Parts for your 2020 Mazda 3-Centre bearing

2020 Mazda 3 centre-bearing — is it used, and does it need servicing?

Short answer: a centre-bearing isn’t relevant on the 2020 Mazda 3 sold in Australia and New Zealand. Referencing Mazda’s own technical material, the BP-series Mazda 3 (model year 2020) is configured as front‑wheel drive in these markets, so there’s no rear propeller shaft and therefore no centre support (centre) bearing to service. This is consistent with the BP Mazda3 Workshop Manual (Driveline/Axle and Powertrain layouts), Mazda Australia/NZ 2020 model specification guides showing FWD only, and the Mazda Electronic Parts Catalogue (BP-series, AU/NZ VIN ranges) which does not list a propeller shaft or centre support bearing for local models.

Why no centre-bearing? Centre-bearings live on two‑piece propeller shafts, the sort you find on many rear‑ or all‑wheel‑drive platforms. The 2020 Mazda 3 in AU/NZ packages the engine and transaxle up front and drives the front wheels via two half‑shafts (driveshafts). That layout eliminates a rear prop shaft entirely, so there’s nowhere for a centre-bearing to go. The result is a lighter, simpler driveline with fewer service items, less parasitic loss, and tidy packaging for the hatch and sedan shells.

What sometimes causes confusion is the right‑hand (passenger side) intermediate shaft on many FWD cars. On the Mazda 3, that shaft can include a small support (carrier) bearing mounted to the engine block/subframe to stabilise the longer half‑shaft. While some people casually call that a “centre bearing”, it’s a different part doing a different job to the centre support bearing found on a two‑piece prop shaft. If an owner is chasing vibrations or a droning noise on a BP‑series Mazda 3, the usual suspects are the front CV joints/boots, wheel bearings, the intermediate shaft support bearing, engine/transmission mounts, or tyre issues—not a centre-bearing.

• Markets note: Some overseas BP Mazda 3 variants were offered with i‑Activ AWD, which adds a rear drive unit and propeller shaft. Those cars can use a centre support bearing—but that hardware isn’t fitted to AU/NZ 2020 Mazda 3 models.
• Service tip: During routine servicing, a workshop will typically inspect CV boots, check for axle play, listen for wheel‑bearing rumble, and confirm the intermediate shaft support bearing is quiet and secure. That covers the driveline items often mistaken for a centre-bearing concern.

Popular questions about the 2020 Mazda 3 “centre-bearing”

Does a 2020 Mazda 3 in Australia or New Zealand have a centre-bearing?
No. Local 2020 Mazda 3 models are front‑wheel drive and don’t use a propeller shaft, so there’s no centre support bearing fitted. Driveline inspections focus on front CV joints, wheel bearings and the intermediate shaft support bearing instead.

Is the intermediate shaft bearing the same as a centre-bearing?
Not quite. The intermediate (carrier) bearing on the front driveshaft supports one side of the transaxle’s output. A centre-bearing supports the middle of a two‑piece prop shaft on RWD/AWD layouts. Different parts, different locations, different jobs.

Which Mazda 3 models use a centre support bearing?
Only BP‑series Mazda 3 variants equipped with all‑wheel drive in certain overseas markets use a propeller shaft with a centre support bearing. That setup was not offered on AU/NZ 2020 Mazda 3 models.