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Home / Symptoms / Steering Wheel Shaking

Four common causes for a vehicle steering wheel shaking and their related parts.

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Is Your Car's Steering Wheel Shaking?

The steering wheel is shaking because of bad suspension, tire-related issues, or a loose tie rod. In this sense, the wheels could be bent or out of balance. Alternatively, it might be the brake rotors if it only shakes when braking.

The steering wheel puts you in control of your vehicle. Since you're constantly touching it, it's an easy place to notice irregularities across the steering, braking, and suspension systems of your car. Also, since the steering wheel has so many parts, it might indicate several problems if it vibrates.

Because the steering wheel guides your tires, it's often the first thing associated with a troubling vibration. However, since the brakes are connected to the wheels, the suspension, and the axles, there could be many points where this disturbance originated. No matter the cause, the feeling that you can't control your vehicle while driving is unsettling and often presents a serious safety concern.

Watch out: A shaking steering wheel can offer a clue as to what is wrong with your vehicle. Paying attention to your speed and road conditions is the first step toward identifying what is malfunctioning in the chain of parts that connect you to the road. Whatever the cause, stopping vibrations in your steering wheel means stopping jolting that causes wear on many of your vehicle's crucial parts.

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

Does your steering wheel shake when you apply your brakes?

You may also feel shaking in your seat, which might increase after carrying heavy loads.

The brake rotors are attached to your vehicle's axles, which connect them to your steering. The heat generated from the friction of excessive braking can cause these rotors to warp. When the rotors warp, you might notice a shaking in the steering wheel that stops once the brakes are released.

Does your steering wheel shake worse the faster you go?

You may also feel the steering wheel move back and forth when you brake, and you'll notice the shaking doesn't stop when you release the brakes. Perfectly balanced tires are crucial for a smooth ride.

Manufacturers even measure tires to correct any variation in rubber before a vehicle is released for sale. Unfortunately, driving can also wear tires over time and cause them to become unbalanced. Any hit on your tires, like driving over curbs or potholes, can cause damage or premature wear. When the vehicle's tires are unbalanced, you'll feel vibrations in your steering wheel that increase in intensity when the tires spin faster.

Does your steering wheel shake after driving over a pothole?

You may also hear clunking noises when steering over bumps or notice your steering wheel shifting as you drive at slow speeds.

Your vehicle's tie rod is a ball-and-socket joint that connects your steering rack to the steering spindle. Everyday driving can wear on these parts, which will cause shaking after impacting a pothole. Your vehicle may even make a violent "death wobble," which won't stop jerking until the car stops.

Do you hear a humming noise from your vehicle's tires that gets louder the faster you drive?

You may also experience your vehicle's front end rising when you accelerate and dipping when you brake.

Struts make sure that your vehicle is flat on the road. Their assembly is made from oil running through small passages that keep pressure on your tires. Wear and tear to this system loosens the pressure. If the tires are pushed against the road, they will bounce diagonally across the surface as they drive. In addition, you'll hear a humming sound from air clapping between your tires and the road. The faster your tires are spinning, the louder the hum.

Does your steering wheel shake only on acceleration?

When accelerating, you may also feel a vibration under the floorboards or through the entire vehicle.

Your vehicle has a CV (constant velocity) axle that transfers torque from the transmission to the wheels. Greased rubber boots protect the joints of this axle at each end but get worn over time and may wear worse when they get dirty. When this happens, they are loose against the wheels, and this disruption feels like a vibration in the steering wheel during the increased acceleration torque.

Does your steering wheel vibrate at low speeds?

Additionally, you may feel vibrations in your seat or your steering wheel moving back and forth while braking.

Tires must be perfectly round for a smooth ride, requiring them to be mounted to perfectly-fitting wheels. So, if the rim of your wheels is bent, your tires will take on an irregular shape. Also, when you drive slowly, you'll notice a vibration in the steering wheel whenever the tire is in its low spot.

The most common causes for the car steering wheel shaking

The most common causes for a car’s steering wheel shaking:

Tires out of balance: Unbalanced tires result in a misaligned vehicle that can get wobbly since the wheels are “crooked” in comparison to each other.
Loose tie rod: The tie rod is a car's steering system component that helps connect the steering linkage to the front wheels. However, the tie rod can have excessive play and looseness, resulting in a wobbly wheel that causes vibrations to the steering wheel.
Worn struts: Struts are suspension components that work along Shocks to absorb road impact, providing comfort and stability. However, struts can wear out, develop leaks, and fail, resulting in a rougher drive that transmits vibrations to the steering wheel.
Warped brake rotors: Rotors are disc-like components in the brake system, vital for stopping your car. These rotors can get warped, resulting in bad braking. Note that runout refers to the amount of lateral or radial movement of the rotor as it spins. If the runout is excessive, it can cause the rotor to vibrate or wobble.
Bent wheel: Wheels can get bent whenever you hit a curb, pothole, rough terrain, or get into an accident. A bent wheel rotates unevenly, causing the vehicle to drive wobbly, leading to extra vibrations.
Failing CV axle: A constant velocity axle (CV axle) transfers power from the transmission to the wheels, it consists of CV joints, boots (rubber coverings), etc. However, a CV axle can get a torn boot, causing debris to wear the joint and causing the steering wheel to vibrate on acceleration.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does your steering wheel shake when you apply your brakes?

You may also feel shaking in your seat, which might increase after carrying heavy loads.

The brake rotors are attached to your vehicle's axles, which connect them to your steering. The heat generated from the friction of excessive braking can cause these rotors to warp. When the rotors warp, you might notice a shaking in the steering wheel that stops once the brakes are released.
Does your steering wheel shake worse the faster you go?

You may also feel the steering wheel move back and forth when you brake, and you'll notice the shaking doesn't stop when you release the brakes. Perfectly balanced tires are crucial for a smooth ride.

Manufacturers even measure tires to correct any variation in rubber before a vehicle is released for sale. Unfortunately, driving can also wear tires over time and cause them to become unbalanced. Any hit on your tires, like driving over curbs or potholes, can cause damage or premature wear. When the vehicle's tires are unbalanced, you'll feel vibrations in your steering wheel that increase in intensity when the tires spin faster.
Does your steering wheel shake after driving over a pothole?

You may also hear clunking noises when steering over bumps or notice your steering wheel shifting as you drive at slow speeds.

Your vehicle's tie rod is a ball-and-socket joint that connects your steering rack to the steering spindle. Everyday driving can wear on these parts, which will cause shaking after impacting a pothole. Your vehicle may even make a violent "death wobble," which won't stop jerking until the car stops.
Do you hear a humming noise from your vehicle's tires that gets louder the faster you drive?

You may also experience your vehicle's front end rising when you accelerate and dipping when you brake.

Struts make sure that your vehicle is flat on the road. Their assembly is made from oil running through small passages that keep pressure on your tires. Wear and tear to this system loosens the pressure. If the tires are pushed against the road, they will bounce diagonally across the surface as they drive. In addition, you'll hear a humming sound from air clapping between your tires and the road. The faster your tires are spinning, the louder the hum.
Does your steering wheel shake only on acceleration?

When accelerating, you may also feel a vibration under the floorboards or through the entire vehicle.

Your vehicle has a CV (constant velocity) axle that transfers torque from the transmission to the wheels. Greased rubber boots protect the joints of this axle at each end but get worn over time and may wear worse when they get dirty. When this happens, they are loose against the wheels, and this disruption feels like a vibration in the steering wheel during the increased acceleration torque.
Does your steering wheel vibrate at low speeds?

Additionally, you may feel vibrations in your seat or your steering wheel moving back and forth while braking.

Tires must be perfectly round for a smooth ride, requiring them to be mounted to perfectly-fitting wheels. So, if the rim of your wheels is bent, your tires will take on an irregular shape. Also, when you drive slowly, you'll notice a vibration in the steering wheel whenever the tire is in its low spot.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Unbalanced tires

The most common reason for a car’s steering wheel shaking is due to unbalanced tires. Tires need to be properly aligned and rotating steadily. Whenever a tire is out of balance, it’ll spin in a wobbly fashion, resulting in crooked rotations as the vehicle drives. This type of unbalance while the tire rotates causes the vehicle to shake, which is felt in the steering wheel.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the steering wheel shaking you might notice tough handling, braking issues, pulling to one side, etc.
Medium risk of priority: If the tires are unbalanced, your vehicle starts shaking, which might cause extra friction to internal components. Additionally, the wheels start overstressing, further damaging brake and suspension components.

How exactly do the tires get out of balance?

The tires naturally get out of balance as you drive the vehicle. Tires can become unbalanced due to normal wear, road conditions, or after hitting potholes and curbs. Routine tire rotations usually fix this type of problem. You should expect your tires to be out of balance every 10,000 miles or so. Therefore, always check for balance in the 5,000 to 7,500 mile range.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s tires, braking, steering, and suspension system to investigate if the tires are unbalanced due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the tires to get unbalanced. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in an unbalanced tire service

A brake, steering, and suspension system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s tires are out of balance. This is because many components surrounding the tires and wheels can have a say in the issue, indicating the real culprits that caused it all.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service an unbalanced tire.

A customer dropped off their vehicle after noticing its steering wheel shakes when driving 65 mph on the freeway. When they reached 85 mph while overtaking another car, the vibrations intensified, affecting the steering wheel and under the vehicle's floorboards.

The technician did a test drive and felt the vibrations once they reached 57 mph. They also noticed that the vibrations intensified while increasing speed.

They didn't find other problems during the vehicle health inspection. So, the customer approved additional tests.

Since the vibration came from the steering wheel and floorboard, the technician recommended balancing all four tires. However, upon testing them, the technician found that all four wheels were out of balance.

The technician balanced the wheels and test-drove the vehicle to ensure the vibration at high speeds was gone.

Tires out of balance

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the tires and wheels.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

Four common causes for weird braking from a vehicle and their related parts.

Is Your Car's Steering Wheel Shaking?

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

The most common causes for the car steering wheel shaking

Find Professional Help

Frequently Asked Questions

Does your steering wheel shake when you apply your brakes?

Does your steering wheel shake worse the faster you go?

Does your steering wheel shake after driving over a pothole?

Do you hear a humming noise from your vehicle's tires that gets louder the faster you drive?

Does your steering wheel shake only on acceleration?

Does your steering wheel vibrate at low speeds?

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

The most common cause: Unbalanced tires

How exactly do the tires get out of balance?

Transparency example in an unbalanced tire service

Similar Symptoms

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