Q: Car noise, dashboard warnings on

asked by on August 18, 2016

When I purchased this pre-owned car, it was making some noise, which was nothing to worry about according to the dealer. After that, I took it to the dealership and they had the back springs replaced. As the noise was still noticeable, I bought new tires and replaced the old ones.It seems that the wheels are not aligned properly. The other day, the dashboard started showing the TRAC, VSC and brake light on along with the tire pressure monitor system warning. I went to the dealership several times after that. The front brakes went bad so they replaced them. The tire pressure warning was off for a while but it came back on. The noise was also still very loud and I can hear it while driving at lower speeds from starting up to 35 mph. At speeds higher than this, the noise disappears. The following time at the dealership I was told the rims might be bent. What should I do? I like the car very much but the mechanics aren't helping to solve the problem.

One guess is that the problem could be a faulty wheel bearing(s). Bad wheel bearings often result in a rotational growling noise. The wheel bearing is integral to the hub assembly on your vehicle, which also houses the reluctor ring for the wheel speed sensor. Problems with the speed sensor may have triggered your TRAC and VSC lights. The only way to determine the cause of your problem is to have the noise and warning lights inspected firsthand by a professional. I suggest the team at YourMechanic, since we make house calls.

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