Why Is My Ford Fusion Jerking And Shaking?

The last thing you would ever want is your car to break down while on the road. Signs that something is wrong with your vehicle might be jerking and shaking, caused by issues that might overlap with one another. Ever wondered why you Ford Fusion jerks and shakes? We have asked automotive experts to explain just that.

It is normal for your vehicle to shake while turned on, but you should only feel a bit of it or none at all. What's not normal is if your car is shaking excessively to the point where it's starting to rattle your car. Here are some of the reasons why your vehicle is shaking:

  • Worn motor mounts
  • Burnt out spark plugs
  • Warped tires
  • Misfire
  • Low transmission fluid
  • Faulty fuel pump

The Ford Fusion is prone to have transmission problems. So if you feel that your Fusion is shaking more than usual, you should get it checked before your car suffers permanent damage. Proper and regular maintenance will help you avoid most of these issues. For more information about the Ford Fusion and other automotive topics, keep reading below!

Black Ford Fusion, codenamed CD391 rushing on the street, Why Is My Ford Fusion Jerking And Shaking?

What Does A Misfire Feel Like

When you experience a misfire, you'll feel a lot of shaking and vibrations. Even though your car has a misfire, you can still start and drive it around. Your car is jerking and shaking because one or more cylinders are not firing properly or they are not firing at all.

The most common fix for your car's misfire is simply swapping out the spark plugs for a newer one. But if that does not work, we advise that you take your vehicle to a mechanic. From there, they can check what's the cause of your car's misfire.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Misfire In A Car?

Smiling auto mechanic analyzing car diagnostics on digital tablet in a workshop.

The spark plugs in your vehicle's engine are all electrically timed to fire at a precise moment in order to deliver the engine's specified output. Having faulty or burnt-out spark plugs will cause your car to misfire. 

It will cost you:

  • $100 to $300 for a bad spark plug wire,
  • $100 to $1,000 for bad fuel delivery,
  • $100 to $300 for carbon or oil-fouled spark plugs,
  • and $100 to $1,000 for a vacuum leak.

The most expensive of all of them will be broken piston rings costing from $1,500 to $3,000.

It is important that you get your car fixed right away when you have a misfire because this can lead to more problems for your vehicle. A misfire can also lead to permanent damage to some of the components.

What Is The Most Common Cause Of A Misfire?

Engine failure symbol lights up in the dashboard of the car

A misfire in technical terms means your engine is getting incomplete combustion in one or more of its engines cylinders. This misfire will cause your car to shake, jerk, backfire, and have inconsistent acceleration. Here are some common reasons why you're experiencing a misfire.

  • Faulty spark plugs
  • Clogged air filter
  • Dirty injectors
  • Faulty fuel pump
  • Broken valve springs
  • Vacuum leak
  • Faulty injectors
  • Faulty mass airflow sensor
  • Broken piston rings

You can still operate your vehicle even if you have a misfire, but you should still get it checked right away. Having your vehicle regularly checked by a mechanic will prevent any of the following to turn into a more serious problem for your vehicle. 

What Are The Signs Of A Bad Spark Plug?

Spark plug replacement work, Hand of the auto mechanic holding the old spark plug on blurred engine car on background.

A spark plug is one of the key components to get your car to start and run. The spark must always be working properly to ensure that your car's engine runs smoothly and properly.

A rough idle is a sign that you have a bad spark plug. Your car should be able to sit smoothly while idle, which means that your RPMs sound not be jumping around. If your RPM is jumping around, that is one sign of a bad spark plug. 

Misfires can also mean you need a new spark plug or multiple spark plugs. A misfire is when one or more cylinder in your car engine does not produce power. Your car may shake when trying to accelerate.

Another sign that you need new sparkplugs is if you're getting higher gas mileage than usual. It is normal for a failing or faulty spark plug to make your car consume a lot more gas than usual. So having high mileage all of a sudden might mean you have to replace your spark plugs.

If replacing your spark plugs, it's best to replace everything all at once. Spark plugs are cheap enough that you'll be able to do that, its also much better because if all the spark plugs are replaced together, the wear on them is even. 

Does a Faulty Fuel Pump Cause Car to Shake? 

Your car may also start to jerk when you have a faulty or damaged fuel pump. The fuel pump may not be delivering enough fuel to your engine, causing it to jerk and shake when stepping on the accelerator.

What Are The Signs Of A Vacuum Leak In A Car?

Handsome mechanic is repairing the engine bay of an old car - checking the air filter

A vacuum leak is a leak of air anywhere between the air filter box and the throttle body. This leak will make your airflow higher and will make your car run lean. Your car has sensors on them that will determine how much air and gas mixture your engine needs. Here are some signs of a vacuum leak.

Idle issues

With a vacuum leak, expect your car to have a rough and low idle. Your vehicle might also stall if the leak is very severe. This is because the air is bypassing the mass airflow sensor.

Hissing noises

With a vacuum leak, you may be able to hear your vehicle making a vacuum or hissing sound. If the sound is loud enough, you may easily find where the leak is coming from.

Check engine light turns on

When your check engine light turns on, it may indicate that you may have a vacuum leak, this is usually accompanied by a shaky car, rough idle, and the car jerking when accelerating.

Engine hesitation

You may also notice that your vehicle sputters and jerk when your driving. This is because the mixture of air and fuels is not balanced; your engine may be intaking more air than fuel.

A vacuum leak can also cause your vehicle to go into limp mode, limiting your ability to speed up or accelerate. So for a better driving experience and to avoid any more damage to your vehicle, you should get it fixed right away.

Is There A Recall On Ford Fusion Transmission?

The Agate Black car has black wheels

Yes, there have been Ford Fusion recalls due to transmission issues. Ford did recall around 250,000 Fusions ranging from 2013 to 2016 models. This is due to the Fusion displaying a different gear from what the shifter says.

Having this issue can cause a lot of accidents; knowing what gear you are in is essential for driving. It is very dangerous for your car to display a different gear than your shifter. Having a different gear displayed may cause a lot of confusion for the driver, which can result in an accident.

Closing

Multiple reasons can cause your Ford Fusion to jerk and shake. You must regularly get your vehicle inspected by a mechanic to avoid your car's problems from getting worse.

Vacuum leaks and misfires also need to be fixed right away to have a smoother ride. Fixing this will make your car idle properly, accelerate and speed up smoothly.

For more Automotive topics and tips, here are some more articles.

BMW Is Shaking—What Could Be Wrong?

My Car Won’t Start In Park But Will In Neutral—Why Is This?

 

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