# Car problem - Intermittent vibration **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490 "2009-06-30T17:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/21 "2009-07-03T18:14:12Z")
> [@tetranz](#): > > Thanks for the replies. It’s booked in at the dealer first thing Monday. I don’t think I’ll drive it until then because I’ve just noticed a few scary things. The back wheel where I’ve been hearing the noises is unmistakably hot after driving and it’s leaking what I assume to be brake fluid. I guess that’s good news because it should be easy to find the problem. I wonder how safe it is to even drive there but I checked the brake fluid container in the front and it’s full so it can’t be leaking much. It doesn’t feel like the brakes are locking on or anything. I guess I’ll find out on Monday. If it was a rear wheel drive car I’d worry that the axle was popping out (had that happen on a 67 Oldsmobile). I suspect you could pull the wheel and just rotate the assembly by hand. Consider it practice for when you have a flat tire and can’t figure out how to get the jack out in the dark. It could be something very simple associated with a bad brake pad or untightened bolt. If for some reason you got a defective pad and it fractured it could be trapped in the assembly and rattling around. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/22 "2009-07-04T02:42:34Z")
I have had a couple of cars in the shop lately with these exact symptoms. Intermittent severe vibrations while driving. Turns out one of my tech specialists had seen this, it was caused by bad front axles. So we replaced both front axles. Neither one of these cars has come back, so I am guessing we fixed them. ---
**Author:** ![herworld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bc8723/32.png) [@herworld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herworld)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/23 "2010-08-31T21:14:59Z")
Oh My god, I have the same problem and I’ve not been able to figure it out. 1985 Mercedes 300D rear wheel drive, automatic. So heres what its doing. I warm the car up(when cold) and head out the work. About 10 miles into the drive, the car starts to shake/vibrate. It gets worse and some times very bad. After about 2 miles or so, it just stops. I does this same thing on the way home from work, around the same time/miles. Theres another thing, some days it doesn’t do it at all. I’ve looked at the brakes and they look good, I’ve replaced the two rear tires with the new and moved the rears to the front. I’ve changed my fuel filters(thinking maybe there was a clog). I’ve started paying attention to the road and if it only does it after a sharp curve. Taking stabs in the dark, here. I am at a lose. Any one that can help a girl out? ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/24 "2010-09-01T02:06:27Z")
In the end my problem was the hand brake sticking on one wheel. Not that I know anything about it but have you felt them to see if the wheels are hot after this happens? ---
**Author:** ![rscott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e495f1/32.png) [@rscott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rscott)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/25 "2015-01-10T20:10:56Z")
I have the same problem on my 2003 GMC Sonoma. After 30 minutes of freeway driving the car starts a high speed vibration that increases until i slow down substantially. No hot tires and had the brakes checked. It started after the brakes were checked for what i thought may be caused by them. I had a clunk sound when i came to a stop and let off the brake. that stopped after the first brake service where they basically cleaned out the dust and re-adjusted them. The high frequency vibe is a little un-nerving and makes we worried to drive. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/26 "2015-01-10T20:40:04Z")
I ran into several cases of tires doing this. Sometimes stepping on the brake or hitting a bumb will get it started, sometimes it just seems to start by itself. I would have tire ballance checked as well as the front end for any loose or worn parts. I don’t know if your car uses a steerring dampner but slightly out of ballance tires with a worn dampner can get pretty erratic. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490/27 "2015-01-10T20:48:05Z")
Last time I had bad vibration on the road, it was a broken belt in two of my tires. Tires really don’t last more than about five years, regardless of how the tread looks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problem-intermittent-vibration/501490.md?page=1)