I have an 05 Civic, bought new, that has a problem with front wheel bearings. At less than 30,000 miles it started a hum, sounded kind of like a low tire. I was 600+ miles from home. By the time I got home it was over 30K, out of warranty. I've heard it's hard to get Honda to fix anything on their dime so I didn't try. The fix i finally found was to change the left front bearing. The guy that pressed it out said the bearing looked good but the noise was gone when I put it back together. Defective bearing I figured. Less than 5,000 more miles and the same thing right bearing this time. I'm thinking bad batch of bearings.

Now with 58,000 on the clock I have the noise again. I think it's the left again. The noise changes with speed, the loudest at 50-55 mph. It doesn't matter turn, straight, brake or accelerate. The original tires are on the front so I don't think it's an alignment problem and it's not driven hard or abused. It takes over 1000 miles before the noise gets bad enough that I know which side to work on. The hum is noticeable, not my imagination.

I ran it by the head mechanic at the Honda dealer. He asked if I used Honda replacement bearings (I didn't, I used Timkens). He suggested that I replace both steering knuckles and bearings. I said I thought the axles would be more likely since they move. He agreed but said they cost more so try the knuckle first. I'd be more inclined to replace the bearing and sell the car than to try easter egging it.

I haven't found anything online about 05s having a front wheel bearing problem, only 06 and later. Most of the people I talk to draw a blank when I remind them that the tires are the originals, should wear out long before 3 bearings. Has anybody seen this before?

Thanks in advance

 

Is everyone as perplexed as I am on this one? Or, do you feel I'm cheating the dealer or at least some professional mechanic out of his due? I have found the big 4 enemies of bearings are; lack of lube, water, dirt and impacts (potholes). I don't think any of those apply to my case. The cases I've seen where the knuckle is at fault, it's because it wears on the seal or it's not holding the bearing firmly, also not my case. Any ideas out there? Do I need to replace bearings until I luck into 2 good ones?

 

Buy both OEM bearings. Check at the Majestic Honda site. To save money, remove both knuckles yourself and pay a reputable shop to press out the old bearings and press in the new bearings. Reinstall the knuckles and go from there. You might consider also replacing the struts or at least the shock absorbers.