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MajorCommonSuspension

Toyota Camry: Front Lower Arm Inner Pivot Bush Wear

Front Lower Arm Inner Pivot Bush Wear is a common suspension fault on the Toyota Camry on the 2011–2017 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $350 to $900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 54 documented faults on the Toyota Camry.

Vehicle
Toyota Camry
Years
2011–2017
System
Suspension

This page covers the Toyota Camry as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Camry faults54 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

The front wheel of a car splayed outward with the lower control arm hanging down after a ball joint separation.Example of the part — not this vehicle

A separated lower ball joint: the control arm has dropped and the wheel has splayed out under the guard.

Elfix · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

The front lower control arm inner pivot bush on the AXV50 Camry is a hydraulically-damped rubber unit that degrades with age, road vibration, and exposure to NZ and AU road surfaces. Deteriorated bushes allow fore-aft arm movement that produces a rhythmic steering shimmy or wobble at highway speeds above 90 km/h. The fault is frequently misdiagnosed as a wheel balance or tyre issue. Full lower arm replacement is the standard repair in NZ and AU workshops as bush pressing requires specialised tooling.

What you would notice

  • Steering wheel shimmy or wobble at 90–110 km/h
  • Symptom not resolved by wheel balancing or tyre rotation
  • Clunking or thudding from front suspension over road irregularities
  • Vague or wandering steering feel at highway speed
  • Shimmy that worsens under light braking at speed

How to check it

Where to look. Front lower control arm — inner pivot bush mounting point, both sides

  1. With wheels raised off the ground, grasp each lower arm and apply firm fore-aft force to check for bush compliance or movement.

  2. Inspect inner bush visually for rubber cracking, distortion, or hydraulic fluid weep from the damped bush cavity.

  3. Check both sides as wear is commonly bilateral.

Parts involved: Ball joint.

What it costs to put right

$350 to $900 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.

Ask the seller

  • “Has a steering shimmy or wobble been noticed at highway speed?”
  • “Has the front suspension been inspected and when were the lower arms last checked?”
  • “Have the front lower control arm bushes or complete arms been replaced?”

Now check the Toyota Camry you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

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.

Toyota Camry buyer questions

Is front lower arm inner pivot bush wear serious on a Toyota Camry?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Camry. The front lower control arm inner pivot bush on the AXV50 Camry is a hydraulically-damped rubber unit that degrades with age, road vibration, and exposure to NZ and AU road surfaces. Deteriorated bushes allow fore-aft arm movement that produces a rhythmic steering shimmy or wobble at highway speeds above 90 km/h. The fault is frequently misdiagnosed as a wheel balance or tyre issue. Full lower arm replacement is the standard repair in NZ and AU workshops as bush pressing requires specialised tooling.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Camry?

$350 to $900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Camry years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2011–2017 Toyota Camry. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

With wheels raised off the ground, grasp each lower arm and apply firm fore-aft force to check for bush compliance or movement. Inspect inner bush visually for rubber cracking, distortion, or hydraulic fluid weep from the damped bush cavity. Check both sides as wear is commonly bilateral. Look here: Front lower control arm — inner pivot bush mounting point, both sides