I have a 2002 Chevy Imala. About a year ago, I noticed a loud roaring sound coming from the front of the car. I thought it was the engine. I took it to a mechanic, and found that it was the hub bearing. It cost me $350 to get it fixed. Keep in mind the part was only $80. Now, I hear the same exact noise again today 12/4/2008. I already know what it is of course!!!! When I am driving down the road and go around a curve, the whole car shakes and rattles and sounds like the tire is going to fall off. I am really concerned about this, considering I have children. I cannot afford to get this fixed right now. This is second time it has happened. Not sure if it is the same side or not, but sounds like there should be some sort of recall on this, since it could cause an accident. Especially if the bearing fall off.

About a year ago I started to notice a light roaring noise inside my 2002 Chevy Impala. At first I thought it had something to do with the brakes or a tire. I would hear it at about 35 mph and up. I could tell it had something to do with the rotation of the tire. Anyhow, there was no vibration in the steering and the car continued to drive exceptionally well. No lights ever came on and I'm the type that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". After about 6 months though, the noise got louder and became very annoying. I went to get the brakes replaced because I thought they'd be able to check my wheel bearings. However, they were of no help ... except to charge me $500 for some brake work. A couple more months went by and I decided to replace all four tires. That didn't help either. After troubleshooting the noise on the internet, lol, I decided I would invest in a front wheel hub assembly (which contains the wheel bearings, I think). The part cost about $139. I did the labor myself after more net surfing. It involved taking the tire off, then the caliper, pads, rotor, a huge nut in the center, and finally the hub. In order to fix, you'll need to know if your car has ABS or not. ABS hubs have a wire, NON ABS hubs do not. Instead they have an inner mechanism that's supposed to help prevent lock ups. Me being a girl and not having any guidance other than my computer, I spent 3 hours removing the hub and only 30 minutes replacing it and putting everything back together. The hardest part was breaking the lugs and bolts loose b/c of corrosion. It was a simple fix and well worth the money. She drives good as new ... no roaring, no vibration, and no pulling. I'd like to note my car, a 2002 Chevy Impala - 3.4L, did not have ABS. I'm very happy with my work and extremely happy with my car.