I just bought a 1998 Honda Civic. I had a mechanic check it out, and he gave it the thumbs up on the initial inspection. He didn’t test drive it (I had a couple days before). I’ve been driving it for two days now, and noticed a high pitched ‘abrading’ noise coming from the front end when I drove at high speeds (60-70 mph). It doesn’t sound like the engine, so I’m wondering if it’s the wheel bearings?
It could very likely be a wheel bearing. Keep in mind that a bad wheel bearing doesn’t always have any looseness or play in it, so putting it on a lift and shaking the wheel won’t cut it.