How often should I get my brakes cleaned?

John's Question: "My service manager suggested I have my rear brakes cleaned and adjusted. This is a $41 item. I agreed to it last year. Is this work necessary on a yearly basis?"

It depends on what kind of vehicle you have. My first suggestion would be to check your owner’s manual and see what the manufacturer recommends as the interval for this service. Even if there is no listing in your owner’s manual for a rear brake cleaning and adjustment, I think it’s a good idea to do it annually so long as the shop is also doing a visual inspection of your front brakes at the same time. Keep in mind however that brake adjustment is more mileage driven than time driven. If you were only putting 8000 miles on in a year, then I would do this service every 18 months instead of annually.