when driving speed slow down and resume to speed it begins to jerk i have to put in over drive to resume speed especially on hiway

when driving speed and slow down and resume speed it begins to jerk and have toput inover drive to resume speed

My car has 117000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
You should have the vehicle scanned. The data from the speed sensor needs to be checked to see if the transmission or engine is the cause of the jerking. You may have a transmission solenoid that’s not shifting correctly, an engine misfire, or a sensor malfunction. Have a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, scan and test your vehicle for you to properly diagnose the car’s jerking symptom.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

Worn-out spark plugs or the electrical cables attached to them are one of the most common causes of cars stuttering. A deficient spark plug causes the engine to misfire, making your car jerk when you accelerate.
The reasons for a car jerking while accelerating can vary. Also, it could be due to a faulty engine, a loose or worn-out drive belt, or even the wrong type of gas in the tank. The first thing you should do is check your gas tank and make sure that it is full.
Typically, a surging or jerking motion can be caused by an unbalance of air and fuel in the engine. Your engine needs the exact amount of an air and fuel mixture to properly perform the combustion process.
When your car jerks, stumbles or stutters while driving, it usually means something is interfering with the proper distribution and transfer of power from your transmission. Another example is if you`re driving a manual transmission and haven`t gained the feel of shifting for your particular vehicle.
When the transmission jerks between gears or the transmission is shifting hard, it should be taken as a warning that your transmission needs repair. When a transmission is shifting hard or slipping it`s time for an inspection.
Dirty Fuel Filters

Like an air filter, the fuel filter screens dirt and debris in the fuel. If it gets dirty, it could prevent enough fuel from getting to your engine causing jerking in your car.

If you`re driving at freeway speeds and notice your engine sputter or jerk, you may have a failing fuel pump. This problem is caused when the fuel pump can`t deliver a smooth flow of fuel to the engine; periodically, your engine receives only air when it was expecting to receive fuel.
One of the most common causes of a sputtering engine is an issue with the vehicle`s fuel system—the filter, pump, and injectors. These three critical components work together to ensure fuel flows smoothly from the fuel tank to your engine`s fuel injectors, and then pumps into the engine evenly.
The change in acceleration and deceleration is called “Jerky driving”, which is an important parameter reflecting the driver`s driving style [43, 45] . If a driver tends to start or brake the vehicle with greater acceleration, then his or her driving characteristics are more unstable [18]. …
An indication that a vehicle is not receiving the right mixture of air and fuel is if the vehicle jerks or surges forward at high speed. Several components of the fuel or air intake system could cause this jerking or surging sensation to happen. Issues within these systems can also cause fuel economy to worsen.
The Vehicle Speed Sensor measures vehicle speed. When it fails the transmission can stop shifting or shift late and harsh. A bad VSS may also inhibit overdrive and the converter clutch.
If you hear your car engine stuttering, then the injectors may not be providing an adequate amount of fuel. To fix this, you should clean the injectors on a regular basis. Using a fuel injector cleaning solution might eliminate the issue of the car jerking.
This monitors the position of your foot on the pedal relative to how much fuel is introduced into the throttle body. When this is faulty, it can cause a jerking or hesitating effect as you describe.
Any unusual shaking or vibrating forces coming from the engine is cause for concern. It could be something as simple as old spark plugs producing an uneven power delivery, it could be something serious like worn or broken engine mounts, or it could be even more serious in the case of internal engine damage.
A damaged carburetor may not mix fuel / air properly and can leave your car jerking, miss fire or running rough even if the spark is present. This can lead to poor gas mileage, decreased performance and general bad tuning.
One of the clearest indications that your vehicle`s fuel pump isn`t working as it should is engine jolts and stutters while you drive at a steady speed. This stuttering occurs when the pump struggles to provide an adequate amount of fuel to your engine, causing the engine to have difficulty maintaining a certain speed.
Automatic transmissions that shift hard, jerk or shake during a shift change may mean your transmission fluid needs changed or fluid level is low. In manual transmission vehicles, abnormal gear shifts could indicate damaged gear synchros, worn clutches or other, more severe issues.
You Have Excessive Treadwear

If your tires are slipping, the first thing to check is the tread. Low tread can reduce tire traction and cause your wheels to slip, especially in wet conditions or when accelerating from a stop. Particularly worn treads can even lead to tire slippage in dry conditions!

If you notice that your car jerks while you`re accelerating, this is an issue that you shouldn`t ignore. A jerking car is often a sign that your car will develop other problems if you don`t address this issue. Dirty fuel injectors are among the most common reasons for why an accelerator becomes jerky.
The most common reason an F150 will shake is the wheels are out of alignment or you need to replace the joints. Especially if the shaking only occurs while driving. Other common issues include worn out motor mounts or faulty spark plugs.
One of the most common causes of a sputtering engine is an issue with the vehicle`s fuel system—the filter, pump, and injectors. These three critical components work together to ensure fuel flows smoothly from the fuel tank to your engine`s fuel injectors, and then pumps into the engine evenly.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

when driving speed slow down and resume to speed it begins to jerk i have to put in over drive to resume speed especially on hiway
ANSWER : You should have the vehicle scanned. The data from the speed sensor needs to be checked to see if the transmission or engine is the cause of the jerking. You may have a transmission solenoid that’s not shifting correctly, an engine misfire, or a sensor malfunction. Have a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, scan and test your vehicle for you to properly diagnose the car’s jerking symptom.

my corrola, while driving suddenly slows down, specially while driving at a 120 kms speed suddenly the speeds slow down and the pu
ANSWER : If you are driving at 120 mph, it is possible that your vehicle is hitting the speed governer. This speed governer will prevent the vehicle from going past a certain speed by limiting engine power and reducing rpms. Not all vehicles are set to the same speed. The speed is usually determined by the speed rating of the tires that the vehicle came with from the factory. This is to prevent vehicles from driving at speeds faster than the tires allow even if they have enough power to do so.

1-2 second delay in acceleration when put to drive or reverse without pressing the gas. Jerking while in traffic
ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. When this occurs it can be caused by an engine hesitation or a transmission problem. From my experience this is a transmission issue. There are a lot of problems with the transmission in this vehicle. I usually scan the computer for codes first. If there are any codes then that can assist in diagnosing the issue. If there are no codes then I check the transmission fluid. It sounds like it is low. If it is then I drain and refill the fluid. Unfortunately it is hard to refill this transmission without special tools. If you want to have this acceleration issue checked, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose and repair this.

Low thunk when, at slow speed, the gas pedal is pressed. What could cause this? 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
ANSWER : Hi there – most likely, the "thunk" you describe is coming from a weak or failed motor mount. It is allowing the engine to move about when you apply the accelerator pedal, and the engine is hitting something in the engine compartment. I recommend an engine mount inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, confirm this diagnosis, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

Car jerks and slows down
ANSWER : Hey there. This may be a sign of a dirty or failing mass air flow sensor. The mass air flow sensor is a unit in the intake system that monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. When this fails, this can cause an imbalanced air/fuel load to be supplied to the motor which results in an over fueling or under fueling situation depending on the conditions. This is what causes the hesitation or loss of power you describe. This may also cause a jerking type reaction by the car when pressing on the gas pedal as you describe. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose the jerking issue and move forward with repairs.

When I drive a speeds of 25 to 35 the car shakes but if I drive speeds faster than 40 it doesn’t shake.
ANSWER : Check the tires for any cupping on the tread. If the tread is cupping, then I recommend replacing the shock absorbers. Also, I recommend having all 4 tires checked for balance and make sure that they are good. A bent rim can cause the front end to shake and smooth out as the speed increases. If the tires are good and have no issues, then the suspension may be loose cause the front end to move around on the bumps from the road way. If you need further assistance with your front end shaking, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

when I put my car in drive it won’t go but when I put it in low gear and up the RPM its will slowly take off then I have to shift
ANSWER : Hello. The transmission malfunctions you are experiencing can be caused by a wide variety of issues. A few common causes for improper shifting behavior are low or contaminated transmission fluid, transmission sensor issues, or a worn transmission. The first thing I would do is check the vehicle’s transmission fluid to make sure that it is clean and at the correct level. Automatic transmissions operate using fluid pressure and can experience all sorts of issues, including problems shifting, if the fluid is low or dirty. It may also be possible that one or more the transmission components has gone bad and needs to be replaced. Automatic transmission use a series of solenoids and sensors to control the transmission shifting point, and can cause symptoms similar to those you are experiencing if they go bad. Another possibility is that the transmission itself has worn out due to age and service, and may need to be serviced or even rebuilt. As these sorts of issues can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, I would recommend having a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to determine what the exact cause of your shifting and transmission problems.

Transmission was low. Put 4 quarts in it and everything was fine until next morning shifting to drive and felt like neutral
ANSWER : If the fluid was 4-5 quarts low, that’s a third of the total transmission fluid capacity. The transmission has probably been running very hot because of that, causing accelerated wear to the internals (clutches, etc). Check the dipstick for the correct fluid type to use. Ford transmissions are very fussy about using the correct fluid type. You can try a full transmission fluid service by replacing the fluid and filter, not a "trans flush". You might get lucky and have that solve your problem, but odds are with being driven with the fluid that low, a transmission rebuild may be the only solution.