‘Seized’ Brakes Cars affected: Most Evo’s featuring rear brake shoes for the hand brake (Evo 4 onwards) Symptom: If the car is left standing for a period (usually overnight) then the brakes can become locked on and it makes it difficult to first pull away (a loud thud is heard). Problem and cure: This is not a fault, rather an effect if the car is left overnight with wet brakes. The front and rear discs rust onto the pads and the rear handbrake drum also rusts onto the shoes. The main problem is the rear drum/shoes, as they have a larger contact area than the discs/pads and can rust fairly solid in a short space of time. The problem usually occurs after washing a car and then leaving it overnight without drying out the brakes although it has been known for simple condensation or overnight rain to cause the same results. The answer is to dry the brakes out before parking up. The footbrake can be used to dry the brake discs/pads but to dry the handbrake drums/shoes, hold the handbrake on lightly and drive a short distance. Try to park the car with the handbrake off. Approximate cost of repair: N/A Back to question page