Car Hesitates When Accelerating: Diagnostic Guide & Repairs

If your car hesitates when accelerating and you want to fix the problem, this guide is for you. Car hesitation is very annoying and confusing, especially for new drivers. It can happen for various reasons, from a clogged filter to issues with the fuel system or spark plugs. Read this guide thoroughly to learn why a car hesitates when accelerating at low speed, repair solutions, and estimated repair costs.

Table of contents

• What Happens When a Car Hesitates When Accelerating?
• Car Hesitates When Accelerating: Causes and Solutions
• Labor Cost for Fixing Car Hesitation
• Preventing Future Car Hesitation and Jerks When Accelerating
• Conclusion
• FAQs

What Happens When a Car Hesitates When Accelerating?

Car hesitation occurs when you press the gas pedal to increase the speed or start driving the car. If your car hesitates when accelerating, it will pause, sputter, or struggle to speed up. This hesitation or jerk is scary if you don’t know the reason behind it. Therefore, every driver must know about the causes, solutions, and repair costs of car hesitation.

Car Hesitates When Accelerating: Causes and Solutions

If your car hesitates when accelerating, it can be due to faults in different parts of the car. Finding the main cause of hesitation and instantly fixing it protects the car from big damage. Let’s begin with exploring the causes, solutions, and prices of faulty engine parts.

Important Note Regarding Costs of Each Part:

The prices of car parts are collected from the Autozone online store and have been updated as of November 2, 2024. Each car part is available in different models, and prices are also different. Therefore, you must buy a fuel pump that perfectly matches the model and company of your car.

Fuel pump

The fuel pump is responsible for sending gas to the engine. If the fuel pump is faulty, the car will hesitate because the gas will not properly reach the engine.

Solution: If the fuel pump is weak or broken, we recommend you replace it instead of repairing it. Repairing the fuel pump is a temporary solution and is not 100% perfect.

Cost: The price of a fuel pump ranges from $60 to $800. For example, the cost of TruGrade Fuel Pump A1417EP is $60, the price of TruGrade Fuel Pump D61076M is $212, and the price of TruGrade Fuel Pump D8408M is $816.

Fuel injectors

The main role of the fuel injector is to spray fuel into the engine. If the fuel injector gets blocked with dirt or debris, it can’t spray enough fuel, which leads to car hesitation.

Solution: If the condition of the fuel injector is not too bad, cleaning it can solve the issue. Otherwise, you might have to replace the fuel injector for proper flow of fuel to the engine.

Cost: The cost of normal fuel injectors ranges from $60 to $280, whereas some high-quality fuel injectors cost around $500 to $800. For example, the cost of Duralast Fuel Injector MPDL2036N6 is $279, the cost of Duralast Fuel Injector MPDL1060N8 is around $505, and the cost of Duralast Fuel Injector DL20081 is $60.

Mass airflow (MAF) sensor

If your car hesitates when accelerating at low speed, it might also be due to a faulty MAF sensor. The MAF sensor measures the amount of air coming into the engine. If this sensor gets damaged, it will not get the right mixture of air and fuel, which leads to jerks.

Solution: You can either replace the MAF sensor or clean it to remove dirt. The decision depends on the condition and amount of dirt in the MAF sensor. The good MAF sensor also improves engine performance and helps to avoid car overheating when idle.

Cost: The MAF sensor is not too costly, and the average price ranges from $70 to $130. For example, the price of Duralast New Mass Air Flow Sensor DL-3115 is around $69, and the price of Duralast New Mass Air Flow Sensor DL-3002 is around $129. You must buy the right MAF sensor according to the model and type of your vehicle.

Dirty or clogged air filter

If the car hesitates and jerks when accelerating, you might also check the air filter. The air filter gets dirty over time and blocks airflow, which makes acceleration slower and jerky.

Solution: Give importance to cleaning the air filter after every month or a few kilometers. Cleaning the air filter is very easy and inexpensive.

Cost: Most of the time, just cleaning the filter can fix the hesitation issue. If you are willing to exchange the air filter, it is not expensive and costs around $20.

Vacuum Leaks

Vaccum leaks occur due to the holes and cracks in the hoses that carry air to the engine. This situation disturbs the balance of fuel and air, which results in car hesitation and jerks when accelerating.

Solution: If the condition of hoses is not too bad, find the leaks and seal them with hose clamp tightening, teflon tape, or vacuum sealant tape.

Cost: Repairing the leaks is not expensive, and you can even do it at home. Moreover, the cost of a new vacuum hose pipe starts at just $2 per foot.

Throttle position sensor (TPS)

The main role of TPS is to monitor the position of the gas pedal and tell about the required power. If there is any fault in the TPS, the car will hesitate when accelerating from a stop.

Solution: If you want to make the acceleration smooth again, replacing the TPS or adjusting it can fix the issue. In general, repairing it can be hard, and you might need to replace it.

Cost: The average cost of the throttle position sensor ranges from $40 to $80. For example, the cost of Duralast Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) TPS140 is around $46, and the cost of Duralast Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) TPS482 is around $82.

Fuel Filter

The fuel filter stops the dust and debris of fuel from reaching the engine. If the fuel filter gets damaged, the dust and debris reach the engine and cause hesitation and jerks when accelerating.

Solution and cost: It is recommended to change the fuel filter periodically at regular intervals. The fuel filter is also very affordable, and you can buy a good filter for around $5 to $15.

Tip:

In case you are interested in knowing the cost of wrapping or tinting the car, read our guide on the cost to wrap a car and how much to tint car windows.

Ignition system

The ignition system burns up the fuel with a spark, which gives power to the engine. If the car hesitates when accelerating at low speed, it might be due to a flaw in the ignition system.

Solution: Inspect the parts of the ignition system, like coils and spark plugs, and make sure that they are not faulty. If you feel the spark plug is old, consider replacing it with a new one, which costs around $10.

Engine mechanical issues

Sometimes, damaged or broken engine parts also result in hesitation and jerks in the car.

Solution: Go to the expert mechanic near you for inspection and repair of the car’s engine. He will inspect the issue, replace the damaged part, and make your car smooth.

Timing belt

The timing belt plays a crucial role in moving the engine parts together in sync. If the timing belt gets damaged, the synchronization between engine parts gets disrupted, which results in hesitation.

Solution and cost: The one and only solution for this is replacing the timing belt of your car with a new one. The timing belt costs around $100 for only the belt and $250 for the complete kit. For example, the price of the Duralast Timing Belt WP199K1A is around $101, and the cost of the Duralast Timing Belt Component Kit WP306K2A is around $212.

Transmission system

Hesitation due to a fault in the transmission system is rare, but sometimes, you might feel it when shifting gears.

Solution: We recommend you go to a mechanic for the inspection of the transmission and change fluid when needed to avoid hesitation.

Labor Cost for Fixing Car Hesitation

The hourly labor cost in the USA starts from $75 to $150 per hour, depending on the type and model of the car. Fixing the general car hesitation issue takes around 1 to 3 hours. This way, you can expect the labor cost of repairing around $100. Moreover, some mechanics also charge a diagnostic fee, which is usually around $80 to $150.

Preventing Future Car Hesitation and Jerks When Accelerating

If you want to stay away from car hesitation in the future, follow these steps:

• Regularly clean all the parts of the fuel system, including the fuel filter, pump, and injectors. The proper fuel system effectively cleans the fuel and provides the right amount of fuel to the engine.
• Whenever you feel that the spark plug is rusty or the wiring is damaged, replace it with a new one.
• Regularly clean the air filter, especially if you drive in dusty areas. It will stop the dirt from entering the engine and keep the engine running smoothly.
• Always keep the fluid levels, such as engine oil and transmission fluid, full.

Conclusion

A car that hesitates when accelerating is very annoying and stressful. Finding and fixing the main cause helps you keep your car hesitation-free and jerk-free. First find out the main cause of hesitation as mentioned above and then fix it according to the solution provided above. If you are not experienced in finding and fixing issues, you must go to an expert mechanic.