2003-2005 Dodge Neon Parking Brake Problems and Adjustment

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Most 2003-2005 Dodge Neon parking brake problems come down to three things: rear shoes that have worn or gone out of adjustment, a stretched or seized cable, or a lever that pulls too high before it holds. On the common SE and SXT cars the parking brake works the rear drum shoes; on the SRT-4 and other four-wheel-disc cars it works a small separate drum brake hidden inside the hat of each rear rotor. The fix always starts at the wheels, not at the cable.

How the Neon Parking Brake Works

Every 2003-2005 Neon uses a hand lever between the front seats. Dodge's owner's manual says to set it by pulling up firmly on the lever, and to release it by applying the brake pedal, pulling up on the lever, pushing the release button and lowering the lever fully. From the lever, cables run back to the rear wheels.

What those cables pull on depends on which rear brakes your car has:

Check before you buy parts. Look through the rear wheel: if you see a caliper clamping a rotor, you have rear discs and a drum-in-hat parking brake. If you see a solid drum, the parking brake lives in that drum. Our brake shoes collection covers both styles, but they are not interchangeable.

Symptoms and What They Point To

• Lever comes up many clicks before it holds. The most common complaint. On drum cars it usually means the rear shoes are worn or the adjuster has not kept up. On disc cars it usually means the parking brake shoes inside the rotor hat have worn and need a manual adjustment.
• Car rolls on a hill with the lever set. Same causes as above, plus a cable that is seized partway through its travel so the shoes never get the full pull.
• Brake warning light stays on after release. The owner's manual says the brake light comes on when the parking brake is applied with the ignition on, and that it can also mean low brake fluid. If the lever is fully down and the light stays on, check the fluid level in the master cylinder before you blame the parking brake switch.
• Rear drag, heat or a burning smell after driving. A cable that does not return, a sticking lever, or shoes adjusted too tight. Feel each rear wheel after a short drive; one much hotter than the other is the dragging side.
• Parking brake will not release, especially in winter. Water in the cable sheath freezes or rusts the inner cable. This is a replace-the-cable problem, not a lubricate-it problem.

Why Neon Parking Brakes Go Out of Adjustment

Brake and Front End, the trade magazine for brake shops, explains that parking brake cables stretch and the friction material changes length and thickness over time, which is why the system needs adjustment at all. On a Neon that is 20 years old, add corrosion: the equalizer where the front cable splits to the two rear cables can rust, and the magazine notes that a rusted or broken equalizer can leave the parking brake weak even though the lever travel feels normal.

On the disc-brake cars there is a second cause. The drum-in-hat shoes are only used to hold the car still, so they wear very slowly, but they are adjusted by hand with a star wheel and nothing takes up the slack as they wear. If the rear rotors have been replaced, the new rotor hat may also sit differently than the old one, which changes the shoe clearance.

How to Adjust It the Right Way

The order matters. Brake and Front End is blunt about it: adjust the service brakes first, then the cable, and follow the manufacturer's specification exactly instead of estimating. Tightening the cable to make up for worn or loose shoes gives you a lever that feels good in the driveway and a brake that drags once the drums heat up.

1. Release the lever fully and block the front wheels. Raise and support the rear of the car.
2. Check the rear brakes first. On drum cars, pull the drums and inspect shoe lining, the wheel cylinders for leaks, and the adjuster star wheel for free movement. On disc cars, remove the caliper and rotor and inspect the small parking brake shoes and their springs.
3. Set the shoe clearance. On drum cars, set the adjuster so the drum just slides on with light drag, per the factory service manual. On drum-in-hat cars, the usual method (the same one Wilwood gives for its own internal parking brakes) is to turn the star wheel through the access hole until the rotor will not turn by hand, then back it off just enough that it turns with slight drag.
4. Adjust the cable last. Only once the shoes are right, take the slack out of the cable at the adjuster so the lever holds within the travel the service manual specifies and both rear wheels turn freely with the lever down.
5. Test. Set the lever on a gentle slope and confirm it holds. Drive a short distance and feel both rear wheels for heat.

The owner's manual adds a useful habit: on a hill, set the parking brake before you shift into Park, or the load rests on the transmission's park lock and can make it hard to shift out of Park.

Parts to Replace Together

If the shoes are worn or oil-soaked, replace them on both sides as a set, along with the springs and clips from a brake hardware kit. Old springs lose tension and are a common reason a new set of shoes will not stay adjusted. On drum cars, replace a leaking wheel cylinder at the same time; brake fluid on new shoe lining ruins it.

Replace a cable if it is frayed, kinked, has a torn boot, or does not spring back when the lever is released. Brake and Front End warns against spraying oil or solvent into a sticky cable: lubricants attract grime, and solvents wash the grime further into the sheath. A new cable is the lasting fix.

Any time the rear brakes are apart, check the brake fluid. Dodge specifies Mopar DOT 3 (SAE J1703) for the Neon master cylinder, with DOT 4 acceptable if DOT 3 is not available. If your rear hoses are cracked or swollen, this is a good time to replace them; SRT-4 owners can use the Russell stainless braided brake line kit for the 2003-2005 Neon SRT-4, which also gives a firmer pedal.

If you are building an SRT-4 for track use, the Wilwood Forged Dynapro 6 front big brake kit for the Neon SRT-4 upgrades the front axle and does not change the rear parking brake, so you keep the factory drum-in-hat setup.

How Hard Is the Job?

Cable adjustment alone is an easy job once the shoes are right. Rear drum shoes on the SE and SXT are a moderate job with basic hand tools, a brake spring tool and patience; do one side at a time so the other side shows you how the springs go back. The drum-in-hat shoes on the SRT-4 are fiddlier: the caliper and rotor come off, the springs are small, and the star wheel is hard to reach through the access hole. Cable replacement is moderate and usually means working under the car around the exhaust and heat shields.

A quick note on recalls: a check of NHTSA's recall database for the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Neon returned no recalls covering the parking brake or any other brake component, so a parking brake fault on these cars is a wear-and-maintenance repair, not a recall item. Run your own VIN at nhtsa.gov to be sure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my 2003-2005 Neon have rear drums or rear discs?

The standard Neon (SX 2.0 in Canada) was built with front discs and rear drums. The SRT-4 has four-wheel disc brakes. Look through the rear wheel for a caliper to confirm what your car has before ordering parts.

Why does my parking brake lever pull up so high?

Usually the rear shoes are worn or out of adjustment. Adjust or replace the shoes first, then take the slack out of the cable. Tightening only the cable can cause the rear brakes to drag.

Can I just tighten the parking brake cable?

Only if the shoes are already correctly adjusted. Brake and Front End's guidance is that the service brakes are adjusted first and the cable last, following the factory specification rather than guessing.

My brake light stays on with the parking brake released. What is wrong?

Dodge's owner's manual says that light also warns of low brake fluid. Check the master cylinder level. If fluid is low, look for a leak and worn pads before assuming the parking brake switch is bad.

Do the SRT-4 parking brake shoes wear out?

Slowly, because they only hold the parked car. They are adjusted by hand, so they need a star-wheel adjustment as they wear and whenever the rear rotors are replaced.

Sources

1. 2005 Dodge Neon Owner's Manual (DaimlerChrysler) - parking brake lever operation, brake warning light meaning, hill parking order, DOT 3 / SAE J1703 brake fluid
2. Brake and Front End: Adjusting Parking Brakes - why cables and linings go out of adjustment, service brakes before cable, equalizer rust, no oil or solvent in cables
3. Auto123: 2004 Dodge SX 2.0 specifications - front disc / rear drum brakes on the standard Neon
4. Auto123: 2004 Dodge SRT-4 specifications - four-wheel disc brakes on the SRT-4
5. Wilwood: How to Adjust the Internal Drum Parking Brake - star wheel adjustment method for drum-in-hat parking brakes
6. NHTSA recall database: Dodge Neon - no brake-system recalls listed for the 2003-2005 model years