when driving above 20mph there is a humming noise, bit like off road tyres on a road.

If I accelerate upto 70mph and then take it out of gear and coast the humming noise changes as the speed drops off and likewise while accelerating the humming noise changes.

I've checked the tyre pressures and the wear on the tyres but they all look fine.

Any Ideas?

Could be a wheel bearing, especially if it changes in pitch with different speeds. Jack it up and rotate the wheels by hand and see if you can hear it. Wiggle them from side to side as well and see if there is any play. Could be a multitude of things really such as a brakes binding but i'd start with the bearings. How old is the car anyway?

Could be a wheel bearing, especially if it changes in pitch with different speeds. Jack it up and rotate the wheels by hand and see if you can hear it. Wiggle them from side to side as well and see if there is any play. Could be a multitude of things really such as a brakes binding but i'd start with the bearings. How old is the car anyway?

The car is an 06 with just over 10,000miles. I use it for work however I have been on a training course so have been using our other car (insurance reasons) and the vrs has been sat for just over 2 weeks, it never made the noise before it was left for 2 weeks.

I've tried wobbling the wheels to see if there is any movement and there wasn't, I will see if I can get some time this weekend to jack up each wheel and spin it and will listen out for the humming, problem is I can't hear it until doing morre than 20mph with windows up or down. It doesn't sound like the brakes are binding, thats more of a metalic sound than this sound.

Wouldn't expect a wheel bearing to go on a car that young. Still worth a look though as you may spot something else.

Its not something daft like a rear window slightly open is it. Particularly problematic on cars with rear window winders. A long shot i know but an easy thing to check.

both rear windows are closed.

If it's been left for a while it may be furry brakes. Do a few sharp stops and see what happens then.

If it's been left for a while it may be furry brakes. Do a few sharp stops and see what happens then.

allready done that, it's still doing it. I've done just over 100miles since it started making the noise.

when driving above 20mph there is a humming noise, bit like off road tyres on a road.

If I accelerate upto 70mph and then take it out of gear and coast the humming noise changes as the speed drops off and likewise while accelerating the humming noise changes.

I've checked the tyre pressures and the wear on the tyres but they all look fine.

Any Ideas?

Well ---- I have this same problem, but its appeared on my 2000 Passat 4Motion at 40MPH upwards. I changed from my A4 alloys back to my Passat Alloys - but same problem. Tonight I've cleaned the front brakes but they looked okay - the discs are ATE Power something - ie eliptical grooves,and like you nothing nasty or loose when the front wheels are spun etc, drive shafts also look okay - I've that a VERY sick feeling in my guts about this, the car has never been hammered and has only done 56,000 miles. Seems odd that you are having this problem at that mileage.

Well ---- I have this same problem, but its appeared on my 2000 Passat 4Motion at 40MPH upwards. I changed from my A4 alloys back to my Passat Alloys - but same problem. Tonight I've cleaned the front brakes but they looked okay - the discs are ATE Power something - ie eliptical grooves,and like you nothing nasty or loose when the front wheels are spun etc, drive shafts also look okay - I've that a VERY sick feeling in my guts about this, the car has never been hammered and has only done 56,000 miles. Seems odd that you are having this problem at that mileage.

I know, the car is still under warranty and hasn't been modified so I'm not overly worried, it would just be nice to get an idea of what it might be before I call Skoda to book it in.

I'd be keen to hear here comes out of this, being an old grumpy person I seem to assume the worst (spoken very quietly - gearbox o/p or front diff****) - and that would very costly on a Passat 4Motion. Taking the best scenaro, I think that it could be wheel bearings - I think that these things tend to get noisy well before they show any "give" and without that side ways free movement you might not get the tell-tale increase in noise when loading one side up in a corner. My noise is totally independant of which gear selected or power on/power off or right turn/left turn or braking/not braking - the noise just peaks just above 40 then again around a few other higher speeds. I am trying to convince myself that it is the RHS wheel bearing as it seems to come from that side and that side "might" be noisier when the wheel is spun when the car is jacked up - but sometimes you only see/hear what you want to !!

Jack the car up and hold the spring while spinning the wheel.

You might be able to feel it through the spring

Quick Update, It's been to the garage and had the OSF wheel bearing replaced. All Fixed.

Thanks for that update - I was going to find your original post and ask "what it was". I'm either playing scared or just waiting until my noise gets loud enough for the garage to definately hear and then they can try to make a good diagnosis on it. If its front wheel bearing on my 2000 MY Passat V6 4X4, at 56K miles I'll just go for changing both sides - you were in a different situation though with that low age/mileage and would always be restricted by the warranty. But its good to hear that it's fixed okay!