Nissan Note: E11 Rear Torsion Beam Axle Bush Deterioration

The rear torsion beam on the E11 Note is located to the body by rubber bushes that degrade with age, heat cycling, and road contamination. As the bushes soften and crack, the rear axle shifts under lateral and braking loads, causing handling instability. Advanced deterioration allows enough movement to introduce rear-steer effect, where the car drifts unpredictably, particularly under combined braking and cornering.

• Rear end drift or pulling to one side during braking, particularly under moderate to heavy deceleration
• Hollow knocking or thudding from the rear axle when driving over undulating road surfaces
• Abnormal rear tyre wear pattern showing heavy wear on the inner edge of one or both rear tyres

1. 1

   Inspect rear beam mounting bushes visually for cracks, deformation, or extrusion.

2. 2

   Check for uneven rear tyre wear and measure rear toe alignment, which will be out of spec when bushes are severely degraded.

3. 3

   If a workshop inspection is possible: With vehicle on a hoist, attempt to move the beam laterally — any perceptible movement indicates worn bushes.

$300 to $700 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the car ever been reported to pull or drift under braking, particularly on uneven roads?”
• “Have the rear suspension bushes been inspected or replaced in recent service history?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.