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How to Use Your Electric Parking Brake

Difficulty Level: Novice | Time Required: Two minutes

The Electric Parking Brake is a discreet button that replaces the traditional manual parking brake. If your vehicle has this feature, you can activate your Electric Parking Brake with the push of a button.

Using Your Electric Parking Brake

When your vehicle is at a complete stop, locate the Electric Parking Brake, which can be found on the centrestack or on the lower left-hand side of the dash (varies by vehicle).
Activate the brake by either pulling or pushing the ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE button, depending on your model. The PARK light will flash in the Driver Information Centre (DIC) and will stay lit once it is applied.
To release the Electric Parking Brake, turn the ignition to ACCESSORY and then press and hold the brake pedal. Then, push the ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE button. The Electric Parking Brake is released when the PARK light is off in the DIC. The Electric Parking Brake will automatically release if the vehicle is running, placed into gear and driven away.

Helpful Tips

The Electric Parking Brake can be activated even if the ignition is OFF
If you try to apply the Electric Parking Brake and the PARK light starts flashing, that means it was only partially applied or there is a problem with the system. Try to release the Electric Parking Brake and apply it again. If the light is still flashing, do not drive the vehicle
On some vehicles, if the ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE button is pushed/pulled while the vehicle is moving, a chime will sound and the vehicle will slow down while the button is pressed/pulled. If the vehicle comes to a complete stop, then the Electric Parking Brake will be applied
The Electric Parking Brake works with Hill Start Assist to automatically keep your vehicle in place on inclines for a short amount of time. If you stop your vehicle on an incline, the DIC will display a message that reads “Hill Start Assist Active.” After five minutes of holding the vehicle in place, the DIC will request that the Electric Parking Brake be applied. In certain vehicles, the Electric Parking Brake may apply on its own
If your vehicle is equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control,^† the braking system will hold the vehicle for up to five minutes if stopped for a period of time. After five minutes, the DIC will request that the Electric Parking Brake be applied. In certain vehicles, the Electric Parking Brake may apply on its own

Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for a driver’s responsibility to operate a vehicle in a safe manner. A driver should remain attentive to traffic, surroundings and road conditions at all times. Visibility, weather and road conditions may affect feature performance. Read the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual for more important feature limitations and information.

Q&As

How do I know if my vehicle has the Electric Parking Brake feature?

If you see a button or switch labelled with the letter P in a circle surrounded by two parentheses, your vehicle has Electric Parking Brake.

Why does the Electric Parking Brake automatically engage sometimes when I press PARK on the Electronic Precision Shift interface?

This could happen in two instances:

When equipped with Electronic Precision Shift, you’re driving less than 4.8 km/hr and you did not come to a complete stop before pressing the PARK button, the system will automatically engage the Electric Parking Brake. A message will appear in the DIC to indicate this has occurred. To avoid this, come to a complete stop before pressing the PARK button.
Your vehicle may also automatically apply the Electric Parking Brake in some situations when the vehicle is not moving. This is done periodically to check the correct operation of the Electric Parking Brake system.

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To find out if your vehicle has this feature, contact your dealer or refer to your vehicle’s equipment list. Please check your Owner’s Manual for more information about features.