I took my 2022 Niro in for a recall service, and they mentioned my brakes are rusting from lack of use. I’ve driven 28k miles in 2.5 years and plan to buy the car when my 3-year lease ends. This sounds like something they’re saying to push brake services. I’m in upstate NY where salt and snow are a problem, so I’m wondering if this is happening to others too?
You can hold down the auto-hold button for about 5 seconds to activate a brake cleaning mode. After that, just drive as you normally would.
BrianCopland said:
You can hold down the auto-hold button for about 5 seconds to activate a brake cleaning mode. After that, just drive as you normally would.
That’s not available on the first-generation Niros, though.
@Misha
First-gen covers 2020-22, right?
Quincy said:
@Misha
First-gen covers 2020-22, right?
I think so. Someone mentioned this trick last week, but it didn’t work on my car.
Quincy said:
@Misha
First-gen covers 2020-22, right?
I think so. Someone mentioned this trick last week, but it didn’t work on my car.
Same for me. Didn’t work.
Quincy said:
@Misha
First-gen covers 2020-22, right?
Mine’s a 2019 EV, so no cleaning mode for me.
@Misha
Switching to Regen 0 works for the first-gen Niros.
This sounds like BS
It’s actually a common problem with EVs. People don’t always realise that when you press the brake pedal, the car chooses whether to use the friction brakes or regenerative braking. If you mostly drive slowly or in town, regen gets used way more than the friction brakes, so the actual brakes don’t get much use and start to rust.
@Lennon
So me hitting the brakes hard every week to tackle this one fun turn on my route is actually helping the car… cool.
Olin said:
@Lennon
So me hitting the brakes hard every week to tackle this one fun turn on my route is actually helping the car… cool.
With an EV? Yeah, it helps clean the brake surfaces. Your fun is doubling as maintenance!
Brakes rusting on EVs isn’t unusual. Try switching to Regen 0 every few months or hold down the auto-hold button for 5 seconds if you have a newer model. This disables regen braking and forces the friction brakes to work whenever you stop.
@Flynn
My custom solution is to switch to neutral on an empty road and then use the brakes.
Ziv said:
@Flynn
My custom solution is to switch to neutral on an empty road and then use the brakes.
Or find a clear stretch of road, speed up a bit, and then hit the brakes hard.
@Flynn
I don’t think that works on the Niro. Even in Regen 0, I’ve noticed mine still charges when braking.
Mai said:
@Flynn
I don’t think that works on the Niro. Even in Regen 0, I’ve noticed mine still charges when braking.
True, but it does use the brakes at lower speeds. I checked mine (2021 model), and there’s no rust.
@Flynn
What if there’s already rust? Is it too late if the dealer isn’t just making this up?
Quincy said:
@Flynn
What if there’s already rust? Is it too late if the dealer isn’t just making this up?
Depends on how bad it is. Light surface rust can usually be cleaned off with a few cycles, but if it’s heavy rust, you might need to replace the brakes.
I had the same issue with my old Ford PHEV. During the pandemic, I didn’t drive much, and the discs rusted out. The car was under warranty, but Ford refused to cover it, saying it was neglect. Looking back, they were right.
Ty said:
Just wondering, do these cars have regen braking in reverse? Maybe you could clean the pads by doing stop-and-go in reverse in an open parking lot.
I don’t think regen works in reverse.