I started to hear a noise from what sounds like the front driver's side area. I've had a ton of bad wheel bearings before ('91 Taurus and a '95 Jetta each had replacements), but this is the first time i've heard of such a thing on a Scion.... and i'm under 20k miles too!

The sound is speed-sensitive, so it does go faster and slower.... which at first made me think it was the wheels (I do have aftermarket wheels), but after a full balance of them (and replacing one), they're fine. I'm still hearing the noise...

Do you think the wheel bearing went bad already? I'm just under the 20k mile mark.

Will this be covered by the warranty, or is this one of the parts that "wears out" like brakes, etc?

Also - do you think a dealership will give me trouble for aftermarket wheels? They're the stock size.. just a different offset...

 

you should be ok to bring it in under warranty should cover that.

 

warranty should cover that.. no, the wheel bearings should not go out like brakes do. have u hit any bumps before this started happening??? because if it is your wheel bearing, you might have hit a bump and bent the axle causing the wheel bearing to lose its greese and make that grinding noise like the wheel is going to come off. but like i stated earlier, the warranty has to cover this...

 

I live in New Jersey... there are PLENTY of bumps... lol

I guess it's time to take it to the dealership. I really hope it's not the axel... but we'll see.

 

Did you take it in yet? If so what did they say?

 

Not yet... been way too busy.... gonna be testing some stuff out myself first, though.

 

Updates please, I believe I have a bad wheel bearing as well. ALthough mine doesn't move when I raise the car and push/pull the top of the wheel.

 

Take it in!!! I just had both front bearings replaced. And, my transaxle! I think they replaced the transaxle first. Then they still heard the noise and replaced the front wheel bearings.
I sounded like I was running on knobby snow tires or buzzing like a bumble bee. And, it was speed sensitive, like you said. Opening the windows to try and hear it better didn't help. I took it in three times. Third times the charm. Also, the third time, I didn't try to tell them my diagnosis. I just said that I had high vibration. And, that if the tech didn't get in and drive it that I would be wasting my time there. Voila! New transaxle and both front wheel bearings were replaced. The noise started at about 20,000 miles. Good luck!!! Bump this thread. People need to know.

 

Thanks, stickler. BTW - do you have aftermarket wheels or no?

 

I'd put the steelies back on first before taking it in. No reason to give them an excuse for not covering it under warranty.

 

I've always had the steelies on

 

What ever happened? Did they fix em? I may have more to add to this thread, soon. Sounds like, 6 months after being repaired, they're going bad again. Could this be like a warped rotor or something? I love my box. But, this is ____in me off.

 

Well - it turns out it's my tires. Bad tire wear = at least one of them is cupped. This will be dealt with saturday - i'm getting all new tires (it's been 30k miles).

 

That's what I thought. At 30k there was significant wear on the stock goodyears. Went and bought new tires. But, It was my bearings. And, this was discovered after they replaced my transaxle. Good luck