Parking brake cables always used to rust and seize up on me. I drove automatics, and never used the parking brake because I didn't need it. When I did try out the parking brake, or someone else driving the car used it, it would stick in the on position. This happened to me numerous times over a period of decades in many different cars. I'm not sorry to see the end of parking brake cables, although I grant you, the electric parking brakes fuck up regularly.
By the way, a simple solution to the rusting parking brake cable problem would have been to use stainless steel in the cables. The car makers never did that. I used to replace my exhaust every couple of years. After Chrysler brought in stainless steel exhausts (they were the first, I believe, among US car makers), I haven't had to replace a single component on my exhaust over the life of five generations of my cars.
I use the handbrake every time I park. Avoids the pawl in the parking brake from getting stress. Save that as a backup. You see people parking all the time where they put it in park, then release the brake, and the car rolls a little then bumps against the pawl.
I guess one thing about the electronic parking brake is the car will apply it automatically.
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