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The short version
- The first generation CX-9 wheel bearing, 2007 to 2015, has one of the worst reputations here.
- The front is a press-in ball bearing, 510063, shared by both drivetrains.
- The rear is a bolt on hub split by drivetrain: 512452 front wheel drive, 512449 all wheel drive.
- A 2016 or newer CX-9 is barely documented, and the front is not documented at all.
Ask CX-9 owners about bearings and nobody shrugs. Owners of the 2007 to 2015 truck report a count, not a single failure.
Fronts reported gone by 58,000 kilometers, then again at 67,000. Rears reported around 110,000. This vehicle eats them.
Three rows of seats and a heavy unibody sit on a platform not sized for that weight. The combination shows up in the part numbers as much as in the complaints.
Why this vehicle is famous for it
Owner forums carry people on their third or fourth CX-9 wheel bearing, sometimes the same corner twice.
A heavy three row body rides on a car platform, and that loads the bearings hard. The seals on early vehicles let water past too.
The first generation ran 2007 to 2015. The related Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX use the same front bearing. A dealer will sometimes mutter that the part started life as a Ford design.
None of that shows up on a window sticker, only at the parts counter over time.
A loaded third row and a full cargo area push real weight past the door sticker number. That extra mass is a large part of why the seals fail early on this particular body.
The front needs a press, the rear does not
The front CX-9 wheel bearing presses into the knuckle. The knuckle usually comes off and visits a shop press.
The rear unbolts as a complete hub, which is an afternoon job with hand tools.
Budget the press cost into any front quote before comparing prices. The general method for either job is on the press in bearing page. The cost gap between the two ends is on the front versus rear page.
A shop billing similar labor for both ends is worth a second look, since the rear job normally takes less time.
The misdiagnosis bulletin
A service bulletin on this vehicle warns that bearing hum gets misread as transfer case or transmission trouble.
If a shop quotes driveline work for a steady drone, ask whether the bearings were checked first.
The sorting method between a bearing and a driveline fault is on the tire noise page. A full written quote helps compare what was actually checked, covered on the quote page.
Before you pay for a repeat repair
This vehicle repeats failures often, so checking the shop’s warranty on the earlier repair costs nothing.
A hub replaced under warranty a year ago failing again is a different conversation than a fresh failure.
The terms worth reading before any repeat bill are on the warranty page.
Do not borrow Mazda3 numbers
The Mazda3 and Mazda5 rear hub looks tempting in search results next to a CX-9 wheel bearing listing, and fits nothing on this vehicle.
Search by the numbers on this page rather than by the brand name alone.
A number that resolves on a smaller Mazda is not a shortcut here. The two platforms do not share a rear hub.
CX-9 wheel bearing part numbers
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 to 2022 | Rear, all wheel drive, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2016 to 2022 | Rear, front wheel drive, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2016 to 2022 | Front, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2016 to 2020 | Rear, all wheel drive | WE61877 check price |
| 2007 to 2015 | Front, press-in ball bearing, both drivetrains | 510063 check price |
| 2007 to 2015 | Front, parallel listing | WE60691 check price |
| 2007 to 2015 | Rear hub, all wheel drive | 512449 check price |
| 2007 to 2015 | Rear hub, all wheel drive, parallel listing | WE61649 check price |
| 2007 to 2015 | Rear hub, front wheel drive | 512452 check price |
| 2007 to 2015 | Rear hub, front wheel drive, parallel listing | WE61870 check price |
Every model year this chart resolves: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. A 2016 to 2022 CX-9 goes by the old part or the VIN at the front and the front wheel drive rear, and the all wheel drive rear does too once past 2020.
WE61877 covers the all wheel drive rear for 2016 to 2020. No front wheel drive counterpart for that span turned up anywhere nearby in the catalogs, so do not assume it covers both drivetrains.
Nothing in the catalogs reaches the front of the second generation at all, or the rear beyond 2020. Those positions go by the old part or the VIN until better data surfaces.
More interchange lives on the cross reference page.
Diagnosing a CX-9 wheel bearing
The checks below work whether the vehicle is on a lift or just on the ground with the wheels free to turn.
- Weave gently at highway speed and note whether the drone changes with load.
- Do not accept a driveline diagnosis until the bearings are checked, per the service bulletin.
- Rock each wheel at twelve and six with the vehicle safely raised.
- Confirm the drivetrain before ordering a rear hub.
- Budget for the press if a front bearing is bad.
The full method is on the checking page. A prior curb strike or a deep pothole is also worth asking about, covered on the pothole page.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Which CX-9 wheel bearing do I need?
Front is 510063 on both drivetrains through 2015. Rear is 512452 front wheel drive or 512449 all wheel drive, also through 2015. Confirm the drivetrain visually before ordering, since the two rear numbers do not swap between drivetrains.
Why do they keep failing?
A heavy body on a car platform, and seals that let water in on early vehicles. Repeat failures are widely reported on the first generation. The unibody carries more real world weight than the vehicle’s own listed figures suggest.
Is the front hard to replace?
It is a press-in bearing, so the knuckle usually comes off. The rear is a far easier bolt on hub.
My shop says it is the transmission. Could it be a bearing?
The service bulletin says exactly that misdiagnosis happens. Have the bearings ruled out first, before any driveline part is ordered.
Does the second generation share these numbers?
No. Only the all wheel drive rear resolves at all for 2016 to 2020, and everything else on that car goes by the old part or the VIN.