Why Car Shakes When Braking? What to Do Now!

car shakes when braking it

Car is for smooth movement from our home to anywhere we want. On many occasions of a car lifetime, you’ll encounter car engine starting problems. But there are very few instances when you may find it difficult to stop your car.

As people commonly encounter starting problems, they get used to it and know how to fix them. But if anything goes wrong when you brake the vehicle, it is not so easy to fix for the car owners.

So, we’ll share with you the reasons behind one of the most common car stopping problems – car shakes when braking. Stay with us!

1. Dust Accumulation in the Brake Pads

Accumulated dust in the brake pads causes the most of the car shakes when you press the brake paddle. Accumulated dust creates friction against the brake pads that prevent the brake pad to work smoothly without any shake.

However, this is an easy fix problem. If you encounter this problem during a ride, you can still safely reach your destination. But don’t leave the problem unattended more than a day or two as that causes a bigger problem to your vehicle.

2. Brake Pads Are Almost Gone

Another thing that can cause the shake when you press the brake is broken brake pads. Degraded or corroded brake pads can cause this problem as the brake fluids unable to press the pads to create the friction needed for the brake to work smoothly.

If this is the case, you’ll need to replace the brake pads as soon as possible. Broken brake pads can cause brake failure too! So, be careful when you encounter this type of problem.

3. Wheel Alignment Issues

Car shakes when stopping the vehicle due to the wheel alignment issue also. This problem can be solved easily and does not pose a grave danger unless the alignment issue is too broad.

An easy way to check whether the vibration is caused by the wheel alignment issue is-

Look for a straight road with minimal or low vehicle movement. Drive the car at a speed of 60 to 80 Kilometer per hour for a minute and leave your steering wheel for two to three seconds and press the brake.

If there is no alignment issue in your car, the car would run straight until it is stopped. But when there is a problem in the wheel alignment, you will see the car moving towards left or right without you touching the steering wheel.

When checking this, be careful about the other cars as the car can turn left or right suddenly without allowing the other drivers to adjust their lane.

4. Problem in the Tires

The least that can cause your car shaking when driving or braking is imbalanced tires. If the pressure in the tire is not consistent in all four wheels of your car, you may experience shakes after you press the brake paddle.

Suppose, you have two tires that are perfectly inflated and two with leaks or problems that cause them to lose pressure when driving. So, a mixture of inflated and deflated tires will shake your car.

However, this won’t cause a severe problem unless you try to drive the car too fast. When you go home, check all your tires and fix them as soon as possible to have a comfortable ride the next day.

5. Problem in the Engine

The next thing that causes your car to shake is a serious problem in the engine. However, problems in the engine will shake your car not only when braking but also when driving the car.

So, turn the sound system off, and drive the car at a consistent speed for a few minutes. If you feel that the car is shaking or vibrating weirdly, your can engine may have a serious problem in it.

Why My Car Shakes When Braking Downhill?

This is not a problem! If you are worried about this, stop thinking about it. It’s normal. This happens because of the gravitational force of the earth.

To prevent this type of shake, slowly go to the parking spot and apply brake slowly until the car stops. This way, you’ll have shake-free braking in the downhill.

Why Car Shakes when Remain Idle?

If your car is shaking when it is idle, be prepared to spend a bunch of money on your engine repair. This is a sign of a serious engine problem that can lead you to a full engine replacement sometimes.

How to Repair a Shuddering Car?

Although you can fix most of the common car problems that occur when driving a car, the shuddering car problem is different. Unless you are a professional, we don’t recommend attempting to fix the car shake.

However, we do recommend you to check and remember the things that you have experienced while driving and braking so that the guy in the auto repair shop can quickly sort out what caused the problem.

As this problem can happen because of a mere tire imbalance, it is a sign of a serious issue in the engine too. So, don’t panic! Go for a full inspection of your car and see what happened.

Final Remarks

Anything unusual in the car is a sign of malfunction in the system. So, any type of unusual or weird experience in the car when driving should not be neglected just because they are so mere or slight.

Attending car issues fast prevents many serious issues that can cost you thousands to repair.

However, don’t panic if you feel that the car shakes when braking. This problem can happen because of 20 odd problems in the car and many of those are so minor that can be fixed within minutes. So, don’t panic thinking that your dream car is gone!

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