2007-2012 Hyundai Elantra Parking Brake Problems and Adjustment

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Most parking brake complaints on a 2007-2012 Hyundai Elantra come down to one of three things: a lever that pulls up too far because the cable has stretched, rear shoes or caliper mechanisms that no longer hold, or a brake that drags because something is seized. The fix depends on which generation you own, because Hyundai changed the rear parking brake design between the 2007-2010 car and the 2011-2012 sedan. The adjustment itself is simple and done at a nut under the center console, but it only works if the rear hardware is healthy first.

Two Different Parking Brake Designs

Hyundai gave the 2007-2010 Elantra (the HD generation) four-wheel disc brakes as standard, with a four-sensor, four-channel ABS system and electronic brake-force distribution. Hyundai's 2009 release lists the rotors at 10.8 inches (275 mm) front and 10.3 inches (262 mm) rear. Because the rear brakes are discs, the parking brake on these cars is a small set of drum-style shoes that expand inside the hat of the rear rotor, a design usually called drum-in-hat. The hand lever pulls a cable to an equalizer, which splits to the two rear shoe sets.

The 2011-2012 Elantra sedan (the MD generation) moved the parking brake into the rear caliper itself. The cable pulls an operating lever on each rear caliper, which mechanically pushes the caliper piston and clamps the normal rear pads against the rotor. There are no separate parking brake shoes on that setup.

If you own an Elantra Touring, look through the rear wheel before buying parts: a rotor with a large hat and no lever on the caliper means shoes inside the hat, while a cable running to a lever on the back of the caliper means the integrated caliper type.

Symptoms and How to Diagnose Them

• Lever pulls up too far, car rolls on a slope. The cable has stretched or the shoes have worn. On the HD car this also happens after rear rotors are replaced, because the new rotor hat is not worn and the shoe adjustment is no longer matched to it.
• Lever feels normal but the car still rolls. On the HD car, suspect glazed or oil-soaked shoes, or a star-wheel adjuster that was never set. On the MD sedan, suspect a caliper lever that is seized or worn rear pads.
• Rear brake drags or smells hot after a drive. A cable seized in its housing, a caliper lever that will not return to its stop, or shoes adjusted too tight. Feel near both rear wheels after a short drive with the brake released: one noticeably hotter than the other points to that side.
• Parking brake warning light stays on. Check that the lever is fully down first, then check brake fluid level, since the same light is commonly used for low fluid. Low fluid usually means worn pads or a leak, not a parking brake fault.

A quick test: on a safe, gentle slope, set the lever with a firm pull and count the clicks. Compare that number to the service manual figure for your car in the table above. Far more clicks than specified means it needs adjustment or parts.

How the Adjustment Is Done

2007-2010 Elantra (drum-in-hat shoes)

The Hyundai service manual for the HD generation adjusts the shoes first, then the cable. It warns that after any parking brake shoe work you must set the shoe clearance before adjusting the lever stroke. The steps, in plain terms:

1. Raise and support the car securely and remove the rear wheels.
2. Remove the access plug in the rotor, then turn the adjuster's toothed wheel with a screwdriver until the rotor no longer turns.
3. Back the adjuster off 5 notches in the opposite direction, as the manual specifies. Repeat on the other side.
4. Remove the center floor console to reach the adjusting nut at the lever.
5. Turn the nut until the lever reaches the specified stroke of 7 clicks with a 20 kg pull.
6. Release the lever fully and spin both rear wheels to confirm nothing drags, then pull it fully up and confirm the brake holds.

The manual also calls for checking that the system operates without trouble with a hard pull of 686 N (70 kgf, 154 lb) after final adjustment.

2011-2012 Elantra sedan (integrated rear calipers)

For the rear disc type, the MD service manual sets the cable against the caliper levers rather than by feel:

1. Remove the floor console and loosen the cable until both caliper operating levers rest fully against their stops.
2. Pump the brake pedal several times until it firms up, which brings the rear pads into working position.
3. Tighten the adjusting nut until the operating levers on both calipers just lift off their stops. The manual limits the combined gap between the levers and stoppers to a maximum of 3 mm (0.12 in).
4. With the hand lever fully released, confirm both rear wheels turn freely, then road test.

If new cables were fitted, the manual says to apply the parking brake several times with maximum force to seat them, then readjust. Do not simply crank the nut tighter to shorten the lever travel: over-tightening holds the caliper levers off their stops and makes the rear pads drag.

When the lever assembly is serviced, Hyundai specifies multipurpose grease (SAE J310, NLGI No. 2) on the ratchet plate and pawl sliding parts.

Causes and What to Replace

Adjustment only compensates for normal cable stretch. If the brake still will not hold after a correct adjustment, the parts themselves have worn or seized:

• Parking brake shoes (HD). They wear slowly because they are mostly static brakes, but they glaze, rust to the hat, or get contaminated. Replace them as a pair with new springs and hardware from a brake hardware kit, and look over our brake shoes collection.
• Rear rotors (HD). The shoes ride on the inside of the rotor hat, so a scored or rusted hat will not let new shoes hold. Replace rotors in pairs from our brake rotors collection.
• Rear calipers (MD). A seized lever or piston mechanism cannot be fixed by adjustment. A replacement from our brake calipers collection solves both holding and dragging. Integrated parking brake calipers generally need the piston wound back, not pushed straight in, when fitting new pads.
• Cables. A rusted cable that sticks in its housing causes drag on one side. Replace the affected cable rather than lubricating it and hoping.

What to Do at the Same Time

Parking brake work is a good moment to inspect the whole brake system. Check rear and front pad thickness while the wheels are off. Our store carries front pads for these cars, including EBC Redstuff ceramic low-dust front pads for the 2007-2008 Elantra 2.0L and EBC Greenstuff 2000 Series front pads for the 2009-2012 Elantra Touring 2.0L. You can browse the rest in brake pads.

It is also worth running the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup. For the 2008 Elantra, NHTSA lists campaign 13V113000 for a stop lamp switch that can keep the brake lights from working, and 20V061000 for moisture getting into the ABS module, which is remedied with a relay. Neither is a parking brake defect, but both are brake-related and repaired free at a dealer.

How Hard Is the Job?

A cable adjustment alone is an easy home job: the hardest part is removing the center console without breaking its clips. Shoe replacement on the 2007-2010 car is moderate, because of the small springs and because the star wheel must be set correctly afterward. Rear caliper replacement on the 2011-2012 sedan is also moderate, but it opens the hydraulic system, so the brakes must be bled afterward and the caliper bolts torqued to the value in the factory service manual. If the car rolled on a hill even once, do not rely on the parking brake until it has been fixed; leave it in gear or in Park and chock a wheel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many clicks should my Elantra parking brake take?

The HD service manual for the 2007-2010 car specifies 7 clicks with a 20 kg pull. The MD manual for 2011-2012 lists 5 to 7 clicks at 196 N (44 lbf). Many more clicks than that means it needs adjustment or parts.

Why did my parking brake get weak after new rear rotors?

On the 2007-2010 car the parking brake shoes sit inside the rotor hat. A new rotor changes the clearance, so the star-wheel adjuster must be reset before the cable is adjusted.

Can I just tighten the cable to fix it?

Only if the shoes, calipers and cable are in good condition. Tightening a cable to hide worn shoes or a seized caliper lever usually causes drag, heat and fast rear wear.

Does the 2011-2012 Elantra have rear parking brake shoes?

The rear disc version uses the rear caliper as the parking brake, with a cable-operated lever on each caliper, so it has no separate shoes.

Is there a recall for the Elantra parking brake?

NHTSA's recall list for the 2008 Elantra shows no parking brake campaign. It does show a stop lamp switch recall and an ABS module recall, so check your VIN.

Sources

1. Hyundai Elantra HD 2006-2010 Service Manual - Parking Brake Assembly - drum-in-hat shoes, 7-click stroke at 20 kg, 5-notch star-wheel backoff, 686 N check
2. Hyundai Elantra MD 2010-2015 Service Manual - Parking Brake Adjustment, Rear Disc Brake - caliper lever procedure and 3 mm maximum gap
3. Hyundai Elantra MD 2010-2015 Service Manual - Parking Brake Adjustment - 5-7 clicks at 196 N, grease spec, shoe-before-cable order
4. 2009 Hyundai Elantra release (Conceptcarz) - four-wheel disc brakes, ABS with EBD, 275 mm front and 262 mm rear rotors
5. NHTSA recalls, 2008 Hyundai Elantra - campaigns 13V113000 and 20V061000, no parking brake recall