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What is the service life of brake fluid? That is a question for which there is no simple answer. But it doesn't last forever.

Most motorists don't know that brake fluid wears out over time. They assume it is a lifetime fluid that never needs to be changed, so brake fluid is probably the most neglected fluid in vehicles today.

As brake fluid ages, the corrosion-inhibiting additives in it break down. The earliest signs of chemical decomposition can often be detected within a year or so, or after 10,000 to 12,000 miles of normal driving. Hard use that elevates brake temperatures and pressures can accelerate the rate at which the fluid additives break down even more.

As time goes on, heat and chemical activity continue to erode the fluid's ability to prevent corrosion. Oxidation starts to eat away at metal surfaces creating dissolved acids and sludge that are carried with the fluid as it surges back and forth with every application of the brakes. Some of these contaminants are abr ...