Hyundai Repair: Check engine light, hyundai tiburon, needle bearings

Question
QUESTION: My 2001 Hyundai Tiburon recently began making audible wheel noise. Tire dealership looked at it and said I needed a front end wheel bearing replaced. Before I could have that done my check engine light came on. The same day the car began making a loud metal to metal squeel, like nails on a chalk board, in reverse and forward. What do you think?

ANSWER: A worn hub/wheel bearing will typically make a humming type noise, varying with vehicle speed, and worst when turning in the direction opposite the side of the car the worn bearing is on.  If the bearing starts coming apart, it can make grinding and screeching noises, but you'd typically feel a problem with the car not driving properly if this were the case; the wheel in question will try to stop turning each time the grinding or screeching noise happens.

The squealing noise you describe is most frequently caused by worn brake pads.  Each inner pad has a metal tab attached to it for the specific purpose of making this squealing noise when the pad is worn out.  This will hopefully prevent you from not noticing the brakes are worn out until the rotors are damaged.  

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QUESTION: Thank you for your response. It turned out that my wheel bearing was coming apart causing the screech. I have had the bearing replaced, but unfortunately the check engine light was for a heat sensor in the transmission. When they opened the transmission they found needle bearings and other pieces of metal. This is the second transmission for this car. I replaced it about 22 months ago and the warranty was only for 12 month or 12,000 miles. Is this level of failure typical? Thanks again.

Answer
This isn't typical, but it does occur from time to time.  

I can say, however, that a code for the transmission fluid temperature sensor doesn't typically indicate a major transmission issue.  The most common cause for this code on your car is that the wires for the sensor are broken at or near the connector for the sensor that that plugs into the transmission.  Every once in a while the sensor in the transmission is defective.  But I've never seen this code indicate a major transmission problem.