Parts for your 2020 Toyota Vitz|yaris-Centre bearing

2020 Toyota Vitz/Yaris centre-bearing — is it actually there?

Short answer: no — a centre-bearing isn’t used on the 2020 Toyota Vitz/Yaris. Technical references from Toyota’s service literature and parts catalogues back this up. The Toyota New Car Features (NCF) and Repair Manual for the 2020 Yaris (XP210 platform used in AU/NZ) describe a front‑engine, front‑wheel drive (FF) layout with a transaxle and two front drive shafts. There’s no propeller shaft running down the middle of the car, and therefore no centre support bearing. Likewise, the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) for AU/NZ 2020 Yaris models doesn’t list a propeller shaft or a centre support/centre-bearing assembly. These bearings are typical of rear‑wheel drive or conventional mechanical AWD vehicles with a two‑piece propeller shaft, not small FF hatchbacks.

Even in markets where the 2020 Yaris gained all‑wheel drive on hybrid variants, Toyota used an electric rear axle (often called e‑AWD/E‑Four). That system doesn’t use a mechanical prop shaft, so there’s still no centre-bearing to service. Put simply, the drivetrain design eliminates the need for one.

What might cause the confusion? Some front‑wheel drive cars use a right‑hand intermediate drive shaft with a support (carrier) bearing bolted to the engine block. Workshops sometimes call that a “centre bearing”, but it’s not the same component found on a two‑piece prop shaft. On the 2020 AU/NZ Yaris, servicing focuses on the front drive shafts and CV joints rather than any mid‑shaft bearing.

If there’s a mid‑car vibration, rumble or clunk, it won’t be a centre-bearing on this model. The usual suspects are:

• Front CV joints or split CV boots flinging grease
• Wheel bearings starting to hum with speed
• Tyre flat‑spotting, cupping, or imbalance
• Engine/transaxle mounts deteriorating under load
• Warped wheels or alignment issues

Good servicing practice for the Vitz/Yaris is to keep an eye on CV boots for tears, check for play or noise in the front hubs, torque the wheel nuts correctly, and rotate and balance tyres at sensible intervals. If your variant does have an intermediate (carrier) bearing on the right shaft, inspect it during routine brake/axle checks for noise or looseness and replace it if there’s any roughness or play. But a traditional prop‑shaft centre-bearing isn’t part of the 2020 Yaris driveline package.

Popular questions

Does a 2020 Toyota Vitz/Yaris have a centre-bearing?
No. The 2020 model in AU/NZ is front‑wheel drive with no propeller shaft, so there’s no centre support bearing to service or replace. Toyota’s Repair Manual and EPC list front drive shaft and hub components, but nothing for a prop shaft centre-bearing.

Why do some mechanics mention a “centre” or “carrier” bearing on a FWD Yaris?
Some FWD cars use an intermediate right‑hand shaft with a support (carrier) bearing. It’s mounted to the engine block and stabilises the longer shaft. It’s not a prop‑shaft centre support bearing, and not all variants have it. If fitted and it fails, you’ll usually hear a growl or feel vibration that changes with road speed.

What should be checked instead if there’s vibration at highway speeds?
Start with the basics: tyre condition and balance, wheel alignment, front wheel bearings, CV joints/boots, and engine/transaxle mounts. These items are common causes on the Yaris and are all serviceable without touching any “centre-bearing”.