One of the more common problems cars develop is vibration or shaking. This can range anywhere from a slowly developing and subtle vibration to a suddenly noticeable shake. And car vibration can range from soft and nearly unnoticeable to nearly teeth rattling. You’d be surprised how often we get asked, “Why does my car shake?” The short answer – it could be many things . Let’s explore some of the more common causes below.
No matter how noticeable or intense the shaking or vibration you experience, it’s distracting and annoying. But even worse than that, it is always a sign that something is wrong with your vehicle. Sometimes, the issue is minor and easily correctable, while other times it’s more significant.
Many component or car system problems can result in car vibration, and it’s not always easy for the layperson to determine the cause of the problem. Frequently, your best option is to bring your car in to a licensed professional if you experience shaking or vibration. If you address vibration issues immediately, you can oftentimes save yourself significant money by catching the problem while it’s minor. The alternative, if you wait, can frequently be larger repair costs at a later date.
It’s worth taking time to understand some of the most common problems that result in shaking or vibration. Being informed on the topic increases your chances of being aware and taking appropriate steps to deal with issues along those lines, saving you money in the long run. The following covers some of the most likely culprits for your vehicle vibrating, as well as the best solutions.
Tires
Tire issues tend to be the biggest reason we see in our shop for vibration or shaking complaints. Whether it is unevenly worn tires, unbalanced tires, or simply bald or worn out tires, tire problems should be the first place to investigate if you experience a vibration.
Unfortunately, tires tend to have a relatively short shelf life before they need replacement, and that’s under the best of circumstances. Assuming you keep the air pressure at optimal levels and have your tires rotated frequently, you’re doing what you can to maximize the lifespan of your tires.
If you’re not keeping up with tire maintenance, it’s more likely that you’ll experience uneven tire wear or deterioration of the tires, and any such decline in tire quality can cause shaking and tire vibration.
- Your tires can wear unevenly for a number of reasons, from wheel alignment and suspension issues to incorrect tire pressures. Unevenly worn tires frequently result in vibration.
- Underinflated tires also tend to cause vibration. Inflating your tires to specification easily solves this particular cause of vibration.
- A more serious issue that can cause tire vibration is separated tread. This particular problem is usually the result of overinflated tires, especially driven on rough roads. If your tires’ tread is separating, this is a dangerous issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. The only remedy here is tire replacement.
- Even treated properly, eventually tires wear out and become old. Bald, dry tires tend to result in vibration while driving.
In the case of underinflated tires, you can solve the problem simply by re-inflating your tires. If your tires are unevenly worn, this can in some cases be addressed by having your tires rotated, though if the unevenness in the tire tread is severe enough it might require you to replace your tires. Again, separated tread, or old, worn-out tires will also require replacement.
If you experience vibration, your first check should always be your tires. If you check out your tires and find no issues, you’d then want to move on to the rest of the possible causes. However, let’s say you do find out that your tires are unevenly worn and this is causing vibration. The root cause may be the next issue rather than a problem with the tires themselves. In other words, be aware that uneven tire wear, while being the cause of your car’s vibration, may only be a symptom of a primary problem elsewhere that caused the tires to wear unevenly in the first place.
Wheel Alignment
A wheel alignment problem in and of itself isn’t likely to cause your car to shake. But a wheel alignment that’s out of specifications can lead to other problems that cause shaking. So, if you find that your tires are worn unevenly and there’s no other obvious reason, it’s very possible that the root cause of the tire wear is your wheel alignment. Every automobile has a specific set of angles at which the vehicle’s wheels are supposed to be aligned. Over time or due to accidents or mishaps, such as hitting curbs, that alignment can get out of whack.
If that happens, you’ll experience a number of issues, most very subtle at first. Uneven tire wear and vibration at the steering column are two of the signs your wheels might need alignment.
Our Certified Automotive Experts are able to balance and align your wheels using a computerized system, and you should also get a wheel alignment routinely as a matter of maintenance. If you are noticing symptoms of wheel misalignment, it’s possible that it’s time to bring your vehicle in for a wheel alignment as soon as you’re able. The good news is that a wheel alignment is a quick and relatively inexpensive maintenance visit.
Brakes
Another common reason for vibration and shaking is problems with your brakes. The dead giveaway that the vibration is due to something faulty in your braking system is noticing that the vibration starts or becomes worse as you apply your brakes.
Probably the number one place to look in the braking system is the brake rotors (discs). In disk brakes (the most common type), the rotor is the iron disk onto which your brake pads lock to slow your vehicle. These little disks are under a ton of pressure and deal with a lot of wear and tear and exposure to friction heat through normal use and are also subject to moisture and to the elements.
As a result of that heat and wear & tear, a rotor can become warped or unevenly worn. Sometimes the deformation can be slight, but other times it can be quite severe. At a certain point, the rotor is no longer uniform and even, and so the brake pads can’t grip it fully. When this happens, you’ll feel brake vibration as the brake pads struggle to cleanly grip the rotor.
It’s possible to fix a warped rotor by machine cutting it back to straight in some cases, while in instances of severe damage or unevenness it’s necessary to replace the worn rotor. It’s best to have a good deal of automotive repair experience when trying to make repairs to the brake system. So, it’s best to have a trained professional take care of the issue.
Another brake-related issue that might cause you to experience brake vibration is a stuck brake caliper. Calipers are the hydraulic clamping devices to which your brake pads are attached, and the calipers push the pads to grip the rotors when you depress the brake pedal. Occasionally, one of the calipers will get stuck. If this happens, you may feel shaking, as well as pulling to one side or the other while driving and/or braking. A stuck caliper is a more significant and urgent problem, and should receive attention by our Automotive Experts as soon as possible.
Axle
Minor accidents, hitting large potholes or curbs, or going too fast over speed bumps can cause damage to your vehicle’s axle. Oftentimes, it won’t be immediately apparent that anything is wrong, and you may assume there was no damage to your car. But an impact – even a relatively minor one – can bend or damage the axle, and this is a serious issue.
A damaged axle can cause suspension vibration, oftentimes fairly severe shaking. This shaking will usually get worse as your reach higher speeds, and it’s important to address axle issues as soon as possible.
A related issue that can cause vibration is worn CV (constant velocity) joints. CV joints are located at the ends of the drive axles, and are sheathed in a rubber boot. This “Axle Boot” serves two functions. It keeps out grime, dirt and any other debris, and it serves to keep the axle grease in. Occasionally CV boots get torn or broken open. When this happens, the CV joint will sustain damage over time due to loss of the lubricating grease and due to the entry of dirt and debris.
Damaged CV joints can produce suspension vibration in your car, and will need to be replaced. In fact, if you drive for too long with faulty CV joints, you may need to replace your drive axles too, which will cost you significantly more. A telltale sign that your vibration may be caused by a faulty CV joint is if you also hear a clicking or clunking noise when turning.
Motor Mounts
Also known as engine mounts, motor mounts hold your car’s engine in place. Motor mounts, made of rubber and metal; bracket the vehicle’s engine to the frame. This is a slight over-simplification, and every car is different. But it’s enough to know the basic concept, understanding that the motor mounts secure the engine to the frame of the car.
The rubber, that’s embedded in motor mounts, in particular plays an important role in reducing vibration caused by the routine performance of the engine. While the metal is doing the ‘heavy’ work of providing structure for the mount, the rubber is dampening engine vibration throughout the rest of the vehicle.
Like many other parts in your car, motor mounts can wear out. The rubber component is more susceptible to wear than the metal component, but either can potentially wear out over time. When motor mounts are worn, the metal part is providing weaker structure and the rubber part doesn’t cushion the vibrations caused by the engine nearly as well.
Once this wear or deterioration reaches a noticeable level where you’re feeling that shaking as you drive, it’s likely that your motor mounts are no longer properly doing their job. Getting fresh motor mounts will curb the vibration, and will also make sure your engine is securely mounted within your vehicle, thereby preventing any expensive structural damage that could otherwise occur with worn motor mounts.
Engine
Sometimes, the issue will come not from the motor mounts, but from problems with the engine itself. While the engine is one of the most critical systems in your vehicle, the good news is that some of the fixes to engine-caused vibration are easy and low-cost.
A big sign that your engine might be the cause of vibration is that the vibration is uneven, and only comes at certain times. Many of the previous issues resulting in vibration tend to produce a more even and regular vibration.
For example, you might notice jerking or shaking when you accelerate. Or you might only notice vibration at a certain range of speeds and not while going at other speeds. Or you might not notice any shaking until you’ve driven it for a certain length of time, perhaps after the engine warms up.
If any of these are what you’re experiencing, there’s a good chance something is inhibiting the performance of your engine. In order for your engine to perform properly, your engine needs fuel and air, as well as a spark. If any one of those components is lacking or inhibited, your engine will perform raggedly, which can lead to engine vibration.
The first thing you should check out is your spark plugs. Damaged or non-functioning spark plugs can cause the engine to perform in fits and starts. If the plugs themselves are fine, it may be that there’s an issue with the spark plug wires, and you may need to have them adjusted or replaced.
If the spark plugs and their wires are in good shape, it’s possible that you have an issue with either an air filter or fuel filter. If either of these are clogged or dirty, that’s going to deprive your engine of oxygen or fuel, leading to uneven performance (rough running) and vibration.
Replacing fuel or air filters, if that’s the culprit, is something that’s relatively simple and inexpensive.
If you’re experiencing vibration of some kind while driving, chances are the issue lies with one of the reasons mentioned above. It’s possible to zero in on what the problem is by noting the exact conditions under which the vibration you’re experiencing occurs, as described. However, no vehicle issue is exactly the same as another, meaning that symptoms may vary from case to case, while the cause is still the same.
The bottom line is that ignoring car vibration or shaking isn’t a good idea, as it’s usually a sign of a problem that could get worse if left unaddressed. Often times, the solution is inexpensive and easy, whether something you can perform yourself or a relatively minor fix by one of our Automotive Experts.