What does a bad wheel bearing sound like?

A bad wheel bearing noise can be squeaks and squeals, moans or grinding noises. Faulty wheel bearings are noticed through noise 51 percent of the time, through a brake job 24 percent and during an alignment job 19 percent of the time, states by Moore Auto Service.

Bad wheel bearings can cause a loss of steering control and can cause the separation of a wheel from the vehicle. A common test to check the wheel bearings' condition is to drive the car and turn the steering wheel all the way to the left and right. If a noise can be heard while turning the wheel to the left, that sometimes means the right bearing is faulty. The opposite is true when the steering wheel is turned to the right.