It could be a wheel bearing.

The picture on this page shows a photo of part of a wheel bearing hub assembly.  The bolts are where the wheel/tire is bolted on, and the light brown items on the hub and lying flat on the white surface are the wheel bearings.

What’s the problem?
The wheel bearings should be silver and greasy!

These wheel bearings got hot and dried up when the seal keeping the grease in place failed.  This allowed water to penetrate and ruin the bearing.

If you hear an odd noise coming from your car, have it checked out. Don’t wait until it gets this bad.  A problem like this one can severely affect the handling of both your vehicle and the brakes.

• Not sure if the noise you’re hearing is a humming or a buzzing sound? 
• Not sure exactly when you’re hearing it?

Download our diagnostic form if you are experiencing noise, vibration, or harshness. Bring it in when you have your car serviced.  It can help you to identify what the problem is and can serve as a trigger to pay attention to what the conditions are when the problem is occurring.