When a pinion bearing goes out, it can cause a variety of issues for the vehicle. The most common symptom is an unpleasant noise coming from the rear axle or differential area when accelerating or decelerating. This noise may be heard in either forward or reverse and will often grow louder as speed increases. Additionally, if the bearing has completely seized up, it may also result in a vibration that can be felt through the floorboard of your car. In some cases, you may even experience difficulty shifting gears due to excessive resistance caused by worn bearings on shafts within the transmission system.
It's important to get any suspected pinion bearing issue looked at right away because failure to do so could lead to further damage down the road including complete destruction of your axle assembly components which would require costly repairs. It’s best practice to have all your mechanical components checked regularly and replaced as needed with high quality parts that are designed for long-term performance and reliability.