Car shaking noises explained

Common causes of car shaking

Car shaking noises are usually down to problems with the wheels, suspension, brakes, or engine. To work out which of these common causes is the culprit in your case, read the detailed explanations below.

Once you’ve found out what’s causing the shaking and vibrating in your car, you’ll be in a better position to fix the problem.

Remember to keep up with your regular maintenance once the problem has been resolved to help prevent any shaking noises from recurring.

• Wheel and tyre issues

  The most common causes of car shaking noises are unbalanced, worn, or improperly inflated tyres. Fortunately, it’s easy to check for all of these yourself:

  • Use a pressure gauge to see if your tyres are properly inflated. If they aren’t, you can release or add air until they’re at the right pressure.
  • Each tyre should be above the minimum legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm* across the middle three-quarters. The easiest way to check this is using a 20p piece; the border of the coin shouldn’t be visible when you push it into the treads. Make sure you do this at various points on each tyre. If the treads are below or close to the legal limit, it’s time for new tyres.
  • Telltale signs of unbalanced tyres include ‘cupping’ or ‘scalloping’ (dips around the outer edge), excessive wear around either the inner or the outer edges, and overall uneven wear. This isn’t something you can fix yourself – you’ll need to take your car to a mechanic, who’ll rebalance your tyres for you.
  • If all four tyres are looking OK, then the issue could be related to wheel alignment, particularly if the vibrations occur when you’re driving at high speeds. Again, this is something that a professional needs to fix, as it involves adjusting your suspension so your wheels are all essentially pointing the right way.
  • The problem could also be something as simple as loose lug nuts, which are easy to tighten properly.

  *Although the legal limit is 1.6mm, studies have shown that tyres worn below 3mm increase stopping distances. Therefore, we recommend replacing your tyres before the tread falls below this level.

• Suspension and steering problems

  Suspension and steering problems are also common causes of car shaking noises. Your suspension is designed to absorb shocks and stabilise your car so that driving doesn’t feel like you’re on the dodgems. (If it does, you might find yourself wondering: “Is it time to sell my car?”)

  That’s why if any of your suspension components such as the shocks, struts, or ball joints get worn out or damaged, you’ll be more likely to feel shaking and vibration with every little bump in the road. You’ll probably also notice poor handling if this is the case.

  Similarly, when steering parts such as tie rods and ball joints become loose and worn out, you’ll hear and feel vibrations in your steering wheel - and you’ll likely notice your car pulling to one side too.

  Regular maintenance can go a long way towards keeping these problems at bay. For example, dealing with wheel and tyre issues when they first occur can stop them getting any worse (which is when they could start affecting the steering and suspension).

  Keeping up with your regular services is essential too. This way, any potential issues such as worn suspension parts can be diagnosed and fixed before they escalate.

  However, if you notice vibrating or shaking noises between services, and can’t resolve them yourself, you should take your car to the garage and get professional advice as soon as possible.

• Brake system issues

  If you notice your car vibrating when you’re braking, then it’s likely that your brake pads are worn - or the brake rotors are warped. When you put your foot on the brake pedal, the brake pads – which are covered in a thick friction material – press against the spinning brake rotors, causing the wheels to slow down.

  If the brake pads start to wear out, then they can’t press the rotor evenly, which causes vibration in the brake pedal. If the rotor has warped, they wobble rather than spin, which sends vibrations to the brake pedal and steering wheel.

  These hard-working parts aren’t meant to last forever. In fact, they should be replaced around every 50,000 miles (or when they start to show wear). So, if you notice car shaking noises in your brake pedal or steering wheel, it’s a good idea to get a mechanic to check your brake pads and rotor.

• Engine and transmission issues

  If your car is shaking all over, particularly when it’s idle or accelerating, this could be down to problems with the engine or transmission.

  When your engine misfires, this means one or more cylinders aren’t firing in the balanced, sequential way they should. This makes your engine run unevenly, resulting in a vibrating car. Misfires can be caused by a range of issues, from faulty spark plugs to clogged air or fuel filters.

  Loose or worn engine mounts are another likely source of shaking. Engine mounts keep your engine fixed to your car frame, acting as shock absorbers to stop the engine’s powerful vibrations from transferring to the rest of your car. If they become loose or worn out, they can’t do this job effectively anymore - and you’ll start to feel every movement of the engine throughout your car.

  Other problems that often cause car shaking noises include:

  • Misaligned pistons or CV joints.
  • Torque converter issues.
  • Slipping gears.
  • Damaged transmission mounts.

  If you think that your car shaking noises are related to your engine or transmission, you should get your car to a mechanic as soon as possible. They can diagnose the issue and fix it, before the damage gets worse.

How to prevent car shaking issues

Regular maintenance can go a long way when it comes to preventing car shaking noises:

• Check your tyres once a month (and before any long trips) to ensure that the pressure and tread depth for each tyre are correct - and no damage is present.

• Make sure your lug nuts are properly tightened.

• Have your brakes inspected every six months - or every 6,000 to 10,000 miles.

• Take your car for a service annually (or at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer) but don’t wait until then if you suspect there’s a problem.

• The best way to avoid unexpected vibrations is to keep your car in the best possible shape. Use quality fuel, keep all fluids topped up, listen out for unusual noises, check for dashboard warning lights, and drive as smoothly as you can.

• Finally, book regular check-ups with your mechanic, as they’re trained to spot and fix potential problems. This can help you avoid costly repairs further down the road.