If your car shakes when driving slow or accelerating, you're probably aren't having the best time driving it. It's scary, unpredictable, and downright disconcerting.

If you're not a mechanic, this can be even more troubling since you obviously won't be able to discern the source nor will you know how much it'll cost to fix it. However, if your car is shaking, we have some possible causes and even remedies to help you and your car out.

We'll list some of the more popular reasons why this may be the case, whether you're idling or you've found that your car vibrates at high speed.

Motor Mount Issues

Broken motor mounts can be a reason why your car could be shaking during operation. After all, their goal is to make sure that the engine is secured to your car's frame. In addition to this, it's supposed to keep the rattle down to an absolute minimum, so it's inclusion to this list is paramount.

If it happens to be damaged in any way, you can theoretically have damage done to any of the other parts of the engine since it isn't aligned properly. So, not only will it shake, you could potentially do some major damage to the rest of your car, potentially ultimately you soliciting the help of a business who specializes in junk cars. Fortunately, this is an easy tell, as this will be very pronounced when your car is accelerating.

CV Joint Problems

The CV joint can be another car shaking culprit. You can usually find them at the end of the axle points, whether you're talking about the inner or outer portion. Should the inner joint be damaged, you're probably going to see your car rattle when you're accelerating.

Unfortunately, this is a deteriorating issue. Over time, you'll see the problem get worse and even fail. This is due to friction of metal on metal, namely through dirt and water finding itself in the lubrication. Once this happens, your car will gum up the grease inside and will need to be replaced.

Loose Lug Nuts

It seems like a simple problem, but it can lead to far worse issues. If lug nuts are not loosened or torqued up over time, the wheels will become shaky and while driving it will seem like the car is shaking. If the nuts are left untightened, the nuts could ultimately loosen all the way out, and your wheel could fall off while driving. You don’t want that happening. Don’t stop making sure that you’re using the correct nut size as well.

All in all, loose lug nuts aren't too much of an issue, but it can be if left untreated. If they're not tightened, your wheels themselves will be shaky and it may actually feel as if the car is shaking where it's really just the wheels. However, if they happen to go all the way out, they can even fall off. You can imagine how big of a problem that is going to be when you're driving down the road.

Driveshaft

A bent driveshaft may be another issue. If it's even bent a bit, whether it's from an accident or something else, your car could shake incrementally. It's bound to get worse as your car accelerates even more.

Bent Axle

On the subject of bent instruments, your axle could also the reason that your car vibrates at high speed. This is something that may also happen after an accident. This can cause pretty significant shaking in your car, which is something that shouldn't be ignored because this is a problem that will get worse over time.

Tires Improperly Balanced

If your tires are unbalanced - usually when you get new tires - you'll find that your car shakes when driving slow or even fast. When they get installed, they generally never get an equal amount of mass all around the tire. This will amount to a shaking car, even if it's just a little bit.

If your car vibrates at high speed, you'll see this happen a bit more as the tire rotates much faster. This can even make your steering wheel shake, too.

Brake Caliper Problems

A car shaking when driving can find some remedy if you fix your brake calipers. Generally, your steering will start rattling a little bit when it hits about fifty miles per hour. Any faster than that, you'll see that the problem will get worse. Once your car finally comes to a stop, you may find that you're smelling something burning.

Disconnected Vacuum Hose

If your car vibrates when driving, you could be dealing with a disconnected vacuum hose. In fact, you'll find this to be more substantial. Should your vacuum hose be disconnected or has an air leak due to normal wear and tear, you may find that you may even have a fire. At the very least, you'll have issues with your vehicle losing power.

Tire Treads

If your car shakes when driving slow or your car vibrates at high speed, you could have something simple as a tire tread issue. All tires have some type of wear on them, as they are always working when some areas of the cars may not. Over time, they'll generally flatten out and you'll find that your car vibrates at high speed. This will eventually ramp up as your car accelerates.

Wheel Bearings

If a car shakes when driving slow, it could be wheel bearings. Truth be told, it'll even be the case when it's going school zone speed limit. Wheel bearings keep friction down and the wheels greasy. The idea is to stop the vehicle from getting too hot and prevents it from getting unstable. If your car vibrates at high speeds or when you're just cruising around the block, wheel bearings can be an issue.

Spark Plugs

Spark plugs can be an issue for any vehicle, though this is something that most people say that spark plugs are an issue just for cars idling. While that may be the case in some situations, it's also a reason why a car shakes when driving slow. Faulty spark plugs can also cause an engine to backfire.

Summary

All in all, if your car is shaking when it's going too fast or too slow, it's important that you can isolate the cause and fix the problem. Failing that, it's a great idea to take it to your mechanic to see what they have to say. Should you find that you can't justify repairing your vehicle in the New York area, consider cash for junk cars New York to get top dollar for your auto.