The car started making an intermittent metalic rubbing noise. It seemed unrelated to braking, accelerating, and turning. It only could be heard with the passenger window down. Then 2 weeks later a thumping noise started from the front end that could also be felt in the steering wheel. Sounded like a tennis shoe in a clothes dryer, but not as loud. Took it to Wilson Ford and they diagnosed it as a bad bearing. I remarked that I have never heard a bad bearing make that kind of noise and didn't see how it was possible? The service writer put the mechanic on the phone and he said that the axle nut had backed out and that contributed to the odd noise, and was the caused of the metalic rubbing noise which he said was the brake rotor sometimes touching the caliper. He tightened the axle nut and ordered the bearing. Since it was going to take 2 days to get the part, I picked up the car and drove it home, and both noises were completly gone. But to be on the safe side I let them replace the bearing (which they did under warrenty) when it came in. I believe the axle nut backing out was the entire problem and is what damaged the bearing if it was actually damaged.