Toyota Alphard: Front Lower Arm Bush Wear Causing Highway Shimmy

The ANH20 Alphard and Vellfire front suspension uses a double-wishbone arrangement with hydraulic rubber bushes at the front (tension rod) and rear pivot points of the lower control arm. The rear lower arm bush is a large hydraulic unit designed to damp longitudinal compliance loads. As the internal hydraulic fluid leaks past degraded rubber seals — typically between 80,000 and 140,000 km — the bush collapses and permits excess fore-aft and lateral movement of the front wheel under braking, cornering and road irregularity inputs. This produces a characteristic steering shimmy in the 95 to 115 km/h range that persists after wheel balancing and is easily misdiagnosed as a tyre issue. Collapsed bushes also cause unpredictable steering response on motorway lane changes and accelerated tyre wear from dynamic toe change. NZ imports commonly present with original bushes showing external rubber cracking and visible hydraulic void collapse.

• Steering wheel shimmy or vibration in the 95 to 115 km/h band
• Vague or wandering steering feel on motorway that persists after wheel balance
• Clunk from front suspension over sharp bumps or during firm braking
• Accelerated or uneven front tyre wear
• Vehicle pulling to one side under braking

More than 2 mm of movement indicates hydraulic bush failure. Inspect the large rear lower arm bush for visible fluid weeping, cracked rubber surface or collapsed internal void. Check the front tension rod bush for longitudinal cracking. Observe tyre shoulders for scuff marks indicating dynamic toe variation. If a workshop inspection is possible: With the vehicle raised on a hoist, grasp each front lower control arm and attempt to move it firmly fore and aft.

Parts involved: Ball joint.

$550 to $1,400 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.

• “Have any front suspension bushes ever been replaced?”
• “Does the steering wheel vibrate at highway speed even after wheel balancing?”
• “Has a wheel alignment been performed in the past 12 months?”
• “Has the vehicle ever had a front-end knock or clunk diagnosed?”

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.