The short answer
Shaking at highway speed is usually a wheel out of balance. Shaking only when you brake is the brake rotors. Shaking while stopped is the engine. Shaking that comes with loose steering is a worn suspension or steering part and should be checked right away.
Shaking at highway speed
A vibration that shows up around 90 to 110 km/h and that you feel in the steering wheel is most often a front wheel out of balance. If you feel it in the seat, look at the rear wheels. Wheels lose their balance weights, and hitting a pothole can bend a rim.
A tire with a bulge, a flat spot or uneven wear does the same thing, and so does packed snow or ice inside a wheel in winter.
Shaking only when you brake
If the steering wheel or the pedal pulses when you slow down from speed, the brake rotors are no longer running true. It is felt most from highway speed. Worn suspension bushings can make the same fault feel much worse.
Shaking at idle or at a stoplight
A rough shake while stopped that smooths out as you drive points to the engine. An engine misfire, often from a spark plug or ignition coil, is the usual cause and normally turns the check engine light on. A worn engine mount lets normal engine vibration into the cabin.
Shaking when you accelerate
A shudder under acceleration that goes away when you lift off can be a worn inner CV joint, a driveshaft problem or, on an automatic, a transmission that needs attention.
Shaking with loose steering
If the car wanders, the steering feels vague or the wheel shakes after hitting a bump, a steering or suspension joint is worn. These are the parts that hold the wheel in place. Have it checked before driving on the highway.
Want us to look at it?
Call or text GTS Auto Repair and tell us what the car is doing. We are at 133 Manville Rd, Unit 32, Scarborough, ON M1L 4J7.
