Why Is My Steering Wheel Shaking?

The cause of a shaking steering wheel could be any one of several different factors—or a combination of several—but it most likely has something to do with your wheels, bearings, suspension system, or brakes! So, why is your steering wheel shaking? Pay attention to when the issue occurs, take advantage of our diagnostic guide, and schedule service with our team to get an expert’s opinion today.

Five Causes of a Vibrating Steering Wheel

If your steering wheel shakes as you drive on the roads of Omaha or Lincoln, one of the following factors is probably to blame:

• Tires Misaligned: If you’ve recently hit a big pothole or a curb, you may have thrown your tires out of alignment. Even a subtle difference between the orientations of your tires could cause your vehicle to shake while you drive—but you can have your tires realigned at any service center near Fremont or Blair.
• Wheels Out of Balance: If your vehicle’s weight is not evenly distributed across your tires, your vehicle will start to shake as you drive. If this shake gets too intense, it can lead to compounding issues with your shocks and struts, or with your suspension system as a whole. Tire balancing is quick, painless, and affordable, so don’t wait to get into the shop.
• Bearings in Need of Replacement: If your vehicle shakes especially hard while moving around a curve or turning a corner, you should clean and lubricate the bearings to see if that solves the issue. If it doesn’t, your bearings may have been worn down by excessive friction, often caused by a lack of lubrication.
• Brake Issues: If your steering wheel shakes while you brake, you can reasonably assume that bad brakes are the cause. More specifically, this problem most likely means that your brake rotors have become warped. You should have them replaced as soon as possible, or whenever you next replace your brake pads.
• Suspension Problems: Of all the issues that could cause a steering wheel to shake, suspension problems are perhaps the most serious. Whether you’re dealing with worn parts or a loose driveshaft, repairs can be costly. Worse, putting them off could lead to lasting damage.

No matter what problem is causing your vehicle to shake, you stand to benefit when you check out our current service and parts specials before you stop in.

Let Our Service Experts Take a Closer Look!

Although the cause of your vehicle’s shaking steering wheel may or may not be serious, you’ll want to get the issue checked out as soon as possible. Excessive shaking isn’t good for your vehicle’s parts, and this problem isn’t going to go away if you ignore it. To make matters worse, narrowing down the cause of a shaking steering wheel is very difficult for non-experts. Thankfully, it’s easy to schedule service online today!

If you’d like to learn more about vehicle care, feel free to take a look at our other service tips and tricks while you’re here. And if you have any questions along the way, you can reach the Sid Dillon Mazda service team at 888-903-9962 at any time during our open hours!

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