Parts for your 2012 Toyota Crown-Strut mounts

2012 Toyota Crown strut mounts — what’s actually fitted?

Short answer: the 2012 Toyota Crown doesn’t use conventional strut mounts. Technical documentation for the S200/S210 Crown series — including Toyota’s New Car Features manual, parts catalogue references, and the Crown’s product technical briefs — specifies a double‑wishbone front suspension and a multi‑link rear. In this layout the shock absorber and spring don’t double as a steering member, so there’s no MacPherson strut and therefore no strut top with a steering bearing.

On a MacPherson setup, a strut mount does two jobs: it carries vehicle load and, with an integrated bearing, lets the whole strut rotate as the wheels steer. By contrast, the Crown’s steering pivot points live at the upper and lower ball joints in the control arms. The front and rear dampers don’t rotate for steering, so they’re secured by simpler top mounts/insulators or bushings rather than a true strut mount assembly.

That’s why searching for “2012 Toyota Crown strut mounts” often turns up little or mismatched info — the car wasn’t engineered with them. Instead, the service focus is on the components that do the equivalent isolation and guidance work in a double‑wishbone/multi‑link system.

For owners chasing knocks, creaks, or vague handling, these are the usual suspects to inspect and refresh:

• Front and rear shock absorber upper mounts/insulators and bushings
• Upper and lower control arm bushes, and ball joints
• Stabiliser (sway) bar link rods and D‑bushes
• Dust boots and bump stops on the dampers
• Top hats or pillow‑ball style mounts supplied with some aftermarket coilovers (these aren’t steering strut mounts but can wear and knock)

Good practice in Oz and NZ workshops is to inspect these items every 40–60,000 kilometres or when symptoms pop up: clunks over sharp bumps, steering shimmy, tramlining, or uneven tyre wear. When replacing mounts or bushes, fit parts in axle pairs, torque suspension hardware at normal ride height, and book an alignment afterwards — camber and toe can shift even if you didn’t touch an eccentric bolt.

So while the 2012 Crown doesn’t run strut mounts in the classic sense, keeping its shock mounts, arms, and bushes in top nick preserves that plush, quiet ride and tidy, confident turn‑in the model’s known for.

FAQs

Does a 2012 Toyota Crown use strut mounts?

No. The 2012 Crown uses a double‑wishbone front and multi‑link rear suspension, so there’s no MacPherson strut and no steering strut mount. It uses shock absorber upper mounts/insulators and control arm hardware instead.

What should be serviced instead of strut mounts on a 2012 Toyota Crown?

Focus on the shock upper mounts/insulators, control arm bushes and ball joints, sway bar links and bushes, plus damper dust boots and bump stops. Replace in pairs and align the car afterwards.

Will coilovers add “strut mounts” to a 2012 Crown?

Aftermarket coilovers may include pillow‑ball or rubber top mounts, but they still don’t act as steering strut mounts on this chassis. They’re simply the damper’s upper attachment and can wear like any mount, so periodic checks are smart.