bad vibration

hey everyone,

So I just took my prius on a 4 hour rode trip and it started to vibrate really badly. I had noticed a very minor vibration about a week before that would happen at about 20 miles per hour and would move the steering wheel left and right on its own, but it wasn't a big deal. I just assumed it was the tires because my tires are very worn. As I started on my journey there was no problem but by about 2 hours in at high speed I noticed that the road noise was louder than usual and there was a slight vibration. I wasn't all that worried until I was closer to 3 hours in and I slowed down to get some gas. At this point the vibrations became slower and longer. It seemed to me that the vibration is coming from the driver front wheel. The car still tracks very straight and the alignment seems fine. The vibration has become violent now to the point where I am afraid to drive the car. The slower I am going the more drastic the steering wheel movements are and the faster I go the less the steering wheel moves but the vibrations are closer together. It almost feels like there is a large rock stuck in the tire that hits the ground every revolution (I checked there isn't).

The car is a 2006 so 7 years old and has 107k miles. Is it possible that there is a warped bearing? bad cv/ axle?

Has anyone else had this problem? Cost of repair?

 

Ok so I jacked the car up and turned the tire. Its definitely just a tire issue. The thing is so badly warped im surprised and relieved it didn't come off the rim on the highway. Lesson learned. Thanks for all your advice. Especially nh70

 

Why the h*ll are you driving at high speed with worn tires in a car that exhibits that kind of drivibility issue? Take the car to a tire shop like Tire Kingdom asap.[/quote]

I wouldn't have driven it except it didn't start giving me the issue until I was far from home and had no choice but to drive it back or have it towed. (too expensive for my college student budget) I haven't driven it since and only plan to drive it down to the tire shop at slow speeds about 2 miles away.

 

The rim is fine. Its just the pic. Here is a different angle

 

Not sure why but when I uploaded the photos to prius chat they got turned sideways. I took them with my iphone so no matter which way I hold it the pics get taken right side up.