# 2003 subaru legacy front driver side squeak

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** outback, subaru\
**Created:** [April 10, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936 "2009-04-10T01:57:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![shellywoman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shellywoman/32/5865_2.png) [@shellywoman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shellywoman)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936/1 "2009-04-10T01:57:30Z")

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I am having the same problem these folks explain below. Could you help us? I thought maybe a wheel bearing - don’t know. The sound is high pitch squeak - no scratch - no grind. As stated below it does not occur all the time but it now occurring more frequently. It is triggered by uphill driving. I would like to have some idea of the possible issues before forking over the cash. The car has 89,000 miles and I take great care of her. Front and rear breaks have been replaced.  
  
  
  
  
  
 Periodic Noise  
  
  
  
 Wife’s car (1999 Subaru Legacy Outback with \>140K miles) makes intermittent noise coming from the left front area. It seems to be a function related to a position / speed of the wheel. It makes a noise which varies from a rubbing low-frequency to a squeaking and high -pitch. We’ve brought it in to the dealer 3 times without resolution. When the car was in a noise mood, we brought it in to have the dealer tech listen to it and verify that we’re not crazy. I thought that it might be a stuck brake caliper, wheel bearing or speedometer cable. But nothing has been confirmed as yet. Besides turning up the radio to full volume - what do you recommend?

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**Author:** ![topdeadcenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@topdeadcenter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/topdeadcenter)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936/2 "2009-04-10T02:36:10Z")

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pry the backing plate away from the rotor!

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**Author:** ![shellywoman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shellywoman/32/5865_2.png) [@shellywoman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shellywoman)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936/3 "2009-04-10T02:37:59Z")

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I am not a mechanic myself. Is this something I could do or is this a shop project?

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**Author:** ![topdeadcenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@topdeadcenter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/topdeadcenter)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936/4 "2009-04-10T02:49:17Z")

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take it to a a shop, have them look at the brakes… if the brakes are good and there is no hardware rubbing the rotor it could be the backing plate- happens all the time especially if you just had brakes done.

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**Author:** ![shellywoman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shellywoman/32/5865_2.png) [@shellywoman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shellywoman)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-subaru-legacy-front-driver-side-squeak/28936/5 "2009-04-10T02:50:51Z")

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thanks so very much.