Please post here if you have or had the wheel noise

Ok guys I'm trying to put together a list of all the people who've had the wheel squeak issue in hopes it will help solve the problem. My research on the topic leads me to believe that many have been affected by the issue. I feel that it is an important safety concern.

Please post legacy year and model, wheel affected, if the issue has been addressed by the dealer, what the dealer repaired, the mileage when it was fixed or occurred, and how many times the car has been "fixed." I'll start first.

2006 LGT

front left wheel

diagnosed and repaired by dealer

wheel bearing

12,500 miles

After approximately 200 miles the sound returned and the dealer has been notified. Car will go to dealer on 11-12-07 for diagnosis.

My hope for this list is to help find the cause and a solution to this issue. Please do not bash SOA in this post, I'd like to work with them to find a solution. My dealer has already notified the regional arm. Hopefully, on the second replacement I can go higher. Thanks for all that help, lets make this as professional as possible! Would it be possible to get this stickied?

2006 LGT

front left wheel

I really noticed the noise in the spring when the windows were down, maybe at 8,000 miles..

#1 diagnosed by dealer (will add date) - complaint not duplicated
#2 diagnosed by dealer (will add date) - lubed caliper hardware
#3 diagnosed by dealer (will add date) - "normal rust build-up.." problem persisted, of course, the service record did not accurately reflect my complaint

I have inspected the front left wheel bearing for axial play per the service guide and there was negligible play. I will continue to register a complaint at every scheduled service.

2006 LGT (I'll eventually post the build date)

Front Left Wheel (driver's side front)

Wheel bearing replaced at 9300 miles after a number of complaints. They finally noticed out-of-spec play in the bearing and just replaced the part, hoping the noise would be gone afterwards. The dealer technicians did acknowledge the noise symptom and still do.

The noise returned less than 1000 miles later and I complained to the dealer again. They kept my car for 3 business days and a weekend and were unable to determine the cause this time, so they told me. They politely asked me to return the car when it got worse.

They machined the parking brake shoes, thinking the noise was from the rear end. This has done nothing and I'm positive the noise is from the front.

The master tech. I've been dealing with seems pretty sure it's the same front left wheel area as before but he was not authorized to do anything. He even told me that there were 3 other LGTs that came in after me with the same symptom. The 2008 LGT loaner they gave me exhibited the symptom as well and I reported such to the dealer service department.

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I've also had brake problems. All 4 rotors were replaced at around 9400-9500 miles on the odometer. At 10,500 I returned the car to the dealer because the new rotors with the original pads are now squeaking. They didn't take care of that and I'm not sure if the brakes have anything to do with the supposed wheel bearing symptom. I figure it's important to mention the concurrence anyway.

Whatever the problem is, I'm concerned it's a bad hub seal. They can swap bearings over and over again and if the seal is bad, it won't matter. I hope we can get Subaru to take care of this, as it seems to be an increasingly more common issue.

2007 LGT Spec.B

Front Left (i think)

Did not notice until 14,700 miles (this evening). Will notify dealer tomorrow.

So much for pinks/swifts in the near future.

^ You don't need Pinks, etc. At the very least, I would suggest leaving your set up OEM until 60k.

Did a little spirited this and that tonight. This car never fails to impress. Great on the freeway, poised and eager on the ramps and cat-like through a few twisters.

Back OT, I noticed a little high pitch squealing a few weeks ago front the left front while backing out of the garage. Sounded like maybe a dragging pad on a cold rotor but "Subaru Bearings" did pop into my head.

^ I don't recommend making uneducated suggestions.

This thread is about wheel bearings anyway.

Originally Posted by dr_sharp

^ I don't recommend making uneducated suggestions.

Neither do I but thanks, anyway, for yours.

This thread is about wheel bearings anyway.

Subaru does have a bit of a rep for wheel bearings as I noted.

It would be interesting to know if any of the bearing afflicted have exceeded what could be called "normal" useage. Just for the record, I consider winter runs to the donut shop, etc., normal.

Originally Posted by Vimy101

It would be interesting to know if any of the bearing afflicted have exceeded what could be called "normal" useage. Just for the record, I consider winter runs to the donut shop, etc., normal.

For the record, my car is 100% stock, including rims and tires.

I put 8500 miles on it in a year. It now has 10,800 miles on the odometer.

I hardly drive it. It's my daily driver and I live 2 miles from work.

This car has been babied far better than "normal usage".

As I stated in my previous post, the 2008 loaner I used exhibited the same squealing noise from the same wheel area. It had 1400 miles on the odometer and was, of course, completely stock.

^ For the record, your useage pattern would be considered "extreme" as per the user manual (short trips are considered extreme use). Should your bearing fail because of that? I'd hope not.

Vimy, I know you mean well, but you are stuffing this thread full of uneducated conjectures that are misleading. Please stop. There is nothing extreme about driving my car to class in traffic, nor Jon taking his to work. Start and stop driving is considered heavier use but it completely in the realm of what this car was designed to operate in. No car, period, should go through bearings like these cars have at these reported mileages. Please use your logic, do you honestly think its ok to change wheel bearings at 12k, what about 1k? I haven't even done any spirited driving because I'm afraid that something will come apart on me. This is NOT the tread to make blind assumptions in, if you want to do that please go to the other thread. I'm trying to be as nice as possible about this, but I am at rope's end with this car and may need to take legal action in the future. I hope you understand why your previous posts were not appropriate.

2005 Legacy GT MT ...

I had my right front wheel bearing go bad at probably around 60k miles. I noticed a noise when going around corners. It made more noise going on direction than the other, it was a "grinding" type of sound. The bearing was shot, once they took it out you could turn it in your hand and it would make the grinding noise.

Originally Posted by Vimy101

^ For the record, your useage pattern would be considered "extreme" as per the user manual (short trips are considered extreme use). Should your bearing fail because of that? I'd hope not.

That maintenance schedule has a lot more to do with oil/lubricant change frequency, not the failure of a sealed bearing.

Let's stick to the topic at hand and keep things as factual as possible in this thread.

Originally Posted by bgLGT

Vimy, I know you mean well, but you are stuffing this thread full of uneducated conjectures that are misleading. Please stop. There is nothing extreme about driving my car to class in traffic, nor Jon taking his to work. Start and stop driving is considered heavier use but it completely in the realm of what this car was designed to operate in. No car, period, should go through bearings like these cars have at these reported mileages. Please use your logic, do you honestly think its ok to change wheel bearings at 12k, what about 1k? I haven't even done any spirited driving because I'm afraid that something will come apart on me. This is NOT the tread to make blind assumptions in, if you want to do that please go to the other thread. I'm trying to be as nice as possible about this, but I am at rope's end with this car and may need to take legal action in the future. I hope you understand why your previous posts were not appropriate.

Read your manual. Short trip useage is considered severe duty not just on the motor but on many of your car's operating systems. Should your bearing give out under such conditions? I would hope not if the bearing has been properly engineered (and in Subaru's case it may not be). You should educate yourself on what OEM described "severe duty" encompasses. By your own description of your driving habits, you fall under the definition of severe duty operating cycles. Just be aware of it.

"Blind assumptions"?

2007 Legacy GT MT

Left Front Bearing

8/07 - 11,700 miles (although I noticed it before then for about 1k miles)

verified and repaired by dealership

500 miles later, I start hearing same one start up, although, I haven't heard it lately.

No grinding, just high pitch squeal when on or off brakes. Brake pad mount ears are lubricated, and while I have aftermarket pads installed, the sound is independent of any useage of brakes.