Sorry for newb question. Picked up 2020 rx350 today and was playing with the parking brake at dealership. I am 99% sure I disengaged before leaving but the brakes smelled like the parking brake was still on. Then when I parked I saw the e brake back on. Was the smell from new brakes being broken in?? Or did I somehow override the auto ebrake?

 

The auto brake re-applies after you go to Park if it's on auto. Probably just new car smells. If the brake is on (set manually) you get a warning and my experience is the car won't move.

 

I leave the AUTO setting disabled. I only engage the parking brake on a hill.

 

how do you disable it?

 

Push down on the parking brake button until the auto turns off- takes 5 seconds or so.

 

My 2020 had the same smell. It isn’t the new car smell but rather it smells like something in the engine that needs to burn off. Goes away after a day of driving.

 

Happens with most new cars and goes away after a hundred miles or so.

 

Thanks for the replies!