It's had a noisy front wheel bearing for about 100,000 miles (especially when turning left at low speeds). It's pretty noisy (inside) on the highway now, partly due to that bearing, but also due to what seems to be an exhaust leak near the cylinder head. It's not pleasant on long trips. :-(Ummm .. you seem to know about cars - also chem engr - right? Any recollection of what happens when a wheel bearing gets Brinneled to the point of fragmenting; in one swell foop?
(And since it's turn-sensitive - this sounds like the RH one. At 173K, I'd replace both. Soon. I've also known a fair number of auto engr. Wizards, who regularly concur re such a bearing noise, as the topic comes up frequently. FWIW.)
Of course, I can't assess the dB level from your comment, but the pattern is -- from seconds to .. a few minutes of LOUDER -- and then - denouement. Nobody knows how to 'predict', though, even for a given car model / WB design.
I have a horror story re {My Car\ufffd} model (FWD) and an ignored FWBrg, last year; well, it would have been a Horror Story, had it not beneficently waited til he got off the freeway after lengthy 80 mph cruise.. within 3 blocks of home. That's when the housing cracked, wheel fell close-enough-to ~off. I saw the pix of the destruction.. it had been Cherry :(
Luck,
Ashton