Q: Rear of car makes whining noise.

Howling, whining or whirring noises coming from the rear-end of the vehicle may indicate the need to have the rear differential inspected. Howling under acceleration at various speeds may indicate that the gears are worn out or are out of alignment or depth with each other. If rear differential noise occurs while accelerating the car only at a certain speed, it is likely because the gears have become worn due to overloading and lubrication failure. Rumbling and whirring noises at speeds over 20 mph may be a result of worn carrier bearings.

Generally, worn out pinion bearings can create whirring noises at various speeds during deceleration and/or acceleration. If the pinion bearings are the problem, they create more of a whirring noise than a rumble because it turns several times faster than the carrier assembly. Regular clunking every few feet can also be an indicator of a broken pinion gear and/or chipped and damaged ring gear. If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, I would suggest having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to inspect your vehicle’s condition.