A worn-out wheel bearing may also make a high-pitched squealing sound while you’re driving. If you are able to observe these symptoms, have your vehicle checked right away. Even if your wheel bearings are not the culprit—there’s definitely something wrong with your vehicle.

One tricky thing about wheel bearing noise is that a bad tire can make almost exactly the same noise as a bad bearing; you don’t want to replace a wheel bearing for a noise concern when all you need is a new tire.

A faulty wheel bearing can cause your vehicle to pull to one side during braking. This symptom can also be related to faulty brake components.

I have personally seen a Crown Victoria that was making a noise I would have sworn was coming from the left rear axle bearing, but after removing and inspecting that bearing (which is difficult on a rear wheel drive vehicle), I discovered that the noise was actually originating from the left front tire. And I had nearly 40 years of automotive experience at the time.

The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.

Your water pump has the important job of keeping your engine cool so that it doesn't overheat. You don't want to ignore this problem as it could do damage to your engine. Get it checked out by a mechanic you can trust as soon as possible.

Once you locate when the grinding is happening and where it is coming from, you will be one step closer to finding a diagnosis.

If you hear the grinding noise while you are driving and not while you are braking, then you may have a problem with your water pump.

If you have worn brake linings, you will need to have your brakes serviced. Brakes are crucial to your safety while you are driving, so they should not be ignored.

A high-pitched grinding sound while driving can have several potential causes like worn brake pads, worn or damaged bearings, worn CV joints, worn or misaligned belts, tire-related noise, and more.

The older style cone shaped bearings have a series of tapered rollers in a cage with a window for each roller to keep them evenly spaced while they ride between inner and outer races. But most modern sealed bearings have steel balls with inside and outside races.

In the event that this happens under weather conditions that make the road slippery, immediately maneuver your vehicle to the nearest safe spot off the road.

Note by Richard McCuistian, ASE-certified mechanic: I have personally seen a Crown Victoria that was making a noise I would have sworn was coming from the left rear axle bearing, but after removing and inspecting that bearing (which is difficult on a rear wheel drive vehicle), I discovered that the noise was actually originating from the left front tire. And I had nearly 40 years of automotive experience at the time.

If you notice the grinding sound only while you have the air conditioning running, then you could have a problem with your AC compressor.

What doesa bad wheel bearingsound like

If your car is making a grinding noise while you are driving, it can be very difficult to figure out what is causing it. There are several different possibilities. If you can determine where the noise is coming from, then it will help you discover what the issue is.

A bad wheel bearing can cause the brake rotor to wobble, which shoves the caliper piston back into its bore so that when you apply the brakes, you have unexpected pedal travel as a result – making it harder to stop or causing the vehicle to pull unexpectedly to one side – never a good thing in traffic.

Wheel bearingreplacement cost

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Another tricky element of wheel bearing noise is the need to pinpoint which wheel bearing is making the noise. Sometimes even professional mechanics will struggle with this, and there are special listening devices shops use to pinpoint which bearing is making the noise. Some tire shops will replace both front bearings if there is a bearing noise coming from the front of the vehicle; not a bad practice, actually.

By now, you may have an idea of how important wheel bearings are. Thankfully, there are signs that can indicate that your wheel bearings are going bad.

It’s worth noting that tire noise will usually change depending on the road surface. Wheel bearing noise, on the other hand, is consistent regardless of road surface and acceleration.

If your car is making a grinding noise when you are making a turn at slow speeds, then it could be a worn CV (constant velocity) joint.

At Hansma Automotive we have over 30 years of experience working with all types of vehicles and vehicle problems. We would love to put our experience to work for you!

Since the wheel bearings keep the wheel and hub assembly spinning on an axis, if the wheel bearing is compromised to the point that it can no longer maintain that axis, driving with a faulty bearing can be extremely dangerous—especially at high speeds. Think about a wheel that starts wobbling because the bearing decided to completely come apart while you’re in freeway traffic. This can happen without warning if you’ve become accustomed to the bearing’s noise as it continues to warn you by getting louder.

A faulty wheel hub and bearing assembly can also cause a vibration felt in the steering wheel. Often, the sensation will change with vehicle speed or while the vehicle is cornering.

Is your ABS light on, and you do not know what is causing it? A faulty wheel bearing can be a possibility. On some vehicles, the ABS sensor or encoder ring is integrated into the wheel hub and bearing assembly. As such, a failure of the wheel bearing can trigger the ABS light.

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This could mean a lot of different things. The most common reasons include a worn-out alternator, a damaged water pump, worn wheel/hub bearings, a damaged AC compressor, worn brake linings, or a worn-out CV joint.

Some may say that you can drive for up to a thousand miles with a failed wheel bearing—but the thing is, this is an arbitrary claim. There’s really no telling how long you can safely drive your vehicle in this state. It would depend on the severity of the damage to your wheel bearing, present road conditions, and other factors. So, it’s best not to push your luck.

In cases like that, or when you just decide to keep driving until the failure is complete, the bearing itself will decide for you when it must be changed, and it can do so in very unpleasant ways and never at a good time. In other words, there are instances, when left unattended to, a faulty wheel bearing can create hazardous conditions, such as the following:

How long can youdrive on a bad wheel bearing

Your brake linings form a protective barrier between your steel brake rotor and your metal brake pad backing that reduces friction. Therefore, when your linings wear down, you start to get metal-to-metal contact when you apply your brakes. This causes an annoying and very loud grinding noise.

Pro Tips are nuggets of information direct from ASE-certified automobile technicians working with CarParts.com, which may include unique, personal insights based on their years of experience working in the automotive industry. These can help you make more informed decisions about your car.

Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.

Even though this isn't an urgent repair, it is important to get it seen as your air conditioner keeps you comfortable while driving in warm weather and it helps to remove the moisture from your windows in the wintertime.

One of the most common reasons why "my car is making a grinding noise while driving" is worn-out brake linings. If you hear the grinding sound while you are braking, then your brake linings could be the culprit.

How long willa wheel bearinglast afteritstarts making noise

If your wheel bearing goes out while you’re on the road, it’s not advisable to keep driving. However, if there’s absolutely no alternative, make sure to maintain a slow and steady pace—do not accelerate or turn suddenly.

Modern vehicles have sealed wheel bearings that cannot be disassembled without destroying the wheel bearing assembly in the process, and on vehicles with bearings like those, you only know a bearing is bad when it begins to make noise. That’s the earliest indication of a bad wheel bearing, and front wheel bearings (both on front wheel drive as well as rear wheel drive vehicles) are the most prone to fail on modern vehicles.

Once again, there are other issues besides a bad wheel bearing that can cause steering wheel vibrations. A thorough diagnosis is needed to verify the cause of the concern.

Wheel bearings are in a hostile environment and are working very hard, but wheel bearings are very tough – they’re designed for the work they do. But product variability is a real thing, and again, some bearings fail while others never do.

Temporary fix forbad wheel bearing

Loose wheel bearings can throw your car’s alignment off, leading to abnormal tire wear. There are, of course, many other problems that can create the same, undesirable results.  So, you’ll want to diagnose the issue thoroughly before condemning one or more of the wheel bearings

Wheel bearing failure is a potentially dangerous situation at any time, so have your vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic and have your faulty wheel bearings replaced right away. Vehicle safety should always come first.

Also, by replacing a bad bearing early on, you can also save yourself a lot of money by avoiding possible major repairs.

Wheel bearings support the weight of the vehicle and allow the wheel/tire assembly to rotate when you’re traveling down the road. All four of your car’s wheels have wheel bearings and they are designed to last the life of the vehicle. In fact, many vehicles will travel hundreds of thousands of miles/kilometers and never need a wheel bearing replacement, but others may need one or more wheel bearings replaced over their lifetime.

Signs ofbad wheel bearing

When you’re driving with the music cranked up, you may not notice the different sounds that your vehicle makes. But the moment you turn the radio off and notice a growling, humming, or rumbling noise coming from your wheel bearing, you’ll know there’s a problem.

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If your vehicle is making a grinding noise while you are driving, come see the experts at Hansma Automotive. We can determine exactly what is causing the grinding noise and fix it for you. At Hansma Automotive, we carry out all types of repairs to all types of vehicles.

This paragraph doesn’t make sense: Older rear wheel drive vehicles had cone type wheel bearings on the front wheels that could be removed, inspected, and packed with grease, and reinstalled with new seals. Some rear wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. In other words, if a vehicle has cone-type bearings that can be removed, inspected, and repacked, it will always be on the NON-driving wheels – the ones that don’t propel the vehicle.

You might have seen a vehicle pulling trailer that has had the bearings neglected to the point that the wheel gets hot enough to set the tire on fire – it can happen on your vehicle in extreme cases, but it’s rare.

Your wheel/hub bearings act as a buffer between your axle and your wheel and help to eliminate the friction between these parts of your vehicle. If your bearings wear out, you will hear a grinding noise when you are making a turn.

Pro Tip: If a noise happens after the tires are rotated on a front wheel drive vehicle, it may be due to the wear pattern on the tires, so be aware of that, too.

If your wheel bearings completely fail then your wheel can seize up causing an accident. Get it checked out as soon as possible.

Driving with a grinding noise can be risky, as it may indicate a serious issue with your vehicle that could compromise safety or lead to further damage. The source of the grinding noise could be various components, such as brakes, wheel bearings, or the transmission. If you are going to drive, drive straight to your local auto shop!

Bring your vehicle into your local auto shop so that they can identify the source, and inspect the brakes, wheel bearings, CV joints, transmission, belts, power steering system, tires, and more.

Mechanics will find a safe, empty, smooth paved road, then listen carefully to the noise while swerving gently from side to side – typically when you swerve to the right, you’re increasing the load on the left side bearings, and vice versa. And again, while this is a good practice, it’s easy to be fooled into replacing the wrong bearing, even using this method – that’s why some tire shops replace bearings in pairs. If you use this method and believe the noise is tire related, you can move the front tires to the rear and see if the noise changes.

The wheel bearing on a wheel usually consists of a pair bearing assemblies running side by side on the shaft or spindle – this keeps the spindle running straight, while a single row of balls or rollers might allow the wheel to wobble. Exceptions would be the non-tapered roller bearings on rear wheel drive vehicles, which will have only one bearing assembly at the wheel end of the axle, but the inboard end of the axle on those units is splined to the differential assembly, which is spinning in its own set of tapered roller bearings.

Thank for pointing out that typo. The paragraph was supposed to read: Some front-wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. We have updated the article.

Frontwheel bearingnoise symptoms

Remember, the wheel bearing not only allows the wheel/tire assembly to rotate along with the hub the wheel is bolted to, the bearing also carries the weight of the vehicle and maintains the spinning wheel’s axis by keeping it in a straight line. A failed wheel bearing won’t usually allow the wheel to come off completely unless the bearing has become so hot that the axle or spindle is glowing red. Not only can this cause a fire in the wheel well area, the wheel and hub can separate from the vehicle and… well, finish the thought. Granted, this is a very extreme case of a wheel bearing failure, but wheel bearings that have lost their grease can get extremely hot.

If the seal that is part of the bearing fails, moisture and dirt can enter the bearing’s grease, compromising the grease’s ability to keep the load bearing elements (balls and races) lubricated. But there are times when a bearing destroys itself even though the grease is not compromised. Tiny particles of metal can begin to flake off of the races, and when this happens, those particles mix with the grease so that it becomes a grinding compound of sorts, creating a “snowball” effect whereby more metal flakes off and enters the grease charge and the bearing gets noisier with time.

My car is making a grinding noise while driving - What now? We recommend that you book an appointment with your local auto shop and get it fixed ASAP!

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It’s this abnormal sound that’s the most obvious sign something is wrong with your wheel bearings. Of course, because other issues, such as cupped tires, can mimic a bad wheel bearing, you’ll want to diagnose the sound properly.

Your CV joint’s primary function is to provide flexible and continuous power transmission to the wheels while allowing them to move in response to changes in road conditions.

Wheel bearing noise coincides with the rotation of the tires. The sound typically increases with vehicle speed as well. In some instances, the noise may also change when you turn the steering wheel in one direction or the other.

Can your car still run with a faulty bearing? The technical answer might be yes; some wheel bearings might continue to operate normally despite the vehicle being driven with one or more noisy bearings for a very long time. The problem is that since the noise begins gradually and slowly gets worse, you might not even notice the noise if your vehicle is noisy in other ways.

Your alternator helps to power your car's electrical system and charge your battery while you are driving. When your alternator is starting to wear out it will often make a grinding noise. This is because modern alternators have a decoupler pulley system designed to help you save on fuel, but can make a grinding noise when they are not working properly.

There are different kinds of wheel bearings depending on the year model and the design of the vehicle. Older rear wheel drive vehicles had cone type wheel bearings on the front wheels that could be removed, inspected, and packed with grease, and reinstalled with new seals. Some front-wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. In other words, if a vehicle has cone-type bearings that can be removed, inspected, and repacked, it will always be on the NON-driving wheels – the ones that don’t propel the vehicle. Trailer wheels often have bearings of this type.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why your car might be making a grinding noise while driving and explain the steps you should take to fix it. Simply click on each corresponding link to jump ahead:

If your brakes are grinding, it's a sign of a serious issue, usually related to worn brake pads. When brake pads wear down, the metal backing can come into direct contact with the brake rotor, leading to a grinding noise. In such cases, it's essential to address the problem promptly to prevent further damage and ensure your safety on the road. Have your rotors examined for any signs of damage, scoring, or uneven wear. If the rotors are deeply grooved or have other issues, they may need resurfacing or replacement.

If your CV joint completely fails then your vehicle will be stuck in park. If it occurs while you are driving, then it could cause you to lose control of your vehicle. If you think the issue is your CV joint, make sure that you book an appointment with your mechanic as soon as possible.