I've read through some other posts, but I can't find my issue in there.

I have an awesome 2006 HHR; no longer under warranty. About 104,000 miles.

Two days ago after being on the highway I noticed my car making a noise. It sounds like its coming from the front passenger tire area. It's not a grinding or whirling noise.... maybe a rubbing noise. The noise is noticeable at about 30 mph and gets faster when I drive faster. Very loud at highway speeds. It's a constant noise.

I checked my tire for bad wear, the tire is in good shape.

I didn't see anything in the wheel area - like foreign object.

A year or so ago, I had the wheel bearing replaced on the drivers side, but that was a different noise than what I'm experiencing now.

Brakes were done earlier this year (they told me to replace the shocks/struts in the next year). A few months ago I got the maintenance tune-up, as I exceeded 100,000 miles, and they replaced the serpentine belt.

The noise stays when I turn left or right. The noise does not seem to impact the driving.

This morning on the way into work, I thought I felt some odd vibrations under the gas petal.


Any ideas? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks much!
Sandie

 

Kinda hard to guess on this one. Seems like you've had a few of the known problem parts replaced already.
Since you've looked around the front tires and wheelwells, maybe you should look elsewhere. Maybe a little further back. Could be a foreign object stuck somewhere and dragging? Maybe a small tree branch? Just guessing here, but couldn't hurt to look.
My other guess is a failing wheel bearing. I know you said you replaced one, but the other could be going. Or the one replaced could be failing again.

 

I have heard about 10 different descriptions of the sound a bad bearing makes, and this is one of them. Also, known to make this sort of noise is worn out brakes (it does not make any difference how long ago they were done).

Jack the suspect corner up and push/pull top and bottom of the tire (being careful of fingers on the bottom, or be safe use jack stands). If you can sense any movement other than the rubber, you got bad bearing.