Parts for your 2006 Toyota Vitz|yaris-Centre bearing

2006 Toyota Vitz/Yaris centre‑bearing — is it even a thing?

For the 2006 Toyota Vitz/Yaris (XP90 series) as sold in Australia and New Zealand, a centre‑bearing isn’t fitted or required. Technical references that cover this model confirm a front‑engine, front‑wheel drive (FF) layout with a transaxle and two constant‑velocity (CV) drive shafts only—no multi‑piece propeller shaft, so there’s no centre support bearing in the driveline. See Toyota New Car Features for XP90 Yaris/Vitz (NCP90/91/93), the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) for AU/NZ models (which lists no propeller‑shaft/centre‑bearing group for NCP90/91), and general service manuals such as Haynes/Gregory’s for 2005–2011 Yaris, which describe the FF transaxle and CV shafts with no carrier/centre bearing.

Why isn’t a centre‑bearing used here? Centre support bearings are designed for long, multi‑piece propeller shafts on rear‑wheel drive, 4WD, or some AWD vehicles to control shaft whip and support alignment. The 2006 Vitz/Yaris driveline is short and direct: the transaxle outputs to left and right CV half‑shafts that go straight to the front hubs. There’s no long prop shaft running down the car, so there’s nothing for a centre‑bearing to support.

It’s worth noting there were select Japanese‑market 4WD Vitz variants around this era that used a propeller shaft—those can have a centre support bearing. That configuration wasn’t sold new in Australia or New Zealand in 2006. If the vehicle is a grey‑import 4WD, a quick check under the car will show a prop shaft to the rear diff (and a centre support in the tunnel). Otherwise, a standard AU/NZ 2006 Yaris/Vitz is FF only and has no centre‑bearing to service.

• How to confirm: look for a prop shaft under the floor. No shaft = no centre‑bearing.
• VIN/model codes: common AU/NZ FF codes (e.g., NCP90/91) have no propeller‑shaft group in Toyota EPC.
• Typical driveline service items on FF Yaris: CV boots/joints, wheel bearings, transaxle fluid—not a centre‑bearing.

FAQs

Does a 2006 Toyota Vitz/Yaris in Australia or New Zealand have a centre‑bearing?
No. The XP90 Yaris/Vitz sold in AU/NZ is front‑wheel drive with two front CV shafts and no propeller shaft, so there’s no centre‑bearing fitted.

There’s a humming from the middle of the car—could it be a centre‑bearing?
Not on a standard AU/NZ 2006 Yaris, because it doesn’t have one. Common culprits are front wheel bearings, cupped tyres, a worn CV joint, or even an exhaust mount. A road test that varies load (gentle swerves) and speed usually helps isolate a wheel bearing noise.

What about a Japanese‑import 4WD Vitz—will that have a centre‑bearing and how is it maintained?
Some JDM 4WD Vitz variants do have a propeller shaft with a rubber‑mounted centre support bearing. Inspection is straightforward: check for torn rubber, looseness, or rumbling while the shaft is rotated by hand. If worn, the prop shaft is dropped and the bearing replaced, use the correct spec parts and torque from the Toyota repair manual.