On the 2021 focus, should the electric park brake automatically engage when I stop and turn off the ignition? 80% of the time it works and parking light engaged comes on dash but a number of random times it hasn't and I've had to lift pull the button. No lights on dash. Weirdly the owners manual just says to apply the handbrake by lifting the button which contradicts the fact it works 80% of the time. Any cars I had in the past with electric brakes always engaged seamlessly when ignition turned off. Any objective feedback from owners or ford techs. My concern that its not working perfect but since no lights on dash, Ford won't cover under warranty??

Out of gear, clutch up and fully press the brake such that it enables auto hold. 

For some reason Ford chose not to make it auto apply as standard...presumably to cover themselves if it didn't apply for any reason and someone sued them.

It will auto apply if certain criteria are met, so you'll have to take note of the circumstances when it doesn't.  For example, belt off, door open, etc.

It's not broken though, they're all like it.

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

For some reason Ford chose not to make it auto apply as standard...presumably to cover themselves if it didn't apply for any reason and someone sued them.

It will auto apply if certain criteria are met, so you'll have to take note of the circumstances when it doesn't.  For example, belt off, door open, etc.

It's not broken though, they're all like it.

Thanks Hmmmm that sounds really woolly and unconfidence inspiring but I'd trust hearing this from someone on this rather than a garage pawning me off. Do you know what the criteria is? Although by the sounds of it, even that mightn't be too watertight. I've been trying all different combinations eg gear in neutral or reverse, seatbelt on and off and can't hack the times it doesnt work

18 minutes ago, sc91 said:

Do you know what the criteria is?

I'm sure that what Alex said is correct, if Auto Hold is enabled and you press the Brake hard enough to bring yourself to a halt then that will be converted to the Electric Handbrake being applied when you switch off.

Personally I just use the switch to apply it as per how it was designed, my hand has to pass it to get the car out of gear and it's just a flick of the switch that is now second nature to me. 

Maybe different rules apply on automatics. but I've tried different methods over the last couple of years and never once had the EPB apply itself. As it happens 90% of the time I never use it and only purposely apply the EPB if the car is on a reasonable gradient.

10 hours ago, unofix said:

Maybe different rules apply on automatics. but I've tried different methods over the last couple of years and never once had the EPB apply itself. As it happens 90% of the time I never use it and only purposely apply the EPB if the car is on a reasonable gradient.

Hmmm interesting. Mine is a manual incidentally.

12 hours ago, sc91 said:

Thanks Hmmmm that sounds really woolly and unconfidence inspiring but I'd trust hearing this from someone on this rather than a garage pawning me off. Do you know what the criteria is? Although by the sounds of it, even that mightn't be too watertight. I've been trying all different combinations eg gear in neutral or reverse, seatbelt on and off and can't hack the times it doesnt work

It doesn't work if you've opened the door or taken your belt off.  Also needs to be in neutral I think, but since having a flat parking space I never leave cars in gear anyway.  Also need to have come to a full stop on the brake pedal, not just 'rolled' the last foot or so.

You'll have to continue to persevere with it to work out exactly why it's failing.  There are probably other criteria as well.

I found it also doesn't work automatically on the first drive after the battery charge has dropped very low - even after it's been recharged on that run.  This may be a safety feature but it caught me out a couple of times.

 

You have to remember it is being applied by a computer program that has a lot of ifs and buts.

You are doing something different the other 20% of the time which doesn't tick all its boxes to auto apply the parking brake.

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

This may be a safety feature but it caught me out a couple of times

A safety feature that catches you out doesn't seem to be a safety feature to me.

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

It doesn't work if you've opened the door or taken your belt off

You'd have thought those were two situations where you'd want it to work.

As someone who has so far avoided a car fitted with this ghastly contraption it seems to me it's yet another example of complexity for the sake of it and doesn't in any way enhance safety.

14 minutes ago, mjt said:

A safety feature that catches you out doesn't seem to be a safety feature to me.

You'd have thought those were two situations where you'd want it to work.

As someone who has so far avoided a car fitted with this ghastly contraption it seems to me it's yet another example of complexity for the sake of it and doesn't in any way enhance safety.

I was thinking it would be safer to leave the EPB disengaged with low battery charge in case the car was being towed or stalled shortly after a jump start for example.

The Ford EPB seems particularly poor.  I've had it on a couple of VAG cars now and it works fine on those.  I no longer have the strength to fully apply a manual handbrake, so EPB should be the safer option in theory.  Though I am always more concerned about it getting stuck on and leaving me stranded than it letting go in a carpark and gently tapping another cars bumper...

Of course, for people that live in very hilly areas or park in precarious places like jetties for boat launches etc then I can see that it may be less desirable.

As mentioned, auto hold has to be engaged and seat belt still on

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I was thinking it would be safer to leave the EPB disengaged with low battery charge in case the car was being towed or stalled shortly after a jump start for example.

The Ford EPB seems particularly poor.  I've had it on a couple of VAG cars now and it works fine on those.  I no longer have the strength to fully apply a manual handbrake, so EPB should be the safer option in theory.  Though I am always more concerned about it getting stuck on and leaving me stranded than it letting go in a carpark and gently tapping another cars bumper...

Of course, for people that live in very hilly areas or park in precarious places like jetties for boat launches etc then I can see that it may be less desirable.

Had a Golf for 3 years. Never once did the EPB miss a beat and I quite liked it. Only time I ever applied the button was say after a service when the auto button was applied. Also had a brief stint in a BMW, exact same. So I would have assumed all cars that release the brake automatically would apply automatically. Not very confidence inspiring and now I'm back to turning my wheels in as it sort of spooks you that the whole EPB is glitchy and could some day disengage maybe when parked up.

2 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

As mentioned, auto hold has to be engaged and seat belt still on

The auto hold button and seat belt are not causing it not work. EPB has worked with the belt off. And it also hasn't worked when I've had my belt on. I know your rationale but this is why I'm so confused.

I've not had an issue with my EPB in 4 years. 🤷‍♂️

I always make sure I've seen parking brake light before getting out though, as you should relying on any auto system.

2 hours ago, alexp999 said:

I've not had an issue with my EPB in 4 years. 🤷‍♂️

I always make sure I've seen parking brake light before getting out though, as you should relying on any auto system.

Same here, I always apply parking handbrake and check the screen.

So if the general consensus is the electric brake is ***** and glitchy, what has been the stance of Ford and its dealers. Has anyone had it replaced under warranty or is it just a software update needed?

It's not glitchy.  It's not designed to apply automatically and that's what Ford will tell you if you take it in.