Hello all,

I tried doing a search for my issue and couldn't really find anything except for people hearing clunks while going over bumps.

My situation in particular is when I park my car after a drive (duration of drive is irrelevant as this has happened during different driving times) on a slight incline with the e-brake about 80% depressed, I hear an audible clunk from the rear driver side area when I leave the car (weight shift when I step out). The clunk sounds like two pieces of metal slapping together.

Has anyone experienced this at all?

 

I hear what I can best describe as two metal plates hitting each other but I hear it when I go over small bumps or uneven surfaces at very low speeds. When I took it to the dealer they said it was a loose parking break component. They said they tightened the parking brake parts and said it was fixed. However, when I got the car back I still hear it. Have you taken your car to the dealer?

 

When I brought the car in for an oil change, I mentioned it to the service advisor, but the technician couldn't recreate the sound. He got in and out of the car a few times, as well as pushing down the rear with no results. I've gotten used to the sound that it's very faint when I do hear it.

 

I seem to have a unsolved issue with my parking brake and not sure if it is related to what you experienced. I have the dealer looked at it, tightened some parking brake components and they came to the conclusion that the cable is likely over-stretched or loose and they need to order some parts in order to figure out what happen next.

Is your parking brake properly? I meant when your car is in neutral and you are on a slight slope (say on a typical driveway), and you press your parking brake fully, does your car move? (i.e., the parking brake won't hold the car by itself)

Thanks.

 

Yeah, it could just be the parking pawl, or the metal noise could just be the weight of the car straining against the e-brake parts that are holding the car's weight. And don't forget, our cars are portly beasts for a compact!

Do we have the brake shoe-design parking brake in the back?

 

It could also be your parking brake cable being lose and when letting off the brake after parking the cable tightening up causes it to slap against other parts. It's common in our cars to hear noise from the parking brake if it's not used often. It can be tightened.

 

If you're hearing it from the rear is could just be the parking brake shoes settling after the weight shift from you getting out.
You could either try depressing it more so it is definitely firmly applied, or make sure it is adjusted properly.
With proper adjustment the parking brake should hold the vehicle on a slight incline/decline...if you really think about what the parking brake is for, if it can't hold the vehicle stationary on flat ground or slight incline/decline, then you have no chance in ever stopping the car should the hydraulic brakes fail.
Personally I've never had a Toyota/Lexus/Scion from the factory that had the parking brake adjusted tight enough for my liking.

 

Mine did this as well when I first got my car. It seems like the parking brake shoe issue as Sasnuke is talking about.