How could a wheel bearing fail after less than 36000 miles? The closet Ford dealership to me was over 40 miles away and didn't offer any loaner cars or transportation. So I ended up having a local mechanic replace the wheel bearing at a cost of around $301. I bought the van brand new (only 13 miles on it). It has never been through deep standing water or flooding. Either the bearing was defective, installed improperly or not lubricated properly at the factory.