Hyundai cars may have unexpected problems that are really dangerous for drivers and passengers. In the Hyundai i30, one of such problems is the handbrake.
Handbrakes were faulty in the first two generations of the i30 – 2007-2012 and 2012-2017. The third generation has significantly fewer reports about these problems.
The first-gen i30 had rear drum brakes that were awful – they didn’t last long, were prone to corrosion, and could easily let the car roll back after cooling down. The second-gen i30 had disc brakes and they were overall better. But still had issues with adjustment and efficiency.
By the way, I recently posted an article about the 1.6 CRDI engine in the i30 – you may want to have a look.
Let’s look at the possible problems and the ways to solve them.
Hyundai i30 handbrake problems and reasons
Problem #1: Rust
In the second-gen i30, there was an issue with corrosion of the handbrake. There was a recall in 2013 with the reference number 21C035 – but I’m not sure if it still works. Possibly, it doesn’t.
The idea is that some early Hyundai i30 models of the GD generation (post-2012) had a problem with rear calipers. Water could get into them and cause corrosion. There is nothing you can do – the faulty calipers should be replaced with the new-style calipers.
Also, some rust problems were registered with the FD generation of the i30 (pre-2012). Drum brakes are prone to all kinds of problems that affect parking brake release.
As a result, the parking brake will not release completely and the brake pads will wear intensively until the rear brakes fail. After that, your parking brake won’t hold the car even on a slight incline.
Problem #2: Poor efficiency
This is one of the most reported issues for both the first and the second generations. Owners say that the parking brake won’t hold the car on the incline. Of course, it may happen because of the Problem #1. But there is another bunch of possible reasons for this.
First of all, some Hyundai cars were initially sold with poorly adjusted parking brakes. That’s why handbrake adjustment has been one of the most requested maintenance procedures for this vehicle.
Also, the OEM pads are wearing quite fast and this leads to lower efficiency of the parking brake. Again, adjustment is needed quite often.
For drum brakes in the first-gen i30, there is a whole list of common minor problems with the brakes that can affect the handbrake’s efficiency. Unfortunately, none of the issues is DIY-friendly because they all affect your safety on the road.
Problem #3: Handbrake wires stretching
In cars with a manual handbrake system (which is true for the first two generations of the i30), the lever in your car’s interior is connected to the rear brakes by metal wires. These wires tend to stretch after some time and require adjustment or replacement.
This is a pretty standard thing for all cars with manual handbrake, but the i30 seems to be one of the champions in the stretching of the parking brake wire. It can go bad after 2-3 years of use and this is too fast.
When the wire is stretched, your parking brake will function but it won’t hold the car firmly on the incline. This is a tricky problem. When the brake pads and disc or drum are hot, the handbrake can still hold the car firmly. Once they cool down, the handbrake may lose its efficiency and your car may roll back.
I strongly recommend leaving your i30 on the incline only in gear (for manual transmission) and with a parking brake applied.
How can you solve these problems?
There are several solutions for a bad or inefficient parking brake in the Hyundai i30. Some of them may be DIY but when it comes to brakes, I always recommend going to the dealer or just finding a good and trusted mechanic.
So, let’s see what you can do:
1) Replace the rusty caliper or drum
Inspect the calipers or drum brakes. If you find any rust on their parts, it’s time to replace them. Also, check if your car falls under the recall I mentioned above. If it does but it never got the repair, it’s most likely, that you will need the new caliper. Because yours is just faulty.
2) Adjust the handbrake
Your parking brake in the i30 may be adjusted if it’s loose. Here’s how you can do this:
- open the armrest;
- remove the bottom part;
- open the small plastic hatch you see there;
- now you see the parking brake and the nut on it;
- take a 10-mm wrench and tighten this nut a little;
- check the brake – it shouldn’t be too tough or too loose, about 4 clicks is perfect;
- assemble everything back.
This will work for all generations of the i30. The first two generations didn’t have the plastic hatch covering the bolt, so it’s even easier than in the third-gen Hyundai.
3) Change the brake pads
When your brake pads are worn out, it’s quite natural that the parking brake is not efficient anymore. With the minimum allowed thickness of the brake pads, the handbrake will basically not hold your car on hills unless you pull the handbrake lever till the last click with all the power in the world.
So, checking the brake pads and checking them regularly is another thing I strongly recommend for these vehicles. This will help you stay on the safe side.
Safe use of handbrake in the i30
Now you understand that the Hyundai i30 has a somewhat faulty handbrake. And it can malfunction one day without warning you about that.
To avoid the situation of finding your car damaging your neighbor’s vehicle or someone’s fence in the morning, stick to the following routine:
- never leave your Hyundai solely on the parking brake with the transmission in neutral;
- always apply the first gear in your manual transmission and apply the parking brake;
- never trust the handbrake in this vehicle;
- if you have an automatic transmission, don’t leave the car on a steep hill at all – you may damage the transmission;
- avoid leaving the vehicle on a steep hill with the risk of damaging something if it rolls back.
I follow this routine in my Honda although it doesn’t have issues with its parking brake or whatever. But I still try to find the place where it won’t damage anything if it suddenly rolls back.
Do you have experience solving problems with the Hyundai i30 parking brake? Write in the comments below to let other Hyundai owners save their time and money!
