Q: When I come to a slow stop, my car starts rocking back and forth.

asked by on March 08, 2017

when I come to a stop, my car starts rocking back and forth, not side to side, kind of violently. I am not breaking hard so I know it is not jolting from a hard stop. It just rocks back and forth for no reason and the only way for it to stop is for me to put it in park and back into drive.

My car has 26000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Typically this type of concern would come from bad misfires as the engine and transmission internals are likely the only parts of the vehicle in motion while you are stopped. Misfires would normally cause a check engine light so you should have the engine mounts, braking and suspension systems checked for problems. A faulted engine mount could cause the engine to rock back and forth and you would feel this motion inside the cabin. Consider hiring an experienced technician like one from YourMechanic who can come out for a closer look at the vehicle to offer a more personal diagnosis of your braking or suspension concerns.

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