Wheel bearing · 2026
Ford Ka / Ka+ wheel bearing cost
A wheel bearing replacement on a Ford Ka / Ka+ typically costs £84–£279 per wheel fitted at a UK independent garage. All Ka generations use a press-in front bearing, so the front is a workshop-press job. At the rear, the original Mk1 runs its bearing races in the brake drum itself — usually replaced as a complete drum — while the Fiat-based Mk2 and Ka+ use rear hub/drum bearing kits on the torsion beam.
Front vs rear: what's the Ford Ka / Ka+'s bearing design?
The design decides the bill. A bolt-on hub unit is a dearer part but a quick fit; a press-in bearing is cheap but needs dismantling and a hydraulic press. Here's how the Ka / Ka+ is built:
| Position | Design | What that means |
|---|---|---|
Front | Press-in bearing | Mk1 (1996–2008): hub assembly off, bearing pressed out and in at the workshop press. Mk2 (2008–16, Fiat 500 platform): bearing pressed into the steering knuckle with a magnetic ABS encoder on the inboard seal. Ka+ (2016–19): press-fit kit with circlip, like the related Fiesta. |
Rear | In brake drum/hub | Mk1 rear bearing races sit in the brake drum itself — the accepted fix is a new drum with bearing, as stripping the old one usually damages it. Mk2 and Ka+ rears are sold as hub/drum bearing kits for the torsion beam. |
Ford Ka / Ka+ wheel bearing replacement cost
A single wheel bearing on a Ford Ka / Ka+ typically costs £84–£279 per wheel fitted at a UK independent garage. Sealed hub units cost more in parts but less in labour; press-in bearings the reverse — the total lands in a similar band. Main dealers charge 30–50% more, and London and the South East sit at the top of the range.
Key things to know
- On the Mk1 the old rear bearing races have to be drifted or pressed out of the drum, so many garages prefer to fit a complete drum with the bearing already installed — quicker, and no risk to a corroded drum.
- Early Mk1 cars without ABS have no encoder ring in the bearing — ABS-equipped cars need the correct sensor-bearing part, and fitting the wrong variant is a known pitfall.
- On the Fiat-platform Mk2, the dark magnetic encoder face of the bearing must face inboard towards the wheel-speed sensor or the ABS won't read.
- Front bearings sit very tight on all generations — pressing is a workshop job, not a driveway one.
Good question
Questions Okay gets asked a lot
How much does a wheel bearing cost for a Ford Ka / Ka+?
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Expect £84–£279 per wheel fitted at a UK independent garage in 2026, covering the bearing or hub unit plus labour. On the Ka / Ka+ the front is a press-in — cheaper part, more labour and the rear is a built into the drum/hub, so quotes can differ front to rear. Main dealers charge more; use our cost calculator to adjust for your region.
Why is a rear wheel bearing on an old Ford Ka replaced with the whole drum?
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On the original Mk1 Ka the rear bearing races are seated directly in the brake drum, so replacing the bearing means drifting or pressing the old races out of the drum. Bare bearing kits exist and the job is doable, but many garages prefer to fit a complete new drum with the bearing already installed — it's quicker, avoids any risk to a corroded drum, and often costs little more than the bare bearing plus the extra labour would.
What does a worn wheel bearing sound like on a Ford Ka / Ka+?
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The classic sign is a humming, droning or growling noise that rises with road speed and often changes when cornering — louder turning one way, quieter the other. On the Ka / Ka+ the same noise is regularly confused with tyre wear, so have the wheels spun and checked for play before paying for a bearing. A bearing with noticeable play or roughness is an MOT failure, so don't leave it once it's audible.
Get a price for your Ford Ka / Ka+
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