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Why does my car jerk when I shift from park to reverse?

My car has been jerking whenever I switch from park to reverse. I’m not sure if I should be worried or what might be causing it. It doesn’t do it when I change any other gears. What would cause a car to jerk when switching from park to reverse?

avatar
Patrick Price · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Oh no—I’m sorry to hear that your car is jerking. Issues like that can be annoying and make you nervous that there might be something seriously wrong. Based on the symptoms, there isn’t necessarily any reason to panic. It could be caused by a number of things from low transmission fluid to bad alignment.
Several things might be the cause of this issue. Most of them will need to be diagnosed and fixed by a mechanic.
Before taking your car to the mechanic, you can attempt to drain and refill your transmission fluid. There’s a good chance this will resolve the issue. If the problem persists even after replacing the transmission fluid, it’s time to see a professional mechanic.
When diagnosing the issue, they’ll look for one of the following problems:
  • A faulty shift solenoid
  • A faulty clutch (for manual transmissions)
  • Issues with the motor mounts
  • Alignment or suspension issues
  • Other transmission problems
While you’re taking care of your car’s maintenance issues, it might be a good time to revisit your
car insurance
.
It is important to reevaluate your coverage at least once a year to ensure that you are not overpaying for insurance.
The easiest way to do this is by using
Jerry
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