Why Is My Car Shaking? 5 Reasons Why Your Car is Vibrating

As a car owner, it’s important to be on the lookout for certain changes in your car. Sights and sounds typically top that list, but what about how your car feels? If you notice a new shaking or vibrating, it’s an indication that something is wrong.

While you likely can’t avoid taking your car to a good mechanic to resolve the issue, it’s helpful to get a better idea of what is going on to be able to explain the issue more accurately. Whether your car shakes when braking or your car shakes when accelerating, we’ll help you determine what might be going on with your newly vibrating vehicle.

Brakes

Have you asked yourself “why does my car shake when I brake”? If so, then you’re not alone. This is a common problem that a lot of car owners face, and it most often has to do with the brake system. We’re specifically talking about the brake pads and rotors. When you step on the brake pedal, your brake pads press against the rotors to slowly slow the wheels. Over time, these brake pads get worn down, which ultimately causes the vibration you’re feeling. 

Engine

If your engine is to blame for the vibration, it is possible that it’s caused by your spark plugs. You will typically feel this vibration most when your car is idling or stopped. If your spark plugs are worn or dirty, this may cause your engine to misfire in the corresponding cylinder, resulting in the shaking feeling.

It’s also possible that it’s your engine’s air filter. Both the spark plugs and the air filter are two items that need to be replaced over time but can often be overlooked. Make sure that you’re keeping track of when both of these items were last replaced (if ever) so you can be ready to replace them before they cause any issues within the engine.

Tires

If your car is shaking while driving, your tires are likely to blame. There are a number of different reasons that tires may be causing this vibration. If your car shakes at high speeds, it could be that your tires are unbalanced. There could also be uneven wear on your tires, and they may be in need of a rotation. Your tires could be underinflated. You could have one tire with a defect. There’s lots of different possibilities when it comes to an issue with your tires. If you can’t really identify what the issue is, be sure to take your car in to be checked by a mechanic.

Axle

The vibration you’re feeling may be due to an issue with your axle. It’s possible that your axle is bent or damaged. This could have been caused by something as simple as driving over a pothole. While the damage may not be visible when you look at your car, you definitely feel it when you drive. There’s also a possibility that your driveshaft is damaged, which would result in heavy vibrations as well.

Wheel

So you didn’t know your tires are different from your wheels? Well we’re here to tell you that they in fact are not one in the same, and it could be the wheels that are causing your car to shake. Damage to the wheels (again, could have been a pothole) may cause the wheels to become unbalanced. Severe damage to the wheels that causes vibration may actually indicate that the wheels need to be replaced. In order to know for sure what is causing the shaking and how to fix it, you really should take your car to be checked out.

Come visit us at GT Automotive! We’ll find out what is causing the shaking, fix the root cause, and make sure your ride is smooth from here on out!