselect.do?orderno=14168
 
My 2014 phev also suffered this problem both rear calipers seized on and handbrake was not working. It was fixed under dealers AA warranty as it happened a week after buying the car.
 
I have just taken my car in today due to a "loose" handbrake, I was told it is a common problem!

First problem I have experienced with car (apart from the two recalls) - nearly 3 years old and 45k miles.

Car needs to go back next week when they have part - there were no grumbles al all about it being done under warranty.

On a side note - my days with the outlander are almost over :( :(

Has been a good car, but price for replacement (through NHSFleet Solutions) is almost £100 per month more than I am paying now. I am seriously considering a KIA Optima Sportswagon PHEV. Very few reviews / forums for this car - if anyone knows of any, ..........

Glenn
 
Mine had one done a while back. Its just been in for service and apparently the other has now seized, waiting a call up from the dealer when they have the parts as it drives OK apart from needing to remember to give the handbrake a high pull.
 
jesserockz said:
I don't like to reopen an old thread, but a massive recall has just been announced in Japan for most Outlander PHEVS and other models there due to seizing rear brake calipers. http://recall.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/Recall/displayselect.do?orderno=14168
Very interesting. Thanks. I had my car to the garage yesterday to get this problem fixed. While I waited in the garage during service I was told that Mitsubishi Motors Sweden just had released above recall. I will soon have my calipers, or parts of, replaced as part of this recall.
 
Does sound like a recall might be on its way - looks from the Japanese recall diagram that it's only the parts that operate the handbrake function of the calipers. So I guess not the caliper pistons that are seized, but the mechanism that pushes the pistons/pads on to the disc. So replacing the entire caliper probably not really necessary. I guess you'd want to be sure if it had got stuck in the 'on' position that it hadn't cooked the disc either. Must be a design fault. The sort of thing that you might expect after 15 years (I wonder if a PHEV will last for 15 years?) or 150,000 miles of neglect, but not within 3 years. I occasionally squirt WD40 on the handbrake mechanism, my calipers are very clean and I put copper grease all over the cable/spring bits as well. My PHEV has only done 12000 miles which probably helps too. I still like the sound of a recall though as it looks as though there's a design fault here.
 
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