A car’s steering wheel should feel relatively steady and easy to control at all times. If you experience rapid steering wheel shake while driving, your car has a problem. Here, we discuss the causes of steering wheel shake. I’ve listed the reasons in each section in order of commonality.

Common reasons a car steering wheel shakes while driving:

• Warped brake rotors
• Bad tire
• Stuck brake caliper
• Bad steering or suspension component

From the list above, we can narrow down the problem based on the specific conditions that result in steering wheel shake.

Steering wheel shakes at higher speeds

If the steering wheel shakes at higher speeds, you might have one of the following problems:

• Bad tire
• Stuck brake caliper
• Bad steering or suspension component

Steering wheel shakes when braking

If you experience steering wheel shake when braking, the most common causes are:

• Warped brake rotors
• Bad steering or suspension component

Car pulls to one side when braking

If you notice the car pulling to either the left or right when braking, the most common cause is a stuck brake caliper.

In any case, each of these problems requires mechanical attention before they turn into a safety issue. Of all the causes of steering wheel shake, having mildly warped rotors is the only condition that won’t pose a safety issue. However, badly warped rotors can cause other brake and steering components to wear prematurely.

If you’re experiencing steering wheel shake, go to a trusted auto repair facility to get the tires, brakes, steering, and suspension inspected to see what’s going on.