Diagnose a Failing Wheel Bearing Before It’s Too Late

You are cruising down the highway. The radio is off. The windows are up. And you hear it: a low, rhythmic hum. It sounds like a deep drone, almost like driving over a rough road surface. But the pavement is smooth. The sound changes pitch when you turn the steering wheel slightly. It gets louder as you speed up.

You turn up the radio to ignore it. That is a mistake.

That hum is the sound of a failing wheel bearing. If you ignore it, it will not go away. It will get worse. And eventually, it will fail catastrophically—potentially causing your wheel to lock up, wobble violently, or even detach from the car while you are driving.

Here is how to diagnose a failing wheel bearing with your own ears before it leaves you stranded on the side of the road.