Top Reasons Your Car May Not Drive Smoothly

When you get behind the wheel, you ideally want your ride to be pretty smooth. When things get bumpy, you might want to consider possible automotive problems. Any excessive rumbling, vibrating, bumping, or wobbling is a potential sign of trouble. But what kind of trouble? What can you do to fix it?

The first step is to arrive at a proper diagnosis. Truthfully, a bumpy ride could be caused by one of several different factors. We’ll list some of the most common culprits here, but to get a sure diagnosis, you may wish to have your vehicle inspected by a professional.

Tire Problems

You’ll want to first check and see if you have a tire problem. Not only is this the most likely culprit, but it’s also the most affordable to repair. A bumpy ride can be caused by a tire that has insufficient air, improperly aligned wheels; or even by tires that have rocks or debris stuck in them. These issues are all pretty simple fixes, so hopefully one of them will explain your bumpy ride problems.

Suspension Problems

Your suspension is designed to keep your tires on the road and your ride relatively smooth. If there is ever any problem with your suspension, you will surely be able to *feel *it. Some signs that you’re likely dealing with a suspension problem include your car bouncing a lot before stopping, experiencing especially harsh impact when driving over potholes and bumps, or if you notice the vehicle leaning to one side. If you notice any of these issues, it’s time to get your springs checked out and the necessary repair or replacement work done.

Transmission Problems

Nobody wants to hear that their vehicle has a transmission problem, but it *can *happen, and it might be the explanation for your bumpy ride. If you notice bumpiness as you try to shift gears, that’s a dead giveaway that you’re dealing with a transmission issue. Note that the longer you let a transmission problem persist, the more complicated and expensive it will be to fix it, so you *definitely *want to have this looked at sooner rather than later.

Brake Problems

It is also possible that what you’re dealing with is a brake problem. If you feel like your brakes are either more sensitive or less responsive than normal, or if your bumpy ride is accompanied by squealing or moaning sounds, the brakes may be the issue. Again, we recommend getting them checked out by a professional as soon as you can in order to keep the problem from worsening.

A bumpy ride always has a reason, and it’s usually something that needs to be replaced or repaired. Seeing to this maintenance work is something you’ll want to do before the problem spirals out of control. Take your car in for servicing right away!