2007-2010 Hyundai Elantra Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2007-2010 Hyundai Elantra usually means new pads and rotors on one axle at a time, and the front axle wears out first. Hyundai built this generation with disc brakes at all four corners in the US, so the rear job is a second, smaller pad-and-rotor service rather than drum shoes. Below is what wears, how to tell it is due, what drives the price, and which parts to buy together.

How the 2007-2010 Elantra Brake System Is Built

This is the HD-generation Elantra sedan. Hyundai made four-wheel disc brakes standard and pointed out at launch that several rival compacts still used rear drums. Per Hyundai's published specifications, the front rotors measure 10.8 inches (275 mm) and the rear rotors 10.3 inches (262 mm). Each corner uses a caliper, a pair of pads and a rotor, so the service is the same basic job front and rear.

The hydraulic side is a four-sensor, four-channel anti-lock braking system with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). EBD shifts braking force between the front and rear axles based on how the car is loaded, which is one reason the rear pads on this car do real work instead of just going along for the ride. SE models also got Brake Assist, which senses a panic stop and adds braking force.

A quick check before you order: look through the rear wheel spokes. You should see a rotor and caliper, not a closed drum. Some aftermarket catalogs list rear drums for these years, so if the car was bought used, imported or has been modified, confirm what is on it before you buy.

Symptoms Your Elantra Is Due for a Brake Job

• High-pitched squeal while driving that goes quiet or changes when you press the pedal. That is usually the metal wear tab on the pad touching the rotor. It is a built-in warning that the pad is near the end.
• Grinding or scraping. The friction material is gone and the backing plate is cutting the rotor. At this point, rotors are almost always part of the job.
• Pulsation in the pedal or shake in the steering wheel when stopping from highway speed. Typical of uneven rotor thickness or deposits on the front rotors.
• Car pulls to one side under braking. Often a sticking caliper slide pin or a seized caliper piston on one side.
• Soft or low pedal. Can be air or moisture in the fluid, a leak, or very worn pads pushing the pistons far out of their bores. Check the fluid level first.
• Uneven pad wear side to side or inner to outer. Points to dry or seized slide pins, a common finding on older cars in salt states.

A light squeak on the first few stops of a damp morning is normal surface rust being wiped off the rotors. A noise that stays, or grows, is not.

What Wears on This Car and in What Order

The front brakes do most of the stopping on any front-heavy, front-wheel-drive compact, so the front pads wear first. The front rotors are usually due every second pad change, or with the first one if the car has been driven into metal-on-metal. On a car this age, most front rotors are already near or below their minimum thickness, which is cast into the rotor hat.

The rear pads wear more slowly, but because EBD actively uses the rear brakes, they do wear. On cars that sit for long stretches or live in road salt, the rear caliper slides and pistons can stick. A stuck rear caliper shows up as one rear pad worn to the backing plate while the other side still looks healthy.

Rubber brake hoses on a car that is now well over a decade old deserve a look at every brake job. Cracks at the fittings or a hose that bulges when someone presses the pedal means replace it.

The Fix: Which Parts to Buy

Front brake job

Two front rotors and a set of front pads are the standard job. Ceramic brake pads are the best fit for most Elantra owners: quiet, low dust and suited to commuting. Pair them with new brake rotors in the correct 10.8-inch front size. Resurfacing old rotors is rarely worth it on a car this age, because machining removes metal from rotors that are usually already thin.

Rear brake job

Two rear rotors and a set of rear pads. Rear pads for this car are a different part from the front pads, and the rear rotors are the smaller 10.3-inch size, so order by axle. Check that both rear caliper pistons retract smoothly before you reassemble.

Complete front and rear kit

If the car has high miles and you do not know when the brakes were last done, a four-wheel kit is often the cleanest answer: every pad and rotor is new and matched, and you only buy once. Browse our brake parts for Elantra-fit kits and single-axle sets.

What to Replace at the Same Time

• Hardware: new abutment clips and pad shims. Old clips lose their spring and cause rattles and uneven wear. See our brake hardware kits.
• Caliper slide pins: clean and re-grease with a brake-specific lubricant. Replace the rubber boots if they are torn.
• Calipers: if a piston will not retract, a slide pin is seized, or the boot is torn and the piston is rusty, replace the caliper. Replace calipers in pairs on the same axle. Our brake calipers are the place to start.
• Brake fluid: brake fluid absorbs moisture over time. If it is dark or has not been changed in years, flush it during the job. Use only the fluid type printed on the reservoir cap and in the owner's manual.
• Hoses: replace any cracked or swollen brake hoses while the system is open.

How Hard Is the Job, and What Drives the Cost

For someone with basic tools, the front brake job on this Elantra is one of the easier ones out there. The caliper and its bracket unbolt from the knuckle, and the rotor slides off the hub once it is freed from any rust. Torque every fastener to the values in the factory service manual, and torque the lug nuts in a star pattern.

The rear job is similar, with two extra checks: make sure the parking brake is fully released before you pull the rotor, and confirm it still holds firmly after reassembly. Rust between the rotor and hub is the most common time-waster on both axles.

Cost comes down to four things, in roughly this order:

1. Pads only versus pads and rotors. Adding rotors makes up most of the difference in parts cost.
2. One axle versus both. A front-only job is the most common. Doing the rear too roughly doubles the parts.
3. Extras found during the job. A seized caliper, a torn hose or a fluid flush adds parts and time.
4. Labor. Doing it yourself removes the largest single line on a shop invoice. A shop charges by the axle, and rates vary widely by region.

Check the ABS Recall Before You Start

The 2007-2010 Elantra is included in NHTSA campaign 20V061000 (Hyundai recall 188). Moisture can get into the ABS module and cause an electrical short that can start an engine compartment fire, even with the car turned off. The free dealer remedy installs a relay in the main junction box. It does not affect pads or rotors, but if the ABS warning light is on or you smell burning near the module, stop and get the recall checked by VIN before doing brake work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2007-2010 Elantra have rear disc brakes or drums?

Hyundai made four-wheel disc brakes standard on the US-market 2007-2010 Elantra sedan. Since some catalogs also list rear drum parts for these years, look through the rear wheel to confirm before you order.

Are the front and rear brake pads the same?

No. The front and rear pads are different shapes and the rotors are different sizes: 10.8 inches front and 10.3 inches rear. Always order parts by axle.

Should I replace rotors every time I change pads?

On a car this old, usually yes. If the rotors are scored, warped, lipped or at or under the minimum thickness cast into them, replace them. New pads on worn rotors tend to be noisy and wear out early.

Why is only one of my rear pads worn out?

Almost always a sticking rear caliper, either a seized slide pin or a piston that does not fully release. Replacing only the pads will repeat the problem. Service or replace the caliper.

Do I need to do front and rear at the same time?

No. The axles wear at different rates, and doing one axle at a time is normal. Inspect both whenever the wheels are off, and always replace pads and rotors in pairs on the same axle.

Does the ABS recall affect a brake job?

The recall remedy is an electrical fix, not a brake-parts fix. Still, check your VIN for open recalls and have the remedy done at a Hyundai dealer. It is free.

Sources

1. Conceptcarz: Hyundai Elantra specifications (from Hyundai press material) - four-wheel disc brakes on all models, 275 mm front and 262 mm rear rotors, four-channel ABS with EBD, Brake Assist on SE
2. NHTSA recall 20V061000 - 2007-2010 Elantra ABS module moisture short, fire risk, junction box relay remedy
3. Justia recall record 20V061000 - Hyundai recall number 188 and covered models
4. Detroit Axle rear disc rotor and ceramic pad kit for 2010 Elantra - rear disc brakes across Elantra trims including Blue, GLS and SE