CapnJack Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Just started to get a droning sound in my wife's 08 OBW with 11.5k. I checked the tires last night, all inflated correctly, tread wear pattern perfect, and all at the same tread depth. Here's the symptoms, I'd appreciate it if folks would tell me if it sounds correct for a wheel bearing.... 1) Starts above 35 mph, some very light vibration in the gas pedal, which since its not connected to the engine anymore makes me think light chassis vibes. Droning noise very obvious. 2) Less noisy when making lefthand curves at highway speeds 3) More noisy when straight, a little more droning when curving to the right, also at highway speeds. These are the stock alloys and tires, no noise with the winter tires and rims I pulled off a couple months ago. BTW, the winter steel rims are a 50mm offset, vs the 48 OEM's. Tirerack assures me this sin't a problem. Could it contribute to a bearing failure? Those would be some real tender bearngs.... The last time I had a wheel bearing go bad on a car with under 100k was a very long time ago, so I'm way "out of practice". Thanks in advance. Sounds exactly like my wife's 08 Outback. Starts above 35 MPH and sounds like you are riding in a propped airplane. I havn't noticed that there is any change in noise when making turns however. The dealer has ordered parts and it should be going in soon to have the rear bearing replaced. I doubt your winter setup had anything to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfdal Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 like you are riding in a propped airplane. Perfect description!! Hers is going in Thursday morning. I couldn't see where 2mm offset should make any difference, but I'm not too thrilled about the wheel bearing at 11.5k thing. Hopefully the dealer's ears will be working that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbc84 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Just started to get a droning sound in my wife's 08 OBW with 11.5k. I checked the tires last night, all inflated correctly, tread wear pattern perfect, and all at the same tread depth. Here's the symptoms, I'd appreciate it if folks would tell me if it sounds correct for a wheel bearing.... 1) Starts above 35 mph, some very light vibration in the gas pedal, which since its not connected to the engine anymore makes me think light chassis vibes. Droning noise very obvious. 2) Less noisy when making lefthand curves at highway speeds 3) More noisy when straight, a little more droning when curving to the right, also at highway speeds. These are the stock alloys and tires, no noise with the winter tires and rims I pulled off a couple months ago. BTW, the winter steel rims are a 50mm offset, vs the 48 OEM's. Tirerack assures me this sin't a problem. Could it contribute to a bearing failure? Those would be some real tender bearngs.... The last time I had a wheel bearing go bad on a car with under 100k was a very long time ago, so I'm way "out of practice". Thanks in advance. My 08' LGT 5MT does almost the same thing. Only makes whineing sound when going straight, and usually about 3k rpms + in 3rd and 4th gear so probably around 35-40mph. If I start jerking the car by swerveing back and forth the sound gets quieter. I hope its a wheel bearing and not my diff. I do notice the sound is much louder on wet or rainy days even with windows up, my friend thinks it would be the diff because its trying to transfer power. Ill be taking my car into the dealer in the next week or so. I only have 9.8k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsme Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 i just got a letter from soa about this in the mail saturday acknowledging the problem and extending my warranty on the REAR wheel bearings to 8yr/100,000mi. anyone else getting these letters. i have just started getting through this thread to figure out what what im listening for while driving. I just got my letter today. Racer X FMIC for '05-'09 LGTs, '08+ WRX and '10+ LGT,'14+ FXT, and '15+ WRX TMIC Racerxengineering.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfdal Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Only makes whineing sound when going straight, and usually about 3k rpms + in 3rd and 4th gear so probably around 35-40mph. That doesn't sound so much like a wheel bearing as a diff. When we had our 03 OBW we got a noise like that from the front diff. It was an auto, and they ended up replacing the diff and transmission at 28k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welby Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 i just got a letter from soa about this in the mail saturday acknowledging the problem and extending my warranty on the REAR wheel bearings to 8yr/100,000mi. anyone else getting these letters. i have just started getting through this thread to figure out what what im listening for while driving. No kidding about the letter, huh? I just had my right rear fixed at a local dealership yesterday, I had been getting the constant humming above 50 mph as well. I knew it was a bearing before I took it, I've been working on cars for a long time and kind of have a feel for what's going on (Most of the time). They fixed it no problem, but the guy mentioned about "good news, Subaru has extended the warranty on the bearings, so it was covered for free!". I thought he was blowing smoke up my butt, because I still have 27,000 miles left on the original warranty, but I didn't care what he said as long as it was fixed That's really good news about being extended to 100,000 miles. I'd normally have just fixed it myself after the warranty expired, but now I won't have to cough up the $$$ for quite awhile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starhm Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 it did specifically state only the rear wheel bearings. i havent read anything about front bearings in this thread yet. ive been listening... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfdal Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 It was the driver's front wheel bearing. No questions or problems getting the dealer to do the work. Wife will be picking it up and taking it for a 40 mile highway run tonight. Wonder if its a design issue, or just a bad batch of bearings?? Update - wife called and said car back to normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipster Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I just had my front right wheel bearing replaced under warranty with 59,950 miles on the odometer. This was my second trip to the dealer, the first time they dismissed the noise as a "bad" tire. After some minor persistence and rotating the tires they agreed to replace the bearing. The noise was present driving at about 40 mph or greater. Somewhat louder in a turn to the left and softer in a turn to the right. With the new bearing the noise is gone completely (for now anyway!). -Chip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClimberDHexMods Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I once took my old 2.2liter '00 Impreza to a Firestone on Geary in San Francisco for some simple maintenance. My bearing blew 20 miles later in the richest part of the south bay, but I made it to a local shop. Back on the road $700 later. Bearings have been less than amazing in Subaru's past. Find a great mechanic, dealer or otherwise, and stick with him forever. There are so many bad ones out there for every good one... [CENTER][B][I] Front Limited Slip Racing Differentials for the 5EAT now available for $1895 shipped, please inquire for details! [/I][/B][/CENTER] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MangoGT Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I just noticed a vibration/rubbing sound coming from the driver's side front wheel. Took it into the shop and they said its a bad wheel bearing. Sorry to hear that it's such a problem for so many people. I wonder if the extended warranty covers this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
typeSpeed Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 most cars do have their weak spots. At least Subaru owns up to it and will replace it. It is covered under the extended warranty, I had no issues having my replaced before selling the legacy. Good luck Silver-Arts.com - Custom web design Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungo Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Finally got both my rear wheel bearings replaced last week by an independent shop, as I do not like the dealer service in my area. The last time I asked the dealer for warranty service they wanted me to put the stock wheels back on. Ummmm they got damaged... Hopefully I will receive a partial reimbursement under the extended warranty program. I love my car again. Don't live with the noise. Get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfaxe Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Finally got both my rear wheel bearings replaced last week by an independent shop, as I do not like the dealer service in my area. The last time I asked the dealer for warranty service they wanted me to put the stock wheels back on. Ummmm they got damaged... Hopefully I will receive a partial reimbursement under the extended warranty program. I love my car again. Don't live with the noise. Get it done. +1 My local dealership informed me that the wheel noise was due to my 'feathered' tires. They were not at all interested in replacing any of my wheel bearings. (They did offer to sell me a set of tires though.) I became very annoyed and replaced the front bearings myself as part of my recent suspension rebuild... and about 60% of the noise went away. Hmmm...a miracle? coincidence? After such a great result, I replaced the rear set and guess what? Correct! 100% of the annoying sound went away. I guess my crappy Toyo Proxes 4's were not so crappy. I'm not interested in a pissing match with my local dealership, but it does seem convenient to blame the tires and send me on my way. Its a credibility and relationship issue. One could hope that they would give you the benefit of the doubt- I mean, does it really count against them if they do a warranty repair? Regardless, replacing the rear bearing also helped and I solved the problem on all four corners for about $550 and 3 hours of work. I'm not thrilled about spending the money, but the car now has four new bearings and drives like new @97,000 miles. I know if it ever happens again, I can replace the bearings with very little effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungo Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 It is also worth mentioning that not only did the new bearings solve the constant howling noise problem I was experiencing, but also a more intermittent "creak/squeak" that I had been chasing for months. I had assumed it was a RSB bushing or endlink problem. in the rear suspension. But the new bearings fixed it all. Again, I'm a happy camper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiedad51 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Anyone in NJ have their front wheel bearing replaced (driver side)? If so which dealer. My dealer (Mount Olive) is giving me a problem and I was just wondering if anyone has had it replaced under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldiablo Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 I did. Nitti Subaru in Hamilton. That's a hike for you though. My VB Garage... Pumping the air back into despair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goneskiian Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Since there are 2 threads on this topic I guess I'll post in the both! I just had the left rear wheel bearing/hub assembly replaced under warranty. 2005 GT Wagon with 53,600 miles on it. Oh yeah, I left my wheels on. Only mention of them was to ask where the key for the McGard lock and spline drive was. I'll update this post with a part number when I remember to bring in the invoice. Cheers! -Ian OK, I've just had the right rear done now too. Mileage is 62,200. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesbaru Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I think you can add me to this list. It's an '05 LGT wagon with 90K miles and I'm getting the humming from hell at around 40mph. I lose track of it after 65mph or so but it's definitely related to vehicle speed - not engine RPM or transmission load. Taking it to GST on Monday for some TLC. BTW...No noticeable noise during high or low speed turning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfurniture Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 my wagon is having the same annoying humming. before i take it in to the stealerships should i throw on the stockers? not sure if they're going to give me beef for having aftermarket 18's w/ same offset.... ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesbaru Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I don't think it's the wheel bearing anymore. Today at GST we jacked up the car and there wasn't any play in the wheels. You'd expect some from a bad bearing. I'm going to rotate the tires just to make sure the noise stays up front before I bring it back in. This is weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungo Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I received a check in the mail yesterday from Subaru for the full cost of my rear bearings replacement (both sides), the work having been done at an independent shop. While I remain disappointed with the defect, I'm quite impressed with how SOA has handled it. So I've been made financially whole again, and the car is driving great. I do have zero confidence in the ability of my local dealers to take care of this though, which is why I went indy and took my chances with reimbursement after the fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfaxe Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I received a check in the mail yesterday from Subaru for the full cost of my rear bearings replacement (both sides), the work having been done at an independent shop. While I remain disappointed with the defect, I'm quite impressed with how SOA has handled it. So I've been made financially whole again, and the car is driving great. I do have zero confidence in the ability of my local dealers to take care of this though, which is why I went indy and took my chances with reimbursement after the fact. Wow, that's great news. My local dealership told me that the humming noise was caused by 'feathered tires'. They offered to fix the problem by selling me new tires. I told them that this was ridiculous and left kinda pissed because I'd wasted an entire morning with those guys. I ended up changing the bearings out myself and... would you believe that the noise went away. I'm amazed how changing out the wheel bearings somehow made the 'feathered tire' noise go away- I'm out the money, but solved the problem and confirmed some of my opinions about the folks working under the lifts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesuby Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I had both rear wheel bearings replaced today at 59,500 miles. I was holding out since miles in the low 50's because I hate leaving the car at a dealership. The noise started out sounding like I had old bias-ply snow tires on the back end, and got worse and worse. It was usually quiet until about 45 mph then it grew proportional to speed. I had the work done at a new dealer, Prestige in Turnersville, NJ. They bought up the defunct Martin dealership and fortunately hired back the techs. I dropped the car last night so they would have a cold engine to work on (had the spark plugs changed as well). They called me at 11 am to tell me both bearings were replaced under warranty and the plugs were done too. Nice to have that peace and quiet again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainmorgan Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I had both rear hubs go out on me, so I know what the hum sounds like at 40mph. I dont hear anything similar from the fronts (or the rears again for that matter). So I had to replace a CV boot on the front axles this weekend, and gave the now disconnected hubs a couple spins. What should it feel like? How much resistance should the free hub have? what do the bearings sound like when they aren't loaded? I felt a bit of drag in the bearings an noise that didn't make me happy, but most of my experience is with bicycles that demand higher performing bearing races. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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