Q. Recently, the brakes in my 1999 Buick failed. When I had it repaired, the mechanic told me the brake lines were rusted out. The rest of the car looks great. Why did the brake lines rust away?

A. Over the years, we have started to see more cars with the steel brake and fuel lines rust out. As car manufacturers have made advancements in keeping the bodies of car from rusting away, the brake lines are still made for the most part out of steel. Over time these steel lines rust out. This is why it is critical to inspect the undercarriage of any car on a periodic basis to check for rust.

Q. I just purchased a 2009 GMC Yukon. I like the truck, but it has a very minor problem. When I’m driving on the highway, the drivers mirror vibrates. I thought maybe the tires were out of balance and I had them re-balanced but the mirror still vibrates. One of the reasons I liked this truck is because it has power folding mirrors. My last truck and the garage door didn’t always get along.

A. General Motors issued a technical service bulletin number 06-0864-027G that specifically addresses this issue. The fix ranges from cycling the mirrors in and out three times to replacing the mirror assembly.

Q. I change the oil in my own cars, but I am having a problem with one car, my Jeep with the eight-cylinder engine. No matter what kind of oil filter I use, the oil filter leaks a bit. It isn’t much, but enough to be aggravating. What am I doing wrong?

A. The problem may not be you or the oil filters, but the engine itself. I have seen some Chrysler products where the oil filter adapter plate is warped, and the filter doesn’t seat properly. Replacing the adapter plate is no more difficult than replacing the oil filter.

Q. I check all the fluids on my car on a regular basis, but I don’t do the actual work. I recently brought my car into a quick lube and when the car was completed, they topped off all the fluids except the brake fluid. When I asked them why they said it was company policy and offered no explanation. Any ideas?

A. During normal brake pad wear, the brake fluid level will go down slightly. When the brake pads are replaced, the fluid will return to its original level. So some technicians believe, unless there is a fluid leak, there is no reason to add fluid. The other “corporate” issue is more than likely related to liability. If the shop doesn’t touch the brake fluid, there can be no chance of fluid contamination. Over the years, I have seen many cars that the brake fluid was contaminated with oil and every part of the brake hydraulic system needed to be replaced. That said, if the brake fluid in my car was down, I would top it off with the proper fluid from a sealed container.

Q. My car has an odd pulling problem. Sometimes the car will pull left, other times right and then other times it is perfect. I have had the car aligned but the problem still happens. The alignment shop said something about a bearing. How can a wheel bearing cause a car to pull?

A. The alignment shop was most likely talking about a strut bearing. On top of the strut (shock absorber), there is a bearing assembly that allows the strut bearing to turn left and right. If the bearing has started to bind, it will tend to keep the wheels pointed in the last direction the steering wheel was turned.