Parts for your 2012 Honda Stream-Centre bearing

2012 Honda Stream centre bearing — is it even fitted?

Short answer: a centre bearing isn’t used on the 2012 Honda Stream. Technical references such as the Honda Stream (RN6–RN9) Service Manual (Driveline/Axle section) and Honda’s Electronic Parts Catalogue for the 2012 model show a transverse front‑wheel‑drive layout with two front driveshafts and no propeller shaft. Because there’s no two‑piece tailshaft running down the length of the car, there’s no need for a traditional centre support bearing.

Why it doesn’t need one comes down to the drivetrain design. The Stream’s engine and transaxle sit sideways at the front and drive the front wheels directly. Centre bearings are a feature of many rear‑wheel‑drive or all‑wheel‑drive vehicles that use a long, two‑piece propeller shaft, the bearing supports the shaft in the middle to keep it running true. With the Stream’s compact FWD layout, that component simply isn’t part of the hardware.

What this 2012 Stream does have is an intermediate (right‑hand) driveshaft with a pressed‑in support bearing mounted to the engine block. Some owners and parts catalogues casually call that a “centre bearing”, but it’s a different job entirely. The intermediate shaft bearing helps equalise left/right driveshaft lengths to reduce torque steer and driveline vibration, but it’s not supporting a long tailshaft.

• No centre bearing: no propeller shaft on the RN6–RN9 Stream FWD platform.
• Has an intermediate shaft support bearing on the right driveshaft assembly (listed under Front Driveshaft in Honda parts data).
• Vibration control is handled via equal‑length shafts, CV joints and engine/gearbox mounts, not a tailshaft support.

If there’s a hum, rumble or vibration on a 2012 Stream, it’s more likely to be a front wheel bearing, a worn inner CV joint, an engine mount, or the intermediate shaft support bearing rather than a non‑existent centre bearing. Typical signs of a tired intermediate shaft bearing include a droning noise that rises with road speed, a faint vibration under steady throttle around suburban speeds, and small play felt in the shaft with the vehicle safely lifted. A competent technician can confirm this by checking for radial play at the bearing bracket and inspecting the rubber seal for leakage or damage.

Servicing tips for owners: keep an ear out for speed‑related noise and have it checked early to avoid collateral wear on CV joints. When replacing the intermediate shaft bearing (if needed), using quality OEM‑spec parts, following torque specs for the bearing bracket and driveshaft fasteners, and rechecking wheel alignment and tyre condition will help keep the Stream smooth and quiet on Aussie and Kiwi roads.

• Popular questions about a 2012 Honda Stream “centre bearing”

Does a 2012 Honda Stream have a centre bearing?
No. Technical documentation for the RN6–RN9 Stream shows a front‑wheel‑drive setup with no propeller shaft, so there’s no traditional tailshaft centre support bearing fitted from factory.

What’s the bearing on the right‑hand driveshaft—Is that the centre bearing?
That’s the intermediate shaft support bearing. It supports the short right‑hand shaft to help balance driveshaft lengths and reduce torque steer. Some people loosely call it a centre bearing, but it’s not the same part used on two‑piece tailshafts in RWD/AWD vehicles.

I’m getting a rumble at 60–80 km/h—what should be checked?
On a 2012 Stream, start with front wheel bearings and tyre condition, then inspect inner CV joints and the intermediate shaft bearing. A workshop can road‑test, check for play, and pinpoint the source before parts are replaced.