90stang5.0

+1. I never have used the e-brake in the winter on any car I have owned. Any time you have water/wet roads and sub-freezing temperatures, you are just asking for freezing problems. Maybe I am just more used to driving old cars.

steve r

Hi, I own a 2005 mustang gt and my cables also froze. I am very unhappy with FORDS ****TY service and not making this problem, that has affected thousands of people, a RECALL. FORD already admitted that they ****ed up, so why dont they fix it? Oh and another thing, im pretty sure when people were buying mustangs, they werent buying swimming pools. once again ford ****ed up and wont fix it. and the list goes on and on and on....

Boondoggie

This is the newest car I've owned... I usually drive 10+yo european cars... and I've never given the parking brake freezing a moment's thought, unless I was parking the car for months.

Maybe I'm just used to driving better cars?

Vulcan420

Unfortunately the Mustang depends on its "legend" and marketing for sales - not great engineering or even acceptable basic standards, and water, whether freezing or not, is its bane.

My 2007 GT had this problem after being parked outside overnight once. The dealer said they would not repair it just because there is a TSB on it and I happen to think it has the problem; it must exhibit the symptoms for them in order for them to fix it.

Since it was below freezing when they had my car I told them to spray it with a hose if that's what it took - they did, it froze and they fixed it. They replaced everything on one side because I did drive a couple hundred yards or so with it stuck before realizing it would not unstick from driving and returned back home. It ruined the rotor, pads, etc. They said the problem was with a rubber boot that was cracked and allowed the water in where it froze while sitting. They refused to give me an invoice or document the repair in any way.

I think it is bad advice to tell people not to use their parking brake in winter. Seems to me that if you need it in spring, summer and fall then you need it in winter as well. Some here are essentially saying if its a problem for you then move or get a new job on level ground. That sounds a bit absurd to me. I, myself, did not see the huge warning label on my 2007 Mustang before I bought it, "Not for use by people who may park on a hill or drive in winter".

To those who say all cars will exhibit the same problem - I am sure there are extreme circumstances where freezing can be an issue but as a general rule this is wrong and I am sure most Mustang owners have owned other vehicles and used their parking brakes on them in winter without incident and so know better than to believe that. Of course I am sure many dealers love the advice to settle with it because "its normal". Yeah, right.

I would advise people not to drive the car with the parking brake stuck on. It will most likely cause super heating of the brake parts - you may smell the brake pads burning and maybe even see smoke when you come to a stop, in my opinion a sure clue that its not good for your car. And in my experience it did not unthaw it that way either.

I have had many cars over the years, mostly Fords, starting with my first car, a 1967 Mustang. With only a couple of exceptions they have all been manual transmissions and I have always used the parking brake on them when parking - including in sub zero temps in snow storms. Never had one freeze until my 2007 Mustang.

Back in the day, when I was waiting for my GF at the door to her house, her mother asked me if that was my car going down the road. I turned and looked to see my 67 Mustang come to a stop in the neighbor's front yard. It was in gear but the parking brake was not on. I also had a 1990 Ford with automatic that the shift indicator clearly showed as being in park, drive away until it crashed into another car in my driveway causing more damage than one could ever possibly imagine could come from it.

Anyway to those needing a repair, I would say don't drive it while its frozen. If need be drive it through a car wash on the way to the dealer and make sure its parked in their lot long enough to freeze before they look at it. Maybe drop it off the night before. Make sure they actually repair it and give you an invoice for the repair so its documented in case it is a recurring problem.

adj86

Mine only started happening after the car went out of warranty, imagine that. I got it fixed last year, after 3+ years of operating with a disabled parking brake. Also used the hairdryer mod to unstick the brakes. That and a really long extension cord.