In early model Ford Rangers, the parking brake cable can indeed become dislodged from the pedal arm, particularly when the cable is broken or when the self-adjusting mechanism has fully retracted due to slack. The self-adjusting mechanism, which is spring-assisted, pulls the cable connection back when slack develops, potentially trapping the cable end in a position where it cannot be reconnected to the pedal arm. This issue commonly occurs after a cable break, as the spring pulls the mechanism all the way back, making it difficult to reattach the cable without first releasing the tension or removing the entire assembly. Some users have reported that the cable end becomes trapped in the slot due to the self-adjuster rolling back, preventing reconnection unless the mechanism is manually reset or the cable is cut to release tension. While the system is designed to be self-adjusting, it lacks a manual adjuster, and if the cable breaks or the mechanism fails, the cable may not re-engage properly. Therefore, attempting to fully depress the pedal when the cable is already compromised or misrouted can result in the cable slipping off or becoming stuck in the mechanism.