You can save hundreds of dollars by replacing the pads and rotors yourself. And it only requires a few cheap tools.

Air in the brake system can make your brake pedal feel spongy and vague. You should flush the fluid every two or three years, which is a relatively easy two-person project.

The hose’s job is to carry brake fluid from a brake line fixed to the car’s body the rest of the way to the brake caliper on the wheel. Its flexibility is what allows the wheel to move with ...