Wheel Hub Assembly Replacement Cost: Parts, Labor, and When to Do Both Sides

The Short Answer

Wheel hub assembly replacement costs $400–$900 per side at a shop, or an average of $512–$652 all-in according to RepairPal's current data — and replacing both sides at once is usually the smarter financial move on any vehicle past 100,000 miles.

That's the full picture at a glance. The rest of this article explains what drives those numbers, how to avoid overpaying, and exactly when buying a set of two makes sense. ---

What Is a Wheel Hub Assembly, and Why Does It Fail? A wheel hub assembly combines the hub, the wheel bearing, and often the ABS sensor into a single bolt-on unit. Most modern vehicles use this design instead of separate, press-in bearings — which is genuinely better for reliability, but it does mean you're replacing the whole unit when the bearing wears out. Bearings wear because they're doing hard work: carrying the vehicle's weight, managing braking loads, and spinning millions of revolutions over the life of the car. Contamination from water or road grit accelerates wear. So does hard cornering, pothole impacts, and — frankly — just time. Most hubs have a realistic service life somewhere between 85,000 and 150,000 miles, though this varies a lot by vehicle and driving conditions. The classic symptom is a grinding or humming noise that changes pitch with vehicle speed, sometimes shifting when you steer left or right. That noise is your warning window. Let it go long enough and you risk ABS sensor failure, steering wander, and in extreme cases, a complete hub failure. ---

Breaking Down the Cost: Parts vs. Labor

Parts Cost by Vehicle Class

Vehicle class is the single biggest variable in parts pricing. Here's what you're typically looking at:

• Compact sedans (think Civic, Corolla, Jetta): $80–$150 per hub assembly
• Crossovers and SUVs (CR-V, RAV4, Equinox): $120–$250 per hub
• Trucks and performance vehicles (F-150, Tacoma, WRX): $250–$350 or more

Vehicles with an integrated ABS sensor sit toward the top of each range — the electronics are part of the unit, so you're paying for them. That's not a bad thing; it means you get a new, calibrated sensor with every hub replacement, and there's no risk of damaging the old one during removal. ### Labor: Where the Real Cost Variation Happens

Labor is $169–$247 on average, per RepairPal. That's for an independent shop. At a dealership, add $40–$100 per labor hour to those numbers — a meaningful difference on a job that typically takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours. My honest opinion: for a job like this, an independent shop that specializes in suspension work is nearly always the right call. The parts are identical to what a dealer would use, and you'll often save $100–$250 on labor alone. A few factors push labor time higher:

• Front vs. rear: Front hubs on many vehicles require steering knuckle removal, adding time. - Rust and corrosion: A hub that's been on for 120,000 miles in a northern climate can be genuinely difficult to extract. This is where shop estimates can creep up. - Four-wheel drive or AWD: Additional drivetrain components may need to come apart first. ---

When to Replace Both Sides at Once

This is the question most people don't ask until they're back in the shop six months later. If your vehicle has more than 100,000 miles on it and one hub has failed, the other side has been under the same load and environmental conditions for the same amount of time. It's not guaranteed to fail immediately — but statistically, it's living on borrowed time. The math is straightforward. If labor for one side runs $200, and labor for the other side runs $200 when it fails on its own later, you've paid $400 in labor over two separate visits. Do both sides in the same appointment and you typically pay closer to $300–$350 combined, because the mechanic is already under the car with the right tools set up. Buying a set of two hub assemblies also tends to be more economical than two individual units, and it ensures both sides are matched — same brand, same spec, same ABS calibration. That consistency matters for how the vehicle handles and how the stability control system reads wheel speed. ### The ABS Sensor Factor

Many drivers don't realize this until it's too late: disturbing the ABS sensor during hub removal can trigger a dashboard warning light even after the new hub is installed. This is especially true if the connector is corroded or damaged. A hub assembly that includes an integrated ABS sensor eliminates most of that risk, because you're installing a fresh, pre-assembled unit. If you're shopping parts, confirm whether your vehicle's hub includes the sensor — and if it does, make sure the replacement does too. ---

Which Brands Should You Consider? Two names consistently appear at the top of the quality conversation for hub assemblies: **MOOG** and **Timken**. **MOOG** has long been a go-to brand for steering and suspension components. It's part of Federal-Mogul, a division of Tenneco, with deep roots in OE-level fitment across a huge range of vehicles. Their hub assemblies are available as paired sets for front and rear positions on a wide variety of makes and models. **Timken** is a bearing specialist — that's genuinely its core business, not just a product line. The company's bearing portfolio spans the Timken, GGB, and Fafnir brands, and their wheel hub assemblies carry that engineering focus into the automotive aftermarket. If bearing quality is your primary concern, Timken is worth serious consideration. **Dorman** rounds out the practical options, particularly for vehicles where MOOG or Timken coverage is limited. Dorman tends to offer strong coverage on harder-to-find applications. All three brands offer paired sets — front or rear, left and right — which is the buying format that makes the most sense when you're doing both sides in one job. ---

DIY vs. Shop: Should You Do It Yourself? Replacing a hub assembly is a legitimate DIY job for a mechanically confident person. You'll need:

• A floor jack and jack stands rated for your vehicle
• A torque wrench (hub bolts have specific torque specs — don't skip this)
• A breaker bar for the axle nut, which is typically torqued very high
• A hub puller or hydraulic press for stubborn applications
• Basic hand tools and penetrating oil for corroded fasteners

The savings are real — you're essentially banking the full labor cost. But the risks are also real. Incorrect torque on the axle nut or hub bolts can cause the hub to work loose. A damaged ABS connector can leave you with a fault code. And if the knuckle or rotor is damaged during removal, you're looking at additional unplanned costs. If you're comfortable with brake work and have done suspension components before, this is a reasonable next step. If this would be your first time under the car, have a shop do it. ---

Quick Cost Checklist Before You Call a Shop

• [ ] Confirm whether your hub assembly includes an integrated ABS sensor
• [ ] Note your vehicle's drivetrain (FWD, RWD, AWD/4WD affects labor time)
• [ ] Check mileage — over 100K? Price out both sides together
• [ ] Get at least two quotes; dealership vs. independent can differ by $100–$250
• [ ] Ask whether the shop includes a torque-to-spec confirmation on the axle nut