Average repair cost for front bearings?

Without having heard the noise, I can’t say whether the proposed repair would fix it. The parts and labor cost depends on whether it’s the front or the rear; there are many previous threads, some of which discuss costs.

For the front, one edition of Toyota’s Flat Rate Manual allows 2.7 labor hours (operation number 434021; NHW20 series). The required parts and list prices at this writing:

Front Axle Hub Sub Assembly (LH or RH), 43510-47012, $231.43
Front No. 1 Wheel Bearing Dust Deflector (LH or RH), 43246-47010, $23.42
Hub Nut, 90177-22001 (90080-17238), $10.26
Clip, 90468-16029 (90468-A0003), $1.01​

For the rear, it’s 1.1 hours (421041), and just one part:

Rear Axle Hub and Bearing Assembly (LH or RH), 42450-47030, $385.96​

I’m assuming only one side would be replaced. Doing the other side at the same time requires the same parts and adds 1.0 (front; 434021A) or 0.3 (rear; 421041A) labor hours.

The actual cost would depend, of course, on the hourly labor rate; whether the shop uses Toyota’s labor times or another estimating source; and the parts brand (Toyota or aftermarket) and markup or discount.

There’s nothing hybrid-specific about this repair, by the way, but I’d suggest using a shop that has a Toyota Techstream diagnostic system, so they can check the wheel speed sensors after reconnecting them.

 

My car also hums around left curves. I expected the passenger side bearing to be bad, so I got a quote from my local hybrid shop for $365 for one side. I replaced it myself for significantly cheaper, and had fun doing it. From what I've seen though, that's a pretty typical price for a hub. Turned out, that may have helped some, but I still have a hum, so I'm actually changing the left side tomorrow.

 

I think as an integrated hub, there is no practical way to replace just the bearing. The hub itself is only $40-$100 from RockAuto or Detroit Axle, so trying to do just the bearing would be a ton of work and require the proper press.

The prices of the Toyota parts as listed in the manual are outrageously expensive as well. The $100 hubs from RockAuto are SKF, Timken, Moog, or comparable high-end brands. An axle nut is only $3-5 online. I didn't replace my dust deflector and I'm guessing the clip is probably the tie-rod end nut clip?

 

Condensing from another post with more information, if you look closely at how a hub bearing assembly is put together, you'll see why it isn't going to press apart like granddad's wheel bearings, and isn't even a matter of the proper press.



That said, there seem to be aftermarket replacements that look about the same from the outside but are built out of off-the-shelf bearings pressed together. If the "hub" has already been replaced once with one of those, then there might be a chance of pressing it apart and changing those bearings.

 

Axle grease is right, except in my case it's tie-rod end grease. I just replaced my left front hub today, and found that, probably while I was working on it, the tie-rod end boot came unsealed and started dumping grease out, so I'll replace that next week. My hub took a whole lot of hammering and penetrant spray to get out of the knuckle.