Car Vibration at Idle in 2026: Mounts, Gear, A/C and Idle Speed When It Isn't a Misfire

Your car sits at a red light and hums through the seat, the steering wheel and the mirror. The engine is not missing, there is no light on the dash, and the moment the light turns green the shake is gone.

That is a different problem from a misfire, and the manufacturers treat it differently. A misfire usually sets a code and feels like a rhythmic stumble. A shake at a standstill with a healthy engine is the engine's normal vibration reaching the cabin by a path it should not use — a worn or mis-settled mount, a driveline loaded in gear, an idle set too low, an accessory, or a pipe or bracket touching the body.

PulsCar went through 293 manufacturer documents — service bulletins, preliminary information, special service messages, technical assistance cases and coverage programs from GM, Ford, Stellantis, Honda, Acura, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley and truck makers — 213 of them in full and 80 near-identical revisions compared sentence by sentence with the version read in full. At least 180 of the 213 concern a vibration, shake, boom or rough idle at a stop, or its cause. We also went through 2,918 federal complaints that our searches matched for a vibration at idle or at a stop, each sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules; 2,166 describe one.

By the end you will know which of five routes your shake is on, roughly what each costs, whether a document we read covers your vehicle, and the cheap step that gets skipped before mounts are sold.

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a document listed in the Sources section, read in full. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from our repair guides. Owner-reported figures are what people told NHTSA, published with ODI numbers, and every complaint count comes from the 2,918 complaints sorted twice and published.

I built PulsCar after a $380 "full diagnostic" in Phuket in 2025 led to roughly $6,000 over six months across several shops (the story is on the About page). A shake at a light is a small version of that pattern: a symptom with many causes, a part that is easy to sell, and a check that costs nothing. Every claim below that rests on a document names it.

What a vibration at idle is when it is not a misfire

The engine always shakes. Every piston engine produces vibration at idle; the job of the mounts, the exhaust hangers, the idle speed and the driveline is to keep it out of the cabin. 🟢 Kia says it plainly for its 2.4 GDI in the 2013 Sorento: "It is important to note that the 2.4L GDI engine has a certain level of harmonic vibration while at low idle RPM which is a normal characteristic of this engine design." 🟢 Honda's 2015 Tech Line note on the CR-V says the same: "Keep in mind that some vibration is normal and just a result of the engine and transmission technology."

A fault is when the path changes. A collapsed or grounded-out mount lets more shake through; a transmission holding the engine against the brake in Drive adds load; an idle set too low moves the shake into a frequency the body amplifies; a pulley or a fan adds a beat; a pipe touching the body turns the cabin into a speaker.

What this guide does not cover. A misfire — a cylinder not firing, usually with a check engine light and a code from P0300 to P0312 — has its own guides: P0300 for random misfires, P0303 for one cylinder, and car shaking when idle for the rough-idle causes on the engine side, ranked by severity. Here, those get one section; the rest is about the shake that stays when the engine is healthy.

First: is it a misfire, and is it normal?

Rule out a misfire in two minutes. A flashing check engine light means stop driving. A steady light with a stored P0300 to P0312 code, or a rhythmic stumble you can count, points at the engine — plugs, coils, injectors, a vacuum leak, compression — and that is the P0300 guide's territory. In our complaint set, 600 of the 2,166 relevant complaints were sorted under an engine-running-rough cause — a misfire, plugs or coils, fuel, a vacuum leak, engine software or an engine mechanical failure — and 347 of those 600 report a check engine light or a code. The 600 are the largest named group, which is why a free code read comes first.

One trap on the way. 🟢 Subaru's bulletin 07-136-18 for 2014-2017 Forester Turbos: "Resonance and / or oscillation between the alternator, drive belt and belt tensioner may cause the knock sensor to falsely identify a misfire condition and cause the engine misfire DTC(s) to set." On those Foresters, a misfire code can come from an accessory shake.

Then ask whether it is within design. Several makers tell dealers not to repair a shake that matches a comparison vehicle:

The test that separates normal from a fault. "Normal" in these documents means the same as another car of the same model, in the same conditions. If yours shakes more than a comparison car on the dealer's lot in the same gear and A/C setting, or started after a repair, the documents below treat it as a fault. 🟢 Land Rover's SSM 72102 for the Evoque puts it in one line: "Vibration at idle is noticeably worse than comparison vehicles."

The maker atlas: who wrote about a shake at a stop, and what they blamed

The routes below quote each document; this is the map.

GM: mounts first, then idle speed and the converter. 🟢 17-NA-166 and the PIP5211 family trace a rough idle in Drive on 2014-2021 full-size trucks and SUVs with the 4.3, 5.3 and 6.2 to ground-out inside the engine mounts; PIP5348D finds debris in Colorado and Canyon transmission mounts; 21-NA-122 finds a radiator bracket touching the tank on Equinox and Terrain; 18-NA-106 raises the Colorado 2.5's idle; PI1523 and PI0928E blame the torque converter and the neutral-idle function.

Ford and Lincoln: the converter, the flexplate, things touching. 🟢 25-2005 replaces the torque converter on 2.3 Explorers and MKCs; program 22N12 covers cracked flexplates (the plate joining engine and converter) on 2.0 EcoBoost Edges, Fusions and MKZs; foam goes on a hybrid's park cable; a Maverick Hybrid shake at a cold stop has no repair yet.

Honda and Acura. 🟢 Bulletin 15-046 splits the 2015 CR-V's vibration into three modes; Mode 1, stopped in gear, gets cushions, a transmission mount and head restraints. A Civic side mount, a CR-V fuel tank and an MDX alternator pulley have their own documents.

Stellantis. 🟢 Jeep bulletins replace or re-center mounts; flashes fix a Cherokee shudder with the A/C on and a 2022 Durango shake at idle.

Hyundai and Kia. 🟢 Neutral-control software or a solenoid, a torque converter on some 2026 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz 2.5T, an alternator pulley on Fortes.

The others. 🟢 Nissan raises the Rogue's idle and fits Frontiers with an exhaust tube; Lexus reflashes the NX 200t and GX 550; Mazda and Toyota replace mounts; Subaru separates a belt-drive shake from a misfire; Mercedes updates software; Jaguar and Land Rover test or reset active mounts.

The 10-minute check at a standstill

1. Drive, Neutral, Park (2 minutes). Warm engine, foot firmly on the brake, at a safe spot. Feel the shake in Drive, then Neutral, then Park, then Reverse. 🟢 GM's truck bulletin describes the pattern its mount fault makes: "This condition will not be present in Park or Neutral. (There have been a few cases for rough idle in Reverse.)" A shake only in gear points to Routes 2, 4 and 5; a shake in every position points to Routes 1, 2 and 3 or to a misfire.

2. A/C off, then on (1 minute). Watch the tachometer as the compressor engages. A shake that comes only with the A/C, or an idle that dips when it engages, points to Route 3.

3. Read the tachometer (1 minute). Write down the idle in Park and in Drive, warm and cold. 🟢 Mazda's 01-017/19 describes a vibration "when the engine rpm drops down to 550". A number beats "it shakes."

4. Read the codes (2 minutes). Any stored code, including history codes. A misfire code sends you to the misfire guides first; a transmission code or a neutral-control fault points to Route 5.

5. Look under the hood (2 minutes). With a helper holding the brake and the parking brake set, watch the engine idle in Drive from beside the fender, never in front of the car: 🟢 Ford's Maverick Hybrid message describes "An intermittent engine rocking or rolling motion in one direction" visible with the hood open. A rocking engine points to Route 4; a buzz from a pipe or shield, to Route 1.

6. Run the VIN (2 minutes). At nhtsa.gov/recalls, and with a dealer for bulletins, which do not show up as recalls.

Six situations, and which is yours

"It shakes in Drive at a light and stops the moment I shift to Neutral." Idle speed, mounts or the driveline. → Route 2, then Routes 4 and 5.

"It started when I turn on the A/C, or the idle dips when the compressor kicks in." Accessory load, or an idle set too low for it. → Route 3, then Route 2.

"A buzz or a boom at one engine speed, or from one corner of the cabin." Something touching. → Route 1.

"The idle drops very low in Drive and the car feels like it will stall." Idle speed or software. → Route 2, then Route 5; if it actually stalls, see the safety section.

"The shake started after a repair — new mounts, a new engine, a compressor job, an exhaust." A mount installed under load, bolts over-torqued, a pipe out of place. → Routes 4, 3 and 1; after a software update, Route 2.

"The steering wheel shakes at a stop, and a power steering warning comes and goes." Not the engine. → the steering section below.

The price ladder, from the bottom up

The ⚪ figures come from our engine mount replacement cost guide and our A/C compressor replacement cost guide; the owner figures are listed with ODI numbers in the published file.

What does it cost to fix a car that vibrates at idle when it is not misfiring? In the documents PulsCar read, many of these shakes are fixed with software (0.2 to 0.5 hours printed in the Stellantis, Kia and Lexus bulletins), foam, a bracket, a zip tie, or mounts loosened and re-settled — often nothing beyond labor under warranty. Our repair guides carry one engine mount at $200 to $600, a full set at $600 to $2,000 and an A/C compressor fitted at $500 to $1,200. Owners who told NHTSA about their bills report $600 to $1,800 for mounts, $500 to $900 for a cooling fan or an alternator, $299 to $1,900 for a steering shake, and $300 to $8,000 for torque converter and transmission work. The expensive mistake is the order: mounts bought before the Drive-Neutral test, the idle speed and a comparison car.

The five routes, cheapest first

Route 1 · Something touching the body — foam, a bracket, a hanger: $0 in warranty

What it is. The engine's normal idle shake reaches the cabin through a part that should float free: a radiator bracket resting on the tank, a heat shield against a pipe, a cable against the transmission, a fuel line against the body, a harness against the air box, an exhaust tube that resonates at idle rpm. It often comes with a buzz, a boom or a rattle, and often at one engine speed.

What the documents say.

🟢 GM 21-NA-122, 2020-2024 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Vibration in the steering wheel, seat or floor at idle, typically under 1,300 rpm, or a low boom: "This may be caused by a touch condition between the bottom surface of the radiator upper bracket and the top of the radiator tank." And: "There should be about 3 mm of free play in the vertical direction of the radiator upper bracket to avoid bind-up and increased vibration or boom sound in the car." The test costs nothing: with the car in Drive and the brake applied, a helper loosens the bracket bolts — "If the noise or vibration is eliminated by loosening the bolts, replace both of the radiator upper brackets." 🟢 GM PI1420B, 2014-2018 Impala: a vibration at idle in Drive "may be caused by either or both the radiator upper mounts being misaligned or the powertrain mounts being unbalanced."

🟢 Ford special service messages 49696 and 49830, 2020-2021 Explorer and Aviator Hybrid. A buzz around 1,500 rpm at idle: "This may be due to the transmission park manual release cable vibrating against the transmission." The fix is foam tape — "Replacement of the transmission park manual release cable is not necessary." Ford 22-2135 puts foam where a 2022 Explorer or Aviator 3.0's fuel line touches the body or the tank.

🟢 Honda 18-084, 2017-2018 CR-V: "The fuel tank's wave absorber mounting point has excessive clearance. This condition creates vibration and produces noise." 🟢 GM 15-06-05-001, 2011-2015 Volt and 2014-2016 ELR: the exhaust touches a heat shield because of an alignment button on the catalytic converter. 🟢 Nissan NTB15-068, 2013-2015 Sentra: a brake-pedal vibration at idle in Drive from a harness touching the air filter box — "Install a zip tie to secure the engine room harness to the driver’s side frame rail."

🟢 Nissan NTB13-021b, 2010-2015 Frontier and 2010-2012 Pathfinder and Xterra with the 4.0 V6, titled "VIBRATION WHILE IDLING": depending on the VIN and engine computer, a new exhaust center tube — "New center exhaust tube has mass damper" — a reprogram, or both. And the line every owner of those trucks should read before a quote: "IMPORTANT: Do NOT replace engine mounting insulators for this issue unless they are visually leaking."

What the owners report. Eight complaints sorted under another named cause mention the exhaust or a heat shield. A 2010 Versa owner's mechanic, checking a vibration at a light, found a rusting exhaust and a heat shield that "NEEDS SECURED." A 2013 Altima owner's dealer shimmed the exhaust and replaced an alternator bracket without resolving a vibration at idle.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A helper looking under the car while it idles in Drive, and a loosened bolt. GM's Equinox test and Nissan's "do not replace the insulators" note both start with finding what touches, not with a mount.

Fix it yourself — what you can check. With the engine off and cold, look for heat shields that move by hand, a hanger rubber that has split, or a pipe with shiny rub marks. Do not crawl under a car that is running in gear; that test is for a lift, a helper and a technician.

At the shop — say this: "The shake is worst at one engine speed and comes with a buzz. Before any mount: can you check for anything touching — radiator brackets, heat shields, exhaust hangers, cables, lines — with the car idling in Drive, and look for a bulletin for my VIN?"

Route 2 · Idle speed and software — $0 in warranty; 0.2 to 0.5 hours printed

What it is. The engine computer sets the idle speed for the conditions — gear, A/C, electrical load, temperature. Set it a little too low in Drive and the engine's shake lands at a frequency the body amplifies. The repair is a reprogram, sometimes with nothing else.

What the documents say.

🟢 GM PIP5547 and 18-NA-106, 2016-2017 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon 2.5 automatics. Vibration or rough idle in Drive or Reverse: "This may be due to the engine base idle speed is not optimal for vibration concerns." The earlier information told technicians to raise the idle about 100 rpm by hand as a test — "This should put the idle speed at approximately 750 rpm. If the vibration and rough idle stop, do not replace any parts." — and the bulletin reprograms it: "No parts needed for this condition." 🟢 GM PIP5830A, 2015-2022 Colorado and Canyon 2.5: a fleet's aftermarket engine software setting "limits the vehicle speed, total power output and reduces the vehicle idle speed. The reduced idle speed can create a vibration at idle." A truck bought at auction can still carry it; GM says undoing it takes a purchased, factory-programmed engine computer.

🟢 Nissan NTB15-048a, 2014-2017 Rogue: "Vibration, noise or drone is present while stopped, at idle and transmission is in Drive" — the repair raises the target idle with a scan tool, and the bulletin is candid: "the customer should be advised that this may not completely eliminate the vibration, booming, or drone."

🟢 Lexus L-SB-0119-17, 2015-2017 NX 200t: "Some 2015 – 2017 model year NX 200t vehicles equipped with 8AR-FTS engines may exhibit an abnormal vibration at idle in Park." The check: "Confirm the vibration condition by turning the vehicle ON, turn OFF A/C and keep the vehicle in Park. The vibration can be best felt between 800 – 1000 RPMs." The repair is a reprogram — "The ECM (PCM) should NOT be replaced as part of the Repair Procedure." 🟢 Lexus L-SB-0013-26 Rev1, 2024-2026 GX 550: "Some 2024 – 2026 model year GX 550 vehicles may exhibit a vibration at idle when in drive." The fix combines software, new exhaust hangers and a settled front differential: "Rotate/move the front differential to ensure proper settling".

🟢 Stellantis 18-052-24, 2022 Dodge Durango 5.7: "Vehicle vibration and/or shaking felt while at idle." — "CAUSE: PCM Software". 🟢 Stellantis 18-052-16, 2016 Chrysler 200 3.6: "Elimination of (disable) Low idle 550 RPM to mitigate rough idle complaints (Base idle fully warm maintained at 648 RPM)." 🟢 Mercedes-Benz LI07.08-P-061035 updates engine and transmission software on S-Class models for "Longitudinal jolting and shaking at idle".

What the owners report. A 2025 Telluride owner, idling in Drive at a drive-thru, felt the car shake as the rpm dropped, and writes that since an emissions software update "the vehicle is consistently idling 100-200 RPM lower than it used to, usually around 500 RPM in drive and 700 RPM in park." No shop has diagnosed it; it is the owner's observation. Software can fix these idles; an update can also change one.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The idle speed in Drive, written down and compared with the maker's number — and the software level, checked against the bulletins for the VIN. Lexus and GM say the controller is not the part to replace, except on those ex-fleet trucks.

At the shop — say this: "What idle speed does the maker specify for this engine in Drive, with the A/C on and off? What is mine? Is the engine computer on the latest software, and is there a bulletin that raises the idle or changes the idle software setting for my VIN?"

Route 3 · The A/C and accessory load — a pulley, a bracket, a fan: 0.6 hours to $900

What it is. At idle the engine has little torque to spare. The A/C compressor, the alternator and the cooling fans each add a load or a beat of their own, and a worn pulley, an over-tightened bracket or a failing fan passes it into the body. The tell is a shake that changes with the A/C or the electrical load.

What the documents say.

🟢 Kia ENG 157 and its revision (Service Action SA312), 2014-2016 Forte 1.8 and 2.0: "Some 2014-16MY Forte (YD) vehicles with 1.8L and 2.0L Nu engines may experience an unusual engine vibration at idle that is sometimes more prevalent under certain electrical loads." The repair is a solid alternator pulley, 0.6 hours printed. 🟢 Kia ENG 126, 2013 Sorento 2.4 GDI built 16 February to 13 September 2012: software and an alternator pulley "to improve idle RPM stability (750 to 680) while at a stop with A/C ON."

🟢 Acura 14-039, 2010-2013 MDX, for a body and steering wheel vibration at idle or very low speed while turning the wheel: "The high pressure demand from the steering gearbox on the power steering pump causes a vibration in the accessory drive belt system." The fix: "Replace the alternator pulley."

🟢 GM PIC6011, 2012-2014 Camaro 3.6: "Vibration Heard Or Felt When A/C Turned On After A/C Compressor Installation" — "This vibration will ONLY be present with AC compressor engaged and will stop immediately after the compressor clutch is disengaged." The cause is the last repair: "If these bolts are over-torqued during re-assembly they may stretch and bottom out in the threaded hole, allowing a transfer path for otherwise characteristic vibrations to make their way into the vehicle compartment."

🟢 Stellantis 18-007-15, 18-002-16 and 18-064-20, 2015-2016 Jeep Cherokee 3.2: each engine-computer flash lists "Vehicle shudder at stop/start with A/C on." 🟢 And the A/C can help as well as hurt: GM's normal-characteristic note on the CTS steering shudder says "Turning the A/C on in the summer months may raise the idle enough so that the condition cannot be felt."

What the owners report. 37 complaints say the A/C brings the shake on or makes it worse; nine of them also place it in gear at a stop. A 2016 Rogue owner: "The vibration is significant when idling in gear (for example, when stopped at a traffic intersection). The problem increases when AC and Fan is turned on." Fans are a pattern of their own: 2015-2017 Pathfinder owners describe a cooling fan assembly that shakes and rattles with the A/C on — one paid $560.29 for the part and fitted it, another was billed $900. A 2016 Genesis owner, with a vibration "ONLY WHEN THE AC IS ON," went through a flywheel, mounts and an A/C fan without a cure.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The A/C on-off comparison and a look at the belt drive. On the Camaros, the bolts from the last compressor job; on the Fortes and the MDX, a pulley.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. You can do the comparison: idle warm in Park, A/C off, then on, then headlights and blower on, and note whether the shake and the rpm change. Watching a belt and pulley for flutter is safe from above with the engine running only if your hands, hair and clothing stay clear; anything that means reaching near the belt is a shop job.

At the shop — say this: "The shake comes with the A/C (or the lights and blower). Can you check the alternator pulley, the compressor bracket bolts and the cooling fan, and look up the accessory-drive bulletins for my VIN before anything else?" If the shake comes only while turning the wheel at idle, add the power steering pump's load on the belt drive.

Route 4 · Engine and transmission mounts — settle, shim, then replace: $0 to $600 a mount

What it is. The mounts hold the engine and transmission to the body through rubber, fluid or a vacuum-switched chamber. When one collapses, grounds out, clogs, hardens in the cold, softens in the heat, or is bolted down while the engine is pulled to one side, more of the engine's shake reaches the cabin — most of all in Drive, when the transmission twists the engine against them.

What the documents say.

🟢 GM PIP5211 family and 17-NA-166, 2014-2021 Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade with the 4.3, 5.3 and 6.2. "Some customers may comment about a rough idle and/or vibration at idle in Drive." "This condition will not be present in Park or Neutral. (There have been a few cases for rough idle in Reverse.)" "Note: There will not be any DTCs with this concern." The cause: "This concern may be caused by ground out (1) within one or both engine mounts." Technicians measure the shake at the seat track with a vibration analyzer; trucks built before early 2017 get updated mounts and a settling procedure, later ones shims. And a warning: "Important: Do Not use Impact wrenches when tightening the engine mount to frame bolts, or damage to threads in the frame may result."

🟢 Settling, not replacing. Ford's 20-2215 for 2020 Escapes with the 1.5 replaces the mounts and then says "Rock the powertrain back and forth in a front to back motion to neutralize the mounts." A Stellantis technical-assistance case titled "POWETRAIN MOUNT NEUTALIZATION" loosens the mounts and lifts the engine "Slightly lifting and dropping it to allow it to ‘neutralize’ itself into its desired position." — no parts. Land Rover's SSM 72102 for the Evoque blames "Incorrect positioning of engine mounts following repairs in service or production." 🟢 Something in the mount. GM PIP5348D, 2015-2022 Colorado and Canyon: "On a rare occasion, a customer may have a vehicle concern of a vibration at idle in gear or at very low speeds" — from a stray nut or a rock wedged in the transmission mount.

🟢 Honda 15-046, 2015 CR-V. "Driving Mode 1: While stopped with vehicle in gear." The repair: "Driving Mode 1: Install new radiator lower cushions, transmission mount, and front head restraints." The service advisor "must interview the customer to understand when the vibration is felt. You must only perform the repair based on customer concerns." 🟢 Honda, 2016-2018 Civic, broken side engine mount: "The vibration can be felt through the steering wheel or floor at idle. The noise can be described as clunking or banging."

🟢 Active mounts. Jaguar SSM72758 and SSM74139 (XE, XF, F-PACE): "Engine mount not switching into idle condition" — "If the mount doesn’t hold a vacuum replace that mount." Stellantis 09-015-22 (2021-2022 Grand Cherokee 3.6): "Customer may describe a low frequency vibration noise heard during engine mount actuation while at idle in gear."

🟢 Mounts that age. Mazda 01-012/16, 2014-2016 Mazda3 2.0: a vibration at idle in D or R "caused by the orifice of the oil-filled No.3 engine mount becoming clogged with deposits generated inside"; Mazda 01-001/22 for 2019-2021 Mazda3 and 2020-2021 CX-30 after long exposure to "extremely cold weather"; Mazda 01-017/19 for hot climates. Toyota T-SB-0088-23, 2020-2024 Corolla: a right-hand mount vibration that "will usually go away when the engine Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) are above idle."

What the owners report. 49 complaints name a mount as the diagnosed cause; only one says the shake stopped after the repair — of 39 complaints, across all causes, that report a fix. A 2015 Yukon's motor mounts were replaced three times and the failure persisted. A 2013 Escape's mounts were replaced twice. A 2014 CR-V owner, whose car shook only in Drive or Reverse at a stop, had engine and transmission mounts and a compressor replaced: "NONE OF THIS HAS STOPPED THE EXCESSIVE VIBRATION." A 2022 Tiguan owner writes: "Vibrations stop if car is put in neutral." — the dealer acknowledged wear in the dogbone mount but would not replace it. The bills that were paid: $600 for a 2015 Versa's mount, $1,191 on a 2018 Pacifica's repair order for an engine support and two mounts, $1,800 for a 2015 CR-V's mounts together with a harness, hoses and a vent valve.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Settling. Ford, Stellantis, Land Rover and GM all loosen and re-center the mounts before or after replacement; a mount bolted down under load can shake like a failed one.

Fix it yourself — what you can check. With the engine off, look at each mount you can see for cracked rubber, a split, or dark fluid weeping from a fluid-filled mount. The in-gear rev test some owners do should be left to a shop: it needs a helper, the parking brake, a clear space ahead and behind, and short bursts.

At the shop — say this: "It shakes only in Drive or Reverse and stops in Neutral. Before replacing mounts, can you measure it, compare it with a like vehicle, and check whether the maker has a settling, shimming or neutralizing procedure — and if a mount is replaced, will you settle the mounts afterwards?"

Route 5 · The driveline in gear — converter, neutral idle, flexplate, hybrid start: $0 in warranty to $8,000

What it is. In Drive at a stop, the torque converter couples the engine to a transmission held still by the brakes. A damaged converter, a transmission that shifts itself into neutral and back at a stop, a cracked flexplate, or a hybrid engine that starts with the car standing still all add a shake that exists only in gear or only at that moment.

What the documents say.

🟢 Ford 25-2005 (superseding 22-2287 and 20-2271), 2016-2019 Explorer and 2015-2019 MKC with the 2.3. "Customer concern of a vibration or rough idle in D or R" — "This may be due to the torque converter overheating causing damage to the torque converter as well as possible internal damage to the transmission." The repair replaces the converter, the main control valve body and the solenoid body, cleans the transmission and reprograms the engine computer: "CAUTION: The programming is required to prevent reoccurrence." Ford prints 13.4 to 16.2 hours.

🟢 Hyundai 26-AT-003H, 2026 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz 2.5T built June to October 2025: "Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit a low idle or excessive vibration while in Drive or Reverse, or DTC P050600 (Idle Air Control System – RPM Lower than Expected) caused by the one-way clutch sprags being misaligned." The torque converter is replaced.

🟢 GM PI1523, 2013-2015 ATS, 2014-2015 CTS and 2015 Colorado and Canyon with the 2.0 or 2.5: "Some customers may comment on a rough idle while vehicle is in gear." "Note: The roughness is usually felt in the seat/floor pan area, and not in the steering wheel." "This may be caused by fluid coupling within the transmission torque converter." The test compares the shake in Neutral with Drive and Reverse on a vibration analyzer, with the A/C off; three times greater in gear means a converter.

🟢 The transmission's neutral-idle function. GM PI0928E, 2012-2014 Cruze and Sonic, 2013-2014 Encore and 2013 Trax with the 6T40: "Some customers may comment on a bump feeling, a surge or an engine vibration while stopped at idle with the transmission in Drive and their foot on the service brake." "This condition may be caused by the transmission Neutral Idle feature." Clutch plates fix the continuous surge, but "These single bump feelings are normal and cannot be eliminated." Hyundai 21-AT-001H for 2018-2019 Sonata 2.4s: "The rough idle may occur only at a stop in Drive with the A/C off" and with the transmission fluid between 158 and 210°F — a transmission-computer update. Hyundai 16-AT-010 finds a solenoid on Tucsons and Santa Fe Sports.

🟢 Ford program 22N12 — cracked flexplates. 2015-2018 Edge, 2019-2020 Fusion and 2019-2020 MKZ with the 2.0 EcoBoost and 6F35: "The rattling noise may vary with vehicle operation and is most apparent with transmission in drive at idle speed." "Some customers may also feel a powertrain vibration, encounter an inability to start the engine, or experience a loss of motive power while driving." A cracked flexplate means a new flexplate, converter and pump — "If the flexplate is not cracked, none of the three parts will be replaced."

🟢 Hybrids and stop-start. Ford SSM 55157, 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid: a vibration after a cold start, stationary in Drive with the brakes on — "Replacement of the engine or transmission will not resolve this condition," and a fix "expected in Q4 of 2026." Stellantis 18-105-22 for the 2019 Pacifica plug-in hybrid lists "Noise or vibration heard/felt during a gas engine start in park."

What the owners report. 158 complaints were sorted under the transmission, converter or clutch; 61 of them place the shake in gear at a stop. Ford accounts for 72 — the Explorer alone for 27 — then Nissan with 21 and Subaru with 13. A 2019 Explorer owner: "The vehicle vibrates excessively when shifting into Drive or Reverse (rough idle)." The dealer found the torque converter and cited TSB 22-2287. A 2020 Fusion owner with the 1.5 EcoBoost — an engine 22N12 does not list — paid $3,000 for a flexplate. 18 complaints tie the shake to a stop-start or a hybrid engine start: a 2024 Accord Hybrid that "shakes roughly and vibrations" when the gas engine takes over at idle with the heater or A/C on, a Maverick Hybrid 26 days at a dealer without a diagnosis, a Compass whose stop-start shut-off "FEELS MORE LIKE IT STALLS THAN SHUTS OFF."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The software that goes with the converter job, the fluid temperature, and the neutral-idle check. GM's PI0928E starts by moving the shifter to manual to see whether the shake stops.

At the shop — say this: "It shakes only in Drive or Reverse at a stop, and it is (or is not) worse when warm. Is there a torque converter, neutral-control or flexplate bulletin or program for my VIN, and what test shows it is the converter and not a mount — before the transmission comes out?"

Is anything covering a shake at idle in September 2026?

The status column is our own calculation from the terms printed in each document, as of September 2026 — not a statement by the manufacturer. Check the exact VIN.

How the flexplate status was computed. 🟢 Ford's 22N12 reads "100% coverage – Up to 10 years of service, and 100,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first," with 50% between 100,000 and 120,000 miles. Ten years before September 2026 is September 2016: an Edge whose warranty started before then is past the time limit; later Edges and every covered 2019-2020 Fusion and MKZ are within it if the mileage allows. No document we read extends coverage for engine mounts beyond the vehicle's own warranty.

What 2,918 complaints about a shake at a stop show

PulsCar went through every complaint our searches matched in NHTSA's file, received from 2015 to 21 September 2026, in which a vibration word — vibrate, shake, shudder, tremble, buzz — sits next to idle or a standstill: a stop, a light, park, neutral, in gear with the brake held. The first search found 1,806. A second, wider search for spellings and phrases the first missed found 689 more, a third, independent search added 100, and a fourth pass added 323 more found through standstill phrases such as a drive-thru or a cold start. Every complaint was sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules, which were written and dated before the sorting began. On the first 2,595 the two sortings matched on the category for 1,883 (73%), and on whether the shake happened in gear at a stop for 2,130 (82%) — lower on that second question, because owners rarely say which gear they were in. For the last 323 we first wrote down when a shake counts as in gear; the two sortings then matched on that question for 98% of them, on a mostly off-topic batch. Every disagreement was settled by the written rules; the published file carries both sortings, the final category, the rule applied and the search that found each complaint.

752 of the 2,918 turned out not to describe a shake at a standstill — a shudder only when pulling away, a shake at highway speed, a single bang, a rough idle or cold start with no felt vibration. That leaves 2,166.

Half the file has no cause. 1,102 of 2,166 complaints end without a diagnosis. Mounts are the diagnosed cause in 49 — a measure of how rarely a complaint records a finding, not of how often mounts fail.

The gear and the A/C. 383 of the 2,166 place the shake in Drive or Reverse at a stop; 37 say the A/C brings it on or makes it worse. 563 report a check engine light or a code of some kind, 347 of them in the engine-running-rough group.

The makes and the models. Ford leads with 478, then Honda with 337, Chevrolet with 306, Hyundai with 120, Kia with 118, Nissan with 110, Toyota with 87, Jeep with 71, GMC with 70 and Chrysler with 56. The Honda CR-V is the most frequent model with 258 — 211 of them the 2015 model year — then the Escape with 161, the Malibu with 118, the Focus with 65, the F-150 with 57 and the Explorer with 52. The median model year is 2015; of the 1,387 complaints that give a mileage, the median is 66,729 miles. By year received, the count runs from 274 in 2015 to 160 in 2026 to 21 September, never below 120.

The 2015 CR-V. 211 complaints; 98 place the shake in gear at a stop. One owner, after the bulletin repair: "THE ISSUE IS VIBRATING AND IT GETS WORSE WHEN TURN AC ON."

What the counts are not. A complaint records what an owner felt and was told, not an established cause, and nothing here is a failure rate. The file is also larger than what we read: the third search's samples of 40 suggest roughly 1,180 more on-topic complaints in other wordings, among about 10,600 we did not read. These counts are a floor.

What do 2,166 federal complaints about a car shaking at a stop show? In PulsCar's review of 2,918 complaints our searches matched for a vibration at idle or at a standstill, each complaint was sorted twice, independently, and the two sortings matched on the category for 2,154 of them (74%). 2,166 describe a shake at a stop. Half — 1,102 — end without a stated cause. 600 point to the engine running rough, 224 to another named cause (156 of them the steering), 158 to the transmission, converter or clutch, 49 to the mounts, 18 to stop-start or a hybrid engine start, 9 to cylinder deactivation and 6 to the A/C or an accessory. 383 place the shake in Drive or Reverse at a stop, and 37 say the A/C makes it worse. The 2015 Honda CR-V alone accounts for 211 complaints. Only 49 name a mount as the diagnosed cause.

When the steering wheel shakes at a stop

186 of the 2,166 complaints describe a steering wheel shaking at a stop together with a power steering word — a warning, a fault message, lost assist. They cluster on a few models: the Escape with 61 and the Mariner with 14, most of them 2008 to 2011 models, and the Malibu with 58, the G6 with 34 and the Aura with 5, mostly 2005 to 2012 models. A 2008 Mariner owner's complaint, as NHTSA recorded it: "WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING." Another 2008 Mariner owner's mechanic read code B2278, "STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR." Across the whole file, 15 complaints cite NHTSA campaign 14V-284 by number, all of them 2008-2011 Escapes and Mariners. We did not read recall filings for this guide; run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask the dealer.

What the documents say. 🟢 Mercedes-Benz LI46.35-P-075129 fixes "Vibrations in steering at speeds lower than 50 km/h when turning left and right or while at a stop" with steering software; GM's PIC5511A calls a notched feeling at idle on CTS hydraulic steering normal.

What owners report paying. Fourteen complaints give a steering bill or quote: $299.19 paid for a 2008 Escape's steering joint, and $600 to $1,900 for torque sensors, columns, modules and software on Escapes, Mariners, Malibus and an Aura, most of them quotes.

What to do. A steering wheel that shakes with a power steering warning is not an engine problem and not a mount; if the assist comes and goes, do not drive it; have it towed and run the VIN for recalls.

What owners say they paid

We collected the dollar figures for diagnoses, repairs and quotes aimed at the shake from the 2,166 complaints, leaving out vehicle prices, loans, towing and rentals: 212 figures from 163 complaints, and the full list with ODI numbers is published. About half are quotes; "paid" is used only where the owner says so.

A diagnosis. $96 billed for a 2008 Malibu; $130 for a full diagnostic on a 2011 Elantra; $140 at a dealer on a 2013 Altima, whose owner was then quoted $546 to open the transmission; $250 paid on a 2012 Dart and $700 on a 2012 Optima Hybrid for dealers that found nothing.

Mounts and accessories. $600 for a 2015 Versa's mount; a $1,191 total on a 2018 Pacifica's repair order, which lists $535 in parts for the engine support, engine mount and transmission mount and $600 in labor; $1,800 for a 2015 CR-V's mounts with a harness, hoses and a valve. A 2006 Escape owner was quoted $500 for an alternator; 2016 and 2017 Pathfinder owners paid $560.29 for a fan assembly and were billed $900 for one.

The driveline. $1,500 paid for a 2013 Acadia's torque converter; $2,400 for a 2020 Sierra's; $2,819.19 billed for a 2017 Explorer's; $3,000 for a 2020 Fusion's flexplate; $4,000 for a 2019 Explorer's transmission rebuild and $5,585.40 for a 2016 Explorer's transmission; quotes run as high as $8,000 for a 2018 Explorer's transmission.

Parts before the cause. A 2008 Mazda3 owner's $300 in brake pads and a 2012 Outback owner's $900 in brakes went to misdiagnoses; a 2016 Genesis went through a flywheel, mounts and an A/C fan.

Why the shake comes back after a repair

Because the shake belongs to a mode. 🟢 Honda's 15-046 splits the 2015 CR-V's vibration into three conditions and tells the service advisor to repair only the one the customer describes; a repair for the wrong mode leaves the right one.

Why does a vibration at idle come back after new engine mounts? In PulsCar's reading of 293 manufacturer documents and 2,918 federal complaints, the documents give three reasons. The mount was replaced but not settled: GM measures the shake, then settles new mounts or shims them, and Ford, Stellantis and Land Rover loosen and re-center the powertrain rather than trusting new rubber. The mount was not the cause: Nissan tells technicians not to replace mount insulators on 2010-2015 Frontiers with the 4.0 V6 automatic unless they are visibly leaking, because an exhaust tube with a mass damper fixes the shake, and other makers fix it with idle software, a bracket or a torque converter. Or the last repair made a new path, like the Camaro compressor bolts GM traced to an impact gun. In the complaints, 49 name a mount as the diagnosed cause and only one says the shake stopped.

Can you drive a car that vibrates at idle?

Usually, yes, if the car drives normally. A shake at a stop with a smooth drive, no stalling and no warning light is a diagnosis to book, not a tow. Keep a firm foot on the brake at stops in Drive.

Stop and tow when: the check engine light flashes (a misfire that can damage the catalytic converter — see P0300); the engine stalls at stops; the steering wheel shakes with a power steering warning and the assist comes and goes; or a mount is so far gone that the engine visibly lurches or clunks when you shift.

What does not count. A shake the maker documents as normal and that matches a like vehicle is not a safety issue; a shake that is getting worse is not in that group.

Should you buy a used car that shakes at idle?

It depends on what fixed it, and whether it is fixed. A receipt for a named repair — a bulletin reflash, settled or replaced mounts with a measurement afterwards, a converter under 25-2005, a flexplate under 22N12 — is a good sign. "Mounts replaced" with the shake still there is not.

Four checks before you buy. Warm the engine and sit in Drive, Neutral and Park with the A/C off and then on, feeling the seat and the steering wheel; compare with another car of the same model if the lot has one; ask for any stored codes; and run the VIN for recalls and, with a dealer, for bulletins and programs — 22N12 on a 2015-2018 Edge or 2019-2020 Fusion or MKZ 2.0 EcoBoost, 26-AT-003H on a 2026 Santa Fe or Santa Cruz 2.5T.

A shake at idle before an inspection

The shake itself is rarely what an inspection records; a code is. If the shake is the engine misfiring, the misfire code and the check engine light are what matter, and clearing codes the day before resets the readiness monitors, which then need days of mixed driving before the car is ready for the test.

What works instead. Find the route, fix it, and drive normally for several days before the test. A mount fault may set nothing at all; GM's truck bulletin says of its mount fault: "Note: There will not be any DTCs with this concern."

What a shop actually does with a shake at a stop, checkpoint by checkpoint

Checkpoint 1: codes — stored and history codes; a misfire code sends the job to the engine side first.

Checkpoint 2: the conditions — each gear, A/C and electrical load on and off, cold and warm, idle speed in each.

Checkpoint 3: a comparison vehicle — same model and engine, same conditions.

Checkpoint 4: bulletins and software — by VIN, engine and transmission computers.

Checkpoint 5: what touches — brackets, heat shields, hangers, cables and lines, idling in Drive.

Checkpoint 6: the accessory drive — alternator pulley, compressor bracket bolts, fans.

Checkpoint 7: the mounts — measured and settled or shimmed first, replaced when the measurement or a visible failure says so.

Checkpoint 8: the driveline — neutral idle, converter, flexplate, with the deciding test on the estimate.

Three traps that cost owners the most

Trap 1: mounts sold on "it shakes in Drive." A shake only in gear points to mounts or to the driveline. 🟢 GM's PI1523 finds a converter by comparing Drive with Neutral on a vibration analyzer; Nissan's Frontier bulletin forbids new insulators for this shake unless they leak. Lesson: ask for the measurement and the comparison before mounts.

Trap 2: a misfire code taken at face value. 🟢 Subaru's Forester Turbo bulletin shows a belt-drive resonance setting P0300 to P0304 with "not an actual misfire." Lesson: when the plugs and coils are new and the code returns, ask whether a bulletin for your engine names the belt drive.

Trap 3: the repair that makes the shake. 🟢 Over-torqued compressor bolts on a Camaro, mounts bolted down under load, a fleet software setting that lowers the idle. Lesson: if the shake started after a repair, go back to that repair first.

Three quotes for a shake at a stop, decoded

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers: each combines details from the documents and owner reports above; the dollar figures are drawn from the ranges on the price ladder above.

Scenario 1: 2016 Silverado 1500 5.3, 110,000 miles, a lumpy idle only in Drive, quote for a full set of mounts. The owner asks for bulletin 17-NA-166. The dealer measures the shake at the seat track, finds it high, and follows the procedure for the truck's build date. The bill falls inside the $600-$2,000 range for a set of mounts. Lesson: the procedure — measure, settle, shim or replace — is part of the repair.

Scenario 2: 2017 Explorer 2.3, 95,000 miles, shakes in Drive and Reverse at a stop, quote for mounts. A second shop reads Ford's 25-2005, confirms the converter, and quotes the converter job with the reprogram. The bill sits near the $2,819.19 one owner reported for a 2017 Explorer's converter. Lesson: when a bulletin names the converter for your engine and symptom, the mounts are not the first purchase.

Scenario 3: 2022 Equinox, 30,000 miles, a boom and a steering wheel shake at idle in Drive, quote for engine mounts. The dealer loosens the radiator upper bracket bolts with the car in Drive, the boom stops, and both brackets are replaced under 21-NA-122. Lesson: check what touches before what holds.

The plan for a shake at a stop: 10 minutes, today, this week

10 minutes: feel the shake in Drive, Neutral, Park and Reverse; switch the A/C off and on; write down the idle speed; read the codes.

Today: if the check engine light flashes, the engine stalls at stops, or the power steering warning comes and goes, park it. Otherwise run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a dealer for bulletins and programs for your vehicle — 17-NA-166, 21-NA-122, 18-NA-106, 25-2005, 22N12, 26-AT-003H, 21-AT-001H, NTB13-021b, NTB15-048a and L-SB-0013-26 among them.

This week: have the shop compare with a like vehicle, check the software level and what touches, and write on the estimate the test that condemned any mount or converter.

Sources and documents

Primary documents only. Where a claim in this guide is marked 🟢, it rests on one of the items below, and the reference is given so you can pull the document yourself. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from PulsCar's repair guides — estimates, not measurements from a dataset we own.

1. GM 17-NA-166 versions 5 and 8 and the PIP5211 family (PIP5211E, F); PIP5547 and 18-NA-106; PIP5830A; PIP5348D; 21-NA-122; PI1420B; 15-06-05-001; PI1523; PI0928E; PIC5511A; PIP4404F; PIC6011.
2. Ford and Lincoln bulletins 25-2005 (superseding 22-2287 and 20-2271) and 20-2215, 22-2135; programs 20N07 and 22N12; special service messages 55157 and 54980, 49696, 49830 and 50248.
3. Honda and Acura 15-046 (versions 3 to 9, among them version 3), the 2015 CR-V Tech Line note and dealer messages, the 2016-2018 Civic side mount request, 18-084; Acura 14-039.
4. Hyundai and Kia 26-AT-003H, 21-AT-001H, 16-AT-010 and 17-AT-004; Kia ENG 157 and its revision (SA312), ENG 126, ENG 168 (SA294A).
5. Stellantis 09-003-14, 09-004-19, 09-015-22, technical-assistance case S2523000006, 18-007-15 REV C, 18-002-16 REV. B, 18-064-20, 18-052-24, 18-052-16, 18-105-22.
6. Nissan NTB13-021b, NTB15-048a, NTB15-068. Toyota and Lexus T-SB-0088-23, L-SB-0119-17, L-SB-0013-26 Rev1, L-SB-0019-19. Mazda 01-012/16, 01-001/22, 01-017/19, SA-050-21a. Subaru 07-136-18.
7. Mercedes-Benz LI07.08-P-061035 and LI46.35-P-075129. Jaguar and Land Rover SSM72758, SSM74139, JTB00608NAS1, SSM 72102. Hino AA030. Volvo Trucks S3305.
8. PulsCar analysis of NHTSA public data, September 2026: 2,918 complaints our searches matched for a vibration at idle or at a standstill, each sorted twice, independently, with both sortings and every settled disagreement; owner-reported amounts; the list of 494 documents with read status. the sorting rules, documents and how we did it.

For the neighboring pages: car shaking when idle, the P0300 guide, the P0303 guide, engine mount replacement cost, A/C compressor replacement cost, transmission repair cost, car running rough and the P0507 guide.

Methodology. The complaint set is every complaint in NHTSA's file, received from 2015 to 21 September 2026, that our searches matched for a vibration word (vibrate, shake, shudder, tremble, buzz; in the last pass also rumble, rough or jolt) next to an idle or standstill phrase — 2,918 in all, 2,166 of them relevant: 1,806 from our first search, 689 from a second, wider search for spellings and phrases the first missed, 100 from a third, independent search, and 323 from a fourth pass over the third search's standstill phrases (a drive-thru, a cold start). Every complaint was sorted twice, independently, by written rules fixed and dated before the sorting began (the two sortings matched on the category for 2,154 of 2,918, or 74%; on the in-gear question for 2,130 of the first 2,595, or 82%, and 315 of the last 323, or 98%, after the in-gear rule was written out), and every disagreement was settled by written rules published with the data. The third search's samples suggest roughly 1,180 more on-topic complaints among about 10,600 in wordings we did not read; our counts are a floor. Of 494 documents listed, 213 were read in full and 80 near-identical revisions compared sentence by sentence; 167 engine rough-idle and misfire bulletins the third search found are listed by summary only; 24 duplicates and 10 without a PDF make up the rest. Every complaint quoted, and every dollar figure, was checked against the full complaint. Coverage status is our computation from the printed terms, as of September 2026. Nothing here is a failure rate.

Prices verified July to September 2026 in the repair guides they are carried from, and reviewed quarterly. Technical documents verified September 2026: the 293 documents read in our published list — among them GM 17-NA-166, 21-NA-122 and PI1523, Ford 25-2005 and program 22N12, Honda 15-046, Hyundai 26-AT-003H, Nissan NTB13-021b and Lexus L-SB-0013-26.

Had a shake at a stop fixed by software, a bracket, settled mounts or a converter — or talked out of mounts? Email [email protected] with the vehicle, mileage and outcome.