Is my washer bearing going bad?
A failing washer bearing typically sounds like a low-pitched grinding or jet-engine hum during the spin cycle, and gets progressively worse over weeks. Once bearings fail, the drum wobbles, water can leak, and the repair often costs more than half a replacement machine — at that point, replacement is usually the smarter choice.
How it sounds: healthy washers are quiet during spin. A failing bearing produces a low grinding or loud hum that's loudest during the highest spin speeds. It will get noticeably worse over weeks or months, not all at once.
How it looks: pull the drum forward and back by hand with the washer unplugged. A small amount of play is normal; obvious looseness or wobble when you push on the drum front is a late-stage sign.
How it ends: once the bearing goes, the drum can come loose from the spider (the metal cross behind the drum), water gets into bearings and seals, and you end up with a catastrophic failure that sometimes floods the laundry room.
Economics: bearing replacement on most front-loaders costs $400–600 in parts and labor. A mid-tier replacement washer is $700–1,100. If your machine is more than 7 years old, the math usually favors replacement.
Manufacturer resources
Official support pages for brands commonly referenced in this answer.