If you are in northern climates where the roads are salted, check your parking brake cables to make sure they work freely. Some Elantras have problems with the cables, especially if they've seen 3 salty winters. They tend to sieze up.

The other thing is that Hyundai kind of screwed the pooch a bit on this one: Yes, most of the stopping power comes from the front brakes, but there is a proportioning valve that divides how much pressure goes to the front and back brakes. They tried to even it out so that the front and back braking power was evenly distributed so all four wheels would have the brakes wear evenly, but they missed it and the rears try to apply too much stopping power, leading to premature rear brake wear. Unfortunately this is one of those things that is not covered under warranty, so you just have to live with it.

Replacing the rear brakes is not difficult, but you do have to buy a little tool for $10 or $20 to move the pistons. On the fronts, you can use a C-clamp to squeeze the pistons, but on the rears you have to twist them in. The two is a little cube with pins that stick out of it. Find the pins that match the recesses on the piston face, then use a socket wrench ratchet to winde the pistons in (turning them clockwise) to retract them into the brake cylinder. Sounds complicated but not too hard to do.

 

On my 2005 Elantra GLS, I am still on original brakes and pads in the rears at 90000 miles. The fronts were replaced at about 70000. I do not have antilock brakes. But my understanding from the mechanic is that the rears are expected to last much longer.