2013 Base Automatic - Belt Like Noise Tech Can't Reproduce
 

2013 Honda Fit Base- Automatic Transmission - 32K+ Miles - Purchased 7/2013- Moderate to severe driving conditions due to commute.

About 2 weeks ago I noticed a high pitch sound coming from what seems like my front end. Here's a broken down description:

• If you didn't know you were listening for it or knew what it sounded like, you could almost mistake it for crickets.
• The sound is very similar to a belt sound. It's a quiet sound though, and I only notice it when the windows are down, all accessories are off, the engine is above idle, and I'm going slow enough the wind sound doesn't overpower it.
• It only occurs while moving and it's frequency seems to be tied directly to how fast I am going.
• It does not occur while parked and revving the engine or I'm stopped and idling, only while moving.
• It's really only heard while coasting like I mentioned above and there's something for the sound to reflect off of, so it can be difficult to reproduce if conditions aren't right.
• Cannot tell whether it occurs all the time or if it takes time to warm up and then occurs.

Dropped it off this morning at the dealer (still under warranty) and they can't reproduce and I'm not free right now to go there to drive it to get it to reproduce. My fiancee who has been in my car has heard it with me.

My initial searching and observations lead me to believe it's either a ball joint issue or a transmission/drive-train issue, as it is tied to my vehicle speed and not my engine RPM's. It seems to be coming only from the drivers side as well.

Maintenance is up to date, new front brakes were put on less than 5K miles ago and the rotors were surfaced when that occurred. Tires have about 12K miles on them and they're rotated whenever I get an oil change. Alignment occurred when brakes were replaced.

It's currently at the Honda dealership, as it is still under warranty.

So a few questions:

1. What could this be? Is my guess of ball joint/drive-train likely?
2. What do I do if they can't reproduce it? I'm seriously worried about driving it long distances/highway speeds if there's an issue with a joint or transmission.
3. Any recommendations on how to pursue this if they end up telling me there's no issue. I'm 100% sure there is a noise.

Thanks for the help and if more info is needed, I'll be happy to provide.

Failing wheel bearing perhaps? You might want to jack up each wheel and listen as you spin it by hand.