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Wheel bearing noise, right?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by CloudJumper, Nov 15, 2024 at 12:40 PM.

  1. CloudJumper

    CloudJumper Junior Member

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    Howdy y'all, I have a 2010 Prius that begins humming at ~30+ mph. It becomes more noticeable when turning gradually to the right. To the best of my knowledge, it is a failing wheel bearing. It sounds like it is coming from the front passenger wheel but I would like a second opinion just to be sure. I tried jacking the car up and rocking the wheel back and forth, both vertically and horizontally and there was no noise or play. This is where I started doubting my self-diagnosis as most my research suggests that some noise and/or play would likely be present if a bearing is failing. I took it to the dealer and they took it for a test drive, said it was the wheel bearing, and quoted me $1660. Sounds like a quick and easy way to get money out of me.

    Are there any other problems a humming (worst at highway speeds) could be indicative of? Are there any other tests I can perform before fishing out money to replace the front wheel bearings (will be done in pairs). Anything else I should look out for?

    2010 Prius, 240K miles.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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  3. CloudJumper

    CloudJumper Junior Member

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    Are you suggesting it's the CV Joint? There is no clicking sound at all, only a constant hum that gets louder and slightly higher pitched at higher speeds. This would suggest the wheel bearing is at fault, however, this article states that wheel bearing noises are more noticeable at lower speeds. No noticeable vibrations can be felt inside the cabin at any speeds, aside from what's typical from the engine running and road conditions. Thank you for including the link to that article.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no, just a possibility. that's why i posted the link
     
  5. CloudJumper

    CloudJumper Junior Member

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    Gotcha, sounds unlikely based on sound description, but not impossible so I will continue to look into this. Thank you so much!