2021 with bad wheel bearings

I put 58,000 on my truck already and I am super diligent on keeping up with service.

In mid December I started to hear a slight moan at high way speed. It got worse and worse so I took it into the dealer after balancing a rotating tires, checking alignment etc.

I come to find my wheel bearings are bad ON BOTH sides of my rear axle. The dealer wanted $2600 to repair. I chuckled and said it is a power train issue.

Initially they disagreed. I brought out page 16 from my warranty manual and it generically says bearings are covered on the transaxle. The dealer called Toyota and after an hour, the dealer came out and said it was covered. (Phew!)

but I am thinking this a future recall issue. I am way above average on miles (35,000 a year). It’s weird both sides are equally bad and appear to have worn out equally at the same time. My 2016 4Runner has 160,000 miles and the bearings have never gone out. I would not pay the dealer $2600 when the bearings are $325 a piece with maybe 2-3 hours labor. My local mechanic could probably do it under $1000. But it’s under warranty so it’s up to Toyota.

anyone experienced this issue yet?

 

The fact you had to fight with them on that is super annoying. You shouldn’t have to prove the warranty applies yourself, they are the professionals. Kind a scary they failed so early.

 

Thanks for the info. Did you find any other complaints in your search?

 

Yes, disappointing that they failed so early. My 2016 Warranty book cites the bearings under the rear axle. Clearly they are covered. Must be defective bearings. I heard a slight whine in my rear axle at highway speeds around 30,000 miles. I changed the gear oil using Mobil 1 75-90 Synthetic in the rear axle and the noise went away and stayed away. How would you determine it’s a bearing problem vs another problem? I guess if you can feel some friction when you roll the rear wheel (truck on a rack) you could assume it’s the bearing. Of course that would be an unloaded position. Did they share how they knew it was the bearings?

 

Do you off-road?

 

Do you have aftermarket wheels and tires?

 

No off-roaring. Lots of highway travel. Not a lot of stop and go. Really keep up on maintenance. My tires are the original, there is no cupping and 50% of the tread is left! Probably change them to change them in another month.

Both driver and passenger side rears are equally bad and broken at the same time. I am pointing my attention to the axle itself. The bearing from the drive shaft is good, no play. No idea on the differential, but the physical observation was fine.
It was weird to have to step up to the dealer and say it was under warranty and then wanted to challenge the wording on the warranty they gave me with the truck which on the rear trans axle just says bearings are covered. On the front it spells it out.

I have had cars and trucks with a bearing go out but usually it’s one or the passenger side (Dakota I once had).

having it be the rear axle makes me think something else is going on. I have found nothing online regarding this issue.

 

No, stock wheels and height.

 

No…. I have put it into 4 wheel drive maybe 5 times. Once at the dump, a couple times in the snow.

 

Bad luck then. Many here are around or over 300K miles with original bearings.

 

I have found nothing on this issue. What was weird when they just said initially it wasn’t covered, I started to go tense and point out the manual loudly. That’s when they decided to re-check the manual with Toyota. Their manual at the shop they claim doesn’t include wheel bearings. $2600 was A LOT!

 

I'd be curious if new bearings really get rid of the noise, but good thing it is covered.

 

I drove a 1992 4x2 into the ground with 225,000 miles and all I ever had was a couple brake jobs and a new clutch.

my 2016 4Runner has only had the shocks but it does eat tires. I am lucky to get 35,000 out of regularly rotated tires on that. Need a brake job on the rear on that but that thing is a tank with 160,000 miles

 

I had 3 wheels hubs/bearings replaced all under 40k miles covered by warranty with subaru. 1st one was a hassle, the next 2 I was like. Hi I'm back where's my loaner. So many things were replaced under warranty I would say that crosstrek cost Subaru 10k in warrantied repairs.

 

I’m wondering IF the noise remains after replacing the bearings. Let us know. That’s why I was asking HOW they can know it’s the bearings unless they were already replaced and the noise went away? Perhaps that’s the case? If not, replace the gear oil in rear axle and see if it helps. Cheap option if that’s the problem.

 

Having both bad (especially at that mileage) would be a huge coincidence. My guess is one is bad and the dealer wanted to do both. I’d suggest if this happens again, out of warranty obviously, buy a press and the axle bearing puller for Toyotas and get out your tools to do it yourself for $500 or less.

 

I just had both of mine replaced as well as they were also “humming” at certain speeds. 2016 Off Road with 110,000 miles. No mods or off-roading. They were both bad, could hear them grind slightly if you lift the wheel off the ground and give it a spin. $1,200 dollars later at a local shop and all is quiet again.

 

Wow! That settles it. If you can feel them grind with wheel off ground, no question. I had 1 rear wheel bearing like that on rear of Honda Accord, but it is front wheel drive. And it was 175,000 miles. To have both bad at same time sounds like a bad batch of bearings.

 

I think the sticking point here is if I drive off tomorrow and the sound is still there, its a transaxle issue. And that's why I posted this in case this comes up a year from now on this forum because someone catches up to me on miles and has the same issue

 

Yeah, I will know five minutes from the dealership if the issue is still there...