[mkayokay]

AFAIK most cars with electric parking breaks need to be set into a special maintenance mode either via OBD-2 or a special in-car procedure to be able to change the pads. Otherwise the breaks Pistons just push together and leave no room for the new pads. At least that is what my 2015 VW would do. But every shop around here has that Software or knowledge.

So Hyundai just upped the game and put some subscription into their service software. Definitely not a consumer friendly move, as changing pads and even disks is not that hard.

[prmoustache]

The cars are literally equipped with a computer and a touchscreen these days, there is no justification to mandate an external computer or diagnostic tool to be able to do basic service such as a change of brake pads.

[selkin]

Someone engaging this mode by error or stupidity, and then causing an accident makes me think some things should remain lock behind some "I know what I am doing" barrier, which the subject of the original link seem to not have scaled above, as there is a simple way to brute force the electronic break, no expensive tools needed.

[prmoustache]

A maintenance mode can be done without risk of activating it by mistake.

Then the different kind of maintenance can be split into sections with warnings about implications of each setting/action.

[hopelite]

It seems like this may be a good opportunity for someone interested in cars to make a site that evaluates especially EV vehicles for their various tricks and traps like this OP story to hold manufacturers’ feet to the fire, so things like subscription or unlock charges and DLC nonsense is not spread and normalized. I don’t want to give them any ideas, but I would prefer if we avoided things like having to buy blinker credits do you don’t end up pulled over off found at fault in an accident because you ran out of credits to use your blinker.

I for one would love to know if a manufacturer requires expensive hidden costs for services that amount to vendor lock-in. It seems like yet another industry moving into the scammy business model like airlines and hotels, where the prices they show you are never they price you pay.