Toyota Voxy: Rear Suspension Bush Collapse and Deterioration

The ZRR70 and ZRR80 Voxy rear suspension uses multiple rubber bushes in the trailing arms and lateral links, and these degrade with age and mileage to the point of collapse, particularly on vehicles with more than 120,000 km or those exposed to New Zealand road salt. Collapsed rear bushes cause the rear axle geometry to shift outside specification, producing vague cornering behaviour, uneven rear tyre wear, and a tendency for the vehicle to tramline or crab under acceleration. Replacement requires pressing out and re-pressing new bushes, typically necessitating arm removal.

• Vague, unsettled rear-end feel during cornering or lane changes, particularly at higher speeds
• Uneven or feathered tyre wear on the rear axle despite recent tyre rotation
• Rear-end wander or tramline tendency on straight roads under light acceleration
• Visible cracking, splitting, or collapse of the rubber bush material visible on inspection

1. 1

   Look for cracked, collapsed, or heavily deformed rubber with the metal inner sleeve visibly displaced.

2. 2

   Check rear tyre wear across the full tread width — stepped or one-sided wear indicates geometry shift from bush failure.

3. 3

   Push and pull each rear wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions to detect lateral play indicating a failed bush.

4. 4

   Request wheel alignment records; out-of-spec rear toe or camber on a vehicle with no accident history strongly suggests bush collapse.

5. 5

   If a workshop inspection is possible: Inspect the rear trailing arm and lateral link bushes on a hoist with the suspension at ride height.

$400 to $1,100 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 rear suspension ever been inspected for bush condition, and have any bushes been replaced?”
• “Does the vehicle have a recent wheel alignment certificate, and were the rear measurements within specification?”
• “Has any unusual rear-end movement or tyre wear been noticed?”

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.