
To apply the park brake manually, push the switch mo-
mentarily. You may hear a slight whirring sound from the
back of the vehicle while the park brake engages. Once the
park brake is fully engaged, the BRAKE warning lamp in
the instrument cluster and an indicator on the switch will
illuminate. If your foot is on the brake pedal while you
apply the park brake, you may notice a small amount of
brake pedal movement. The park brake can be applied
even when the ignition switch is OFF, however, it can only
be released when the ignition switch in the ACC or
ON/RUN position.NOTE:
The EPB fault lamp will illuminate if the EPB
switch is held for longer than 180 seconds. The light will
extinguish upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the parking brake
will automatically engage whenever the transmission is
placed into PARK. Once the park brake is engaged, the
BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument cluster and the
LED indicator on the switch will illuminate. If your foot is
on the brake pedal, you may notice a small amount of
brake pedal movement while the parking brake is engag-
ing.
The park brake will release automatically when the igni-
tion is cycled to the ON/RUN position, the transmission is
in DRIVE or REVERSE, and the driver seat belt is buckled
and an attempt is made to drive the vehicle away by
pressing the accelerator pedal.
To release the parking brake manually, the ignition switch
must be in the ON/RUN position. Press on the brake
pedal, then push the park brake switch momentarily. You
may hear a slight whirring sound from the back of the
vehicle while the parking brake disengages. You may also
notice a small amount of movement in the brake pedal.
Electric Park Brake Switch
294 STARTING AND OPERATING

Once the park brake is fully disengaged, the BRAKE
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and the LED
indicator on the switch will extinguish.
NOTE:When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the
front wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and
away from the curb on an uphill grade. The park brake
should always be applied whenever the driver is not in the
vehicle.
WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when parked to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
• When exiting the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF mode, remove the key fob from
the vehicle, and lock your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number
of reasons. A child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be warned not to
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the trans-
mission gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, (or in
a location accessible to children), and do not leave
the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
• Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before
driving; failure to do so can lead to brake failure and
a collision.
• Always fully apply the parking brake when leaving
your vehicle, or it may roll and cause damage or
injury. Also be certain to leave the transmission in
PARK. Failure to do so may allow the vehicle to roll
and cause damage or injury.
• Driving the vehicle with the parking brake engaged,
or repeated use of the parking brake to slow the
vehicle may cause serious damage to the brake
system.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 295

CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains on with the
parking brake released, a brake system malfunction is
indicated. Have the brake system serviced by an au-
thorized dealer immediately.
If exceptional circumstances should make it necessary to
engage the park brake while the vehicle is in motion, push
on the electric park brake switch for as long as engagement
is desired. The BRAKE warning lamp will illuminate, and
a continuous chime will sound. The rear stop lamps will
also be illuminated automatically while the vehicle re-
mains in motion.
To disengage the park brake while the vehicle is in motion,
release the switch. If the vehicle is brought to a complete
stop using the park brake, when the vehicle reaches
approximately 3 mph (4.8 km/h), the park brake will
remain engaged.
In the unlikely event of a malfunction of the Electric Park
Brake system, a yellow EPB fault lamp will illuminate. This
may be accompanied by the BRAKE warning lamp flash-
ing. In this case, urgent service of the electric park brake
system is required. Do not rely on the park brake to hold
the vehicle stationary.
Auto Park Brake
The Electric Park Brake can be programmed to be applied
automatically whenever the vehicle is at a standstill and
the automatic transmission is placed in PARK. Auto Park
Brake is enabled and disabled by customer selection
through the “Customer Programmable Features” section of
the “Uconnect Settings”.
SafeHold
SafeHold is a safety feature of the Electric Park Brake
System that will engage the park brake automatically if the
vehicle is left unsecured. If the automatic transmission is
not in PARK, the seat belt is unbuckled, the driver door is
open, the vehicle is at a standstill, and there is no attempt
to depress the brake pedal or accelerator pedal, the park
brake will automatically engage to prevent the vehicle
from rolling.
SafeHold can be temporarily bypassed by pushing the
Electric Park Brake Switch while the driver door is open
and brake pedal is pressed. Once manually bypassed,
SafeHold will be enabled again once the vehicle reaches
12 mph (20 km/h) or the ignition is cycled to the OFF
position and back to ON again.
296 STARTING AND OPERATING

Brake Service Mode
We recommend having your brakes serviced by your
authorized dealer. You should only make repairs for which
you have the knowledge and the right equipment. You
should only enter Brake Service Mode during brake ser-
vice.
When servicing your rear brakes, it may be necessary for
you or your technician to push the rear piston into the rear
caliper bore. With the Electric Park Brake system, this can
only be done after retracting the Electric Park Brake
actuator. Fortunately, actuator retraction can be done easily
by entering the “Brake Service” through the “Uconnect
Settings” in your vehicle. This menu based system will
guide you through the steps necessary to retract the EPB
actuator in order to perform rear brake service.
Brake Service Mode has requirements that must be met in
order to be activated:
•The vehicle must be at a standstill.
• The park brake must be unapplied.
• The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
While in service mode, the Electric Park Brake fault lamp
will flash continuously while the ignition switch is ON. When brake service work is complete, the following steps
must be followed to reset the parking brake system to
normal operation:
•
Ensure the vehicle is at a standstill.
• Press the brake pedal with moderate force.
• Apply the Electric Park Brake Switch.
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Do only that service work for which you
have the knowledge and the right equipment. If you
have any doubt about your ability to perform a service
job, take your vehicle to a competent mechanic.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
park brake. Always apply the park brake fully when
exiting the vehicle to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
(Continued)
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STARTING AND OPERATING 297

WARNING!(Continued)
•Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if
it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the
transmission gear selector out of PARK with the
brake pedal released. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before exiting the vehicle.
• The transmission may not engage PARK if the ve-
hicle is moving. Always bring the vehicle to a
complete stop before shifting to PARK, and verify
that the transmission gear position indicator solidly
indicates PARK (P) without blinking. Ensure that the
vehicle is completely stopped, and the PARK posi-
tion is properly indicated, before exiting the vehicle.
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL if
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal. The
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles, you
should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running or the propulsion system is active. Before
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
exiting a vehicle, always come to a complete stop,
then apply the park brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the ignition OFF. When the ignition
is in the OFF mode, the transmission is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted move-
ment.
• When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF mode, remove the key fob from
the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number
of reasons. A child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the park brake, brake pedal or the transmis-
sion gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle (or in
a location accessible to children), and do not leave
the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
298 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
park brake. Always apply the park brake fully when
exiting the vehicle to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if
it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the
transmission gear selector out of PARK with the
brake pedal released. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before exiting the vehicle.
• The transmission may not engage PARK if the ve-
hicle is moving. Always bring the vehicle to a
complete stop before shifting to PARK, and verify
that the transmission gear position indicator solidly
indicates PARK (P) without blinking. Ensure that the
vehicle is completely stopped, and the PARK posi-
tion is properly indicated, before exiting the vehicle.
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL if
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal. The
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles, you
should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running or the propulsion system is active. Before
exiting a vehicle, always come to a complete stop,
then apply the park brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the ignition OFF. When the ignition
is in the OFF mode, the transmission is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted move-
ment.
• When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF mode, remove the key fob from
the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number
of reasons. A child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the park brake, brake pedal or the transmis-
sion gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle (or in
a location accessible to children), and do not leave
(Continued)
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STARTING AND OPERATING 301

WARNING!(Continued)
the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
• Before moving the transmission gear selector out of
PARK, you must turn the ignition to the ON/RUN
mode, and also press the brake pedal. Otherwise, dam-
age to the gear selector could result.
• DO NOT depress the accelerator pedal when shifting
from PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as
this can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that you
have properly engaged the transmission into the PARK
position:
• Look at the transmission gear position display and
verify that it indicates the PARK position (P), and is not
blinking.
• With brake pedal released, verify that the gear selector
will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NOTE: Based on the drive gear and/or speed of the
vehicle, the Quiet Vehicle Pedestrian Module (QVPM) will
broadcast a sound to warn nearby pedestrians that a
vehicle is approaching. In addition, the module will indi-
cate change in speed by varying the pitch of sound.
NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the propulsion system active. The vehicle
may be started in this range. Apply the park brake and
shift the transmission into PARK if you must exit the
vehicle.
NOTE: Based on the drive gear and/or speed of the
vehicle, the Quiet Vehicle Pedestrian Module (QVPM) will
broadcast a sound to warn nearby pedestrians that a
vehicle is approaching. In addition, the module will indi-
cate change in speed by varying the pitch of sound.
302 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe practices
that limit your response to changing traffic or road
conditions. You might lose control of the vehicle and
have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage.
Refer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting And Op-
erating” and “Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case
Of Emergency” for further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. The DRIVE position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.NOTE:
•
If the transmission becomes too hot, the Transmission
Temperature Warning Light may illuminate, a warning
message may appear in the instrument cluster display
and the torque level may be reduced until the transmis-
sion cools down.
• Based on the drive gear and/or speed of the vehicle, the
Quiet Vehicle Pedestrian Module (QVPM) will broadcast
a sound to warn nearby pedestrians that a vehicle is
approaching. In addition, the module will indicate
change in speed by varying the pitch of sound.
LOW (L)
This range should be used when descending very steep
grades. The vehicle transmission can be operated continu-
ously in LOW without damaging the vehicle or causing
issues. Using the LOW position will increase the rate of
deceleration (along with increasing regeneration of power
into the vehicle’s high voltage battery) when the accelera-
tor pedal is released in comparison to the DRIVE position.
To access the LOW position, push down on the gear
selector and rotate it fully clockwise. Shifting between
DRIVE and LOW can be done at any speed.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 303