When your smooth cruising turns into a shaky, unsettling ride every time you brake, it’s clear something’s amiss with your car.
You’ll probably ask yourself: why is my car shaking when I brake?
Is it the brake rotors? Or is it a suspension problem?
Worry not.
We’ll list the possible causes of car shaking when braking and why you should address such issues ASAP.
Let’s hunt down that shake.
This Article Contains
- 8 Reasons Your Car Starts Shaking When You Brake
- Is it Safe to Drive with a Car Shaking When I Brake?
- How Much Does it Cost to Repair My Brakes?
- How Often Should You Check Your Brakes?
- What Causes a Car to Shake While Accelerating?
8 Reasons Your Car Starts Shaking When You Brake
While many factors could make your car shake while braking, the most common causes are an unbalanced tire, a warped rotor, faulty braking system components, or suspension issues.
Here’s how these common reasons can lead to car trembles:
1. Unaligned and Unbalanced Tires
Vibrations and shaking while braking can occur when a car has wheel alignment issues or unbalanced tires. These two are connected — a poor alignment problem can cause tires to wear out and contain uneven pressure.
Here’s how you can quickly check your wheel alignment:
- Drive your vehicle at 50 to 55 miles per hour on an empty road.
- Once you gain speed, lift your hands off the steering wheel for a few seconds and check if your vehicle veers off its original course.
- If it veers to the left or right, you need to get your wheel alignment fixed.
Likewise, having an unbalanced tire could lead to notoriously expensive suspension issues. To avoid this, inspect your car’s wheel alignment regularly and get a tire rotation every 5,000 to 7,000 miles (or as suggested in your owner’s manual).
2. Brake Rotor Issues
Brake rotors are the large metal discs between the brake pads on each wheel. When you push down on the brake pedal, the pads squeeze against the rotor, creating friction and slowing the car.
Through repeated use over time and excessive heat in the brakes, a rotor surface could start to deform. This can lead to excessive runout (rotor distortion causing it to wobble from side to side) or a warped brake rotor. Both conditions can prevent the pads from pressing squarely against the brake rotors, causing vibrations in the brake pedal and steering wheel when braking.
3. Worn Brake Pads
Like the rotors, brake pads wear out over time. Certain driving habits, like hard and frequent braking, can also shorten their lifespan. You’ll know a brake pad is the reason why your car vibrates if a loud squealing accompanies the car shake.
You should replace worn brake pads every 10,000 to 20,000 miles.
4. Brake Calipers Sticking
The brake calipers house both the brake pads and pistons. The calipers press the brake pad against the rotors to slow the vehicle down, using brake fluid pressure delivered through the brake lines.
Faulty brake caliper hardware, like a caliper guide pin, will prevent this brake system component from doing its job correctly. Your brake caliper can get stuck while the car’s brakes are engaged, often leading to the pads dragging along the rotors. This will likely produce a brake shudder and make your car shake.
5. Problems with Suspension Components
The main job of a vehicle’s suspension is to absorb shocks on the road while driving over potholes or bumps, keeping the car as stable as possible. If you notice a brake vibration at low speeds, you may have a suspension issue.
The suspension components most likely to become worn out are the axles, the connected constant velocity joint (CV joint), and the ball joints. When the suspension system has a damaged part or the CV joint and ball joints are filled with road debris, you will notice intense steering wheel and car shaking.
6. Brake Drums are Out of Round
This issue mostly applies to older or economy cars that have drum brakes in their rear wheels.
Brake drums help slow the car down when brake shoes are pressed against them to create friction. The brake shoes are contained within drums and actuated by the brake fluid via a wheel cylinder.
Like warped brake rotors, drum brakes can bend out of shape, creating a shaking sensation in the steering wheel when you press the brake pedal.
7. Loose Wheel Bearings
Behind each tire is a wheel bearing. The bearings are essential for a smooth ride, allowing each wheel hub to turn smoothly as a vehicle moves forward or backward.
Wheel hubs also act as the mounting point for the disc brakes. A loose wheel bearing means the wheel hub isn’t correctly connected, leading to excessive side-to-side wheel movement. The most likely result is a shaking car while braking.
8. Vacuum Leak
If you aren’t moving but your car trembles when you brake, it’s most likely due to a vacuum leak in the brake booster.
The brake booster relies on the engine vacuum to amplify the force you apply to the brake pedal. A vacuum leak disrupts this process, causing the engine to work harder to maintain the necessary vacuum levels. This can lead to erratic engine behavior and car shakes.
Now you know what could cause a shaking car, but can you continue driving with the problem?
Is it Safe to Drive with a Car Shaking When I Brake?
Yes, but always remain cautious of any underlying issue. Although a car shake may not always indicate a severe problem, continuing to drive isn’t recommended. The issue may relate to your brakes.
Remember, driving with a brake issue is extremely risky!
You not only jeopardize your safety but can also damage other braking system components, requiring expensive repairs.
It’s far safer to contact a mechanic to diagnose the shaking problem before you hit the road again.
Wondering how much you need to budget for this repair?
Keep reading to find out!
How Much Does it Cost to Repair My Brakes?
A complete brake job at your dealership or a service center can cost you between $950 to $1,300, including labor charges of $100 to $200 per axle.
This includes replacing (for disc brakes):
- Brake pad: $35 and $150 (for all four wheels)
- Brake rotor: $200 to $280 per axle
- Brake caliper: $620 to $750 per caliper
or (for drum brakes)
- Brake shoe: $135 to $145
- Brake drum: $195 to $225
- Wheel cylinder: $65 to $80
If you need to replace your brake booster, plan to spend anywhere between $200 and $1250.
Tip: Check your service center’s website to avail any service specials that can reduce your total bill.
That said, regularly checking your braking system can help avoid such expensive repairs.
How Often Should You Check Your Brakes?
Ideally, you should have your brakes inspected every 12,000 miles or once a year to avoid braking problems.
But if you notice unusual noises, reduced braking performance, or if the brake pedal shakes when braking, these are signs that you should get a brake service immediately.
We have covered the factors that make a car shake while braking, but let’s also find out what causes a vehicle to vibrate at highway speeds.
What Causes a Car to Shake While Accelerating?
Whether you drive a Toyota or a Ford, here are a few issues that could cause vibration while accelerating or moving at highway speeds:
- Broken engine mount: The engine or motor mount ensures the engine is kept secure within the vehicle’s frame. The motor mount lessens engine vibration, so when it’s damaged, you’ll feel the steering wheel pulsating when you hit the gas.
- Damaged driveshaft: The driveshaft transmits power to the wheel axles. The driveshaft must be perfectly balanced to send power to each wheel effectively. An unbalanced or damaged driveshaft filled with road debris may cause a car to shake when moving at high speed.
- Damaged axle shaft: The axle shaft keeps the positions of each wheel connected. The most common symptoms of a bent axle are a shaking steering wheel or tie rod and an unbalanced wheel.
- Malfunctioning vacuum hose: A leaking or broken vacuum hose can result in insufficient air pressure. This issue can wreak havoc on other internal components, sensors, and computers, leading to backfires, intense shaking, or power loss.
Say Goodbye to Unpleasant Vehicle Shakes with AutoNation Mobile Service
Car shaking while braking could result from several things, such as a warped rotor, an unbalanced wheel, suspension system damage, or other faulty brake components. You should fix these issues as soon as possible.
And if you don’t want to DIY or risk driving to a repair shop, AutoNation Mobile Service can come to you!
We are a mobile auto repair and maintenance service provider available seven days a week. We offer a 12-month | 12,000-mile warranty and upfront pricing for all repairs.
Easily book a brake service for all the maintenance your vehicle might need.