Car sounds like a plane when going over 40 MPH and has started smelling like something is burning after I drive it

MATHEWAL

MEMBER
2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU
80,000 MILES

My car has been making a noise that is similar to a plane for over one month now. Also, it has started to smell as if something is burning when I get out of my car after driving it. Earlier during the fall, we replaced the front left headlight and took the entire front part off of the car. But, we put it back on and it has been fine. We thought maybe the noise is coming from the front of the car, maybe a bolt fell out or something? And the smell started about a week ago. For the smell, I took it to Wal Mart to have them check my tires to see if they were flat, and they told me that it was fine and that it was my brakes. But, I just replaced my brakes not even six months ago and we checked them and they seemed fine.

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

More than likely, they did not check the tire wear pattern when they checked for them being flat. Unfortunately, I have found they are not the most thorough when checking vehicles. If they did not drive the vehicle then I suspect this is a tire issue.

If the noise gets louder the faster, you go then tires need to be the first thing we start with.

Here are a couple of guides that will help with this:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-car-tires-work

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/whirring-sound

It could also be a bearing issue but that is more like a grinding noise so let's use the chart below which will help with figuring this out as well.

Please let me know what you find. Thanks

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