Parts for your 2023 Toyota Camry-Thrust bearing

2023 Toyota Camry thrust-bearing — is it actually a thing on this model?

Based on Toyota’s technical literature and parts listings for the current XV70/XA70-series Camry (including New Car Features, the Repair Manual for A25A engines, and the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue), a stand‑alone “thrust bearing” is not a relevant or fitted service part on a 2023 Toyota Camry in Australia or New Zealand. The model range uses an 8‑speed automatic (Direct Shift‑8AT) for the 2.5‑litre petrol and an e‑CVT hybrid transaxle for hybrid variants, with no manual gearbox offered — so there’s no clutch release/thrust bearing in the driveline to replace. The crankshaft’s thrust control is handled by integrated thrust faces within the main bearing assembly (documented in the Toyota Repair Manual for the A25A series), which aren’t serviced as an external “thrust bearing” part.

Why it isn’t used as a separate part:

• No manual transmission: With no clutch pedal or conventional friction clutch, there’s no clutch release (thrust) bearing (Toyota NCF and EPC for 2023 Camry).
• Engine design: Crankshaft endfloat is controlled by thrust surfaces built into a main bearing assembly inside the engine, it’s not a routine service item and is only addressed during engine overhaul if end play is out of spec (Toyota Repair Manual for A25A‑FKS/FXS).
• Transmission architecture: The 8‑speed automatic and hybrid e‑CVT use internal thrust washers/bearings not sold or serviced as external “thrust bearings” (Toyota NCF and transmission sections of the Repair Manual).

Where owners may hear the term used on other vehicles (and get mixed up) is at the front suspension top mount. The Camry does have a strut top mount with an integrated bearing — often called a “support sub‑assembly with bearing” in Toyota EPC — but this is a steering/suspension mount bearing, not a driveline thrust bearing. If there’s groaning or notchiness when turning at low speed, inspection of the strut mounts and front-end alignment is the sensible play.

For driveline noises or movement concerns, workshops typically check: crankshaft end play with a dial indicator (engine off, under the bonnet), fluid condition and mount condition for the automatic/e‑CVT, and wheel hub bearings. Any suspected internal engine/transmission thrust issue is a specialist job following the Toyota Repair Manual procedures rather than a quick “thrust-bearing” swap, because there isn’t a discrete part to fit on this model year.

• Does the 2023 Camry have a clutch thrust/release bearing?
  No. The 2023 Camry range in AU/NZ is automatic or hybrid only, so there’s no conventional clutch and no release (thrust) bearing. Toyota’s New Car Features and EPC confirm no manual variant and no listing for a clutch release bearing.
• Where is the thrust bearing in the 2023 Camry engine?
  Thrust control is built into the crankshaft main bearing assembly inside the engine block (thrust faces on a main bearing). It’s not an external, serviceable “thrust bearing” and is only addressed during internal engine repair if crank endfloat is out of spec.
• What noises are often mistaken for a failed thrust bearing on a Camry?
  Common mix‑ups include groaning or creaking from front strut top mount bearings during low‑speed steering, or whine/rumble from wheel hub bearings. Automatic/e‑CVT issues usually present as different symptoms than a manual clutch bearing noise.