What's that groaning sound?

art1966
Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:09:28 +0000
Maintenance/Repairs

2004 Camry 4-cyl, 170K miles.

Sometimes when the wheels first start rolling, there is a groaning sound – not a squeal; it’s at a few hundred Hertz. I’m pretty sure it’s coming from the front of the car, and I can usually feel the vibration in the accelerator pedal.

The sound dies out after a few seconds, but sometime reoccurs during the first few hundred feet of driving (low speed). I have not been able to apply brakes fast enough to see if that stops the groaning.

This symptom has lasted for a few months. We don’t drive much, so I have not been able to detect a clear pattern. It’s most consistent on the first trip of the day, but sometimes occurs on later trips. A few times the groaning has occurred while cornering (low speed), and MAYBE it’s more consistent (again, only at start-up) during wet weather.

The car was in the shop for maintenance about a month ago, but the Trusted Independent Mechanic did not hear any sound. (A corollary of Murphy’s Law.)

Inter-web searching suggests brake (pads not retracting?? warped rotor??) or wheel bearing. I figured I can get more reliable advice here, even if only to confirm.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

6 posts - 4 participants