Question: How do I know when my car needs a brake job?

Answer: You need a “brake job” when your brake linings are worn down to the minimum acceptable thickness specified by the vehicle manufacturer or the applicable state agency in areas that set their own requirements. Therefore, the only way to determine if new linings are required is to inspect the brakes. You may also need a brake job if some component in your brake system has failed or if your brakes are grabbing, are pulling, are low or soft pedal, have pedal vibration or have noise, etc. But if the problem is isolated to only one component there’s no need to replace other parts that are still in perfectly good working order.

There is no set mileage interval at which the brakes need to be relined because brake wear varies depending on how the vehicle is driven, the braking habits of the driver, the weight of the vehicle, the design of the brake system and a dozen other variables. A set of brake linings that last 70,000 miles or more for a car that is driven mostly on the highway may last only 30,000 or 40,000 miles on a vehicle that is driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic.