Parts for your 2001 Honda Accord-Centre bearing

2001 Honda Accord centre-bearing: is it fitted, and what that means for servicing

Short answer: a traditional tailshaft centre-bearing isn’t fitted to the 2001 Honda Accord. Technical references including the Honda Accord (1998–2002) Service Manual (Driveline/Axle section) and the Honda electronic parts catalogue confirm there’s no propeller shaft or centre support bearing on this front‑wheel‑drive platform. Both the 2.3‑litre four and the J30 V6 drive the front wheels via a transaxle and two CV half‑shafts, so there’s simply no long, two‑piece tailshaft that would require a centre-bearing.

Instead, the Accord uses constant‑velocity (CV) driveshafts. Many trims also use a right‑hand intermediate shaft with a carrier (support) bearing bolted to the engine block. Honda service literature lists this as an “intermediate shaft bearing” or “carrier bearing”, not a centre-bearing, because it doesn’t support a prop shaft through the middle of the car — it stabilises the short intermediate shaft to keep driveshaft lengths balanced and reduce torque steer.

Why Honda didn’t use a centre-bearing on this model comes down to drivetrain layout:

• Front‑wheel drive architecture eliminates the need for a rear propeller shaft.
• Packaging and NVH: equal‑length half‑shafts (with an intermediate shaft and its own bearing on many variants) improve refinement without the complexity of a tailshaft and centre support.
• Weight and cost: fewer long rotating components mean less mass and maintenance.

If an owner hears a droning or vibration under load and suspects a “centre-bearing”, the more relevant checks on a 2001 Accord are the CV joints, wheel bearings, engine/gearbox mounts, and — where fitted — the intermediate shaft carrier bearing. Honda’s parts catalogue and workshop procedures outline inspection and replacement steps for those items, but none list a tailshaft centre-bearing because the car doesn’t use one.

Popular questions

Does a 2001 Honda Accord have a centre-bearing?
No. Being front‑wheel drive, it has no propeller shaft, so there’s no centre support bearing. This is confirmed by the 1998–2002 Honda Accord Service Manual and OEM parts listings.

What bearing plays a similar role on the Accord?
Many 2001 Accords use an intermediate shaft carrier bearing on the right‑hand side. It supports the short shaft between the transaxle and the outer CV, helping reduce torque steer and vibration. It’s different to a tailshaft centre-bearing in design and location.

What noises can be mistaken for a failed centre-bearing?
Common culprits are worn CV joints, front wheel bearings, or a tired intermediate shaft carrier bearing (where fitted). Engine or transmission mount issues can also cause shudders that feel driveline‑related.