Yes they do. Those that are mounted on the front of a vehicle in particular need a lot of TLC, simply because they are 1) pulling a lot of weight, 2) subject to a lot of moisture and wear and tear. This video guide is a great start on the basics of electric winch maintenance. You can trust they know what they’re talking about because they’re Australian, and if they can maintain their winches after hauling their trucks around the outback (and fighting off Kangaroos) that’s good enough for us.