There are a few major reasons that would cause your car to vibrate when the braking system is applied. Most likely, this would have to do with one or a few parts of the braking system itself. That could include the brake pads, brake rotors, brake calipers, or perhaps even simply worn tires.
Your vehicle's brake pads are responsible for applying force and friction to the brake rotors in order to slow down and eventually fully stop the spinning of the vehicle's wheels. If your brake pads are worn down, they may squeak, squeal, and eventually cause your vehicle to vibrate as they try to do their job of slowing down your car. Make sure to have your brake pads replaced at the first sign of trouble to keep yourself and your passengers safe.
As stated earlier, your vehicle's braking rotors get pressed down by the brake pads to slow down the vehicle. If your braking rotors are either out of balance or have been worn down due to grinding on metal caused by extremely worn down brake pads, this could easily cause vibrating of your vehicle as well when the braking system is engaged. This is another braking component to watch out for to ensure the proper functioning of the braking system.
The part that pushes the brake pads against the braking rotors is called the brake caliper. if the calipers are sticking or functioning incorrectly, this could cause your vehicle to vibrate as well when the brakes are engaged. All three of these parts are essential to properly working brakes, and should all be inspected and maintained whenever you take your vehicle in for the brake system check-up.
Finally, extremely worn tires could also cause your vehicle to vibrate. This is an easy thing to watch out for simply by keeping an eye on your tire thread levels and replacing the tires according to wear and manufacturers' recommendations.
Remember, if you are experiencing any kind of vibrations as you apply the braking system, we invite you to come into our auto shop today for brake maintenance and repair!