Since 1995, the Toyota Tacoma has won the hearts of truck lovers for its brawny design and potent off-road credentials.
Available in a wide range of comfort and workhorse configurations, the Tacoma continues to enjoy strong resale value thanks to its reliability, comfort, and ruggedness.
In this piece, we discuss where the Tacoma is made.
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Where Are Toyota Tacomas Being Made?
At the moment, Toyota Tacoma vehicles are only being manufactured in two countries: The United States of America and Mexico.
The only Toyota factory that still makes the Tacoma in the USA is located in San Antonio, Texas. However, two Toyota factories in Mexico produce the Toyota Tacoma, including the Tijuana factory in Baja California and another factory in Guanajuato.
In the past, Toyota also manufactured the Tacoma in Fremont, California, USA. The company, however, stopped producing the Tacoma at the Fremont factory in 2010.
Also, you should know that the Guanajuato factory only began manufacturing the Tacoma in 2020.
Read our article which explains about How Long do Toyota Tacomas Last?
Are Toyota Tacomas for the US Market Produced in the US?
The United States of America produces the Toyota Tacoma vehicles sold in its market. The vehicles are made at the San Antonio factory in Texas. Before 2010, Toyota Tacomas were also produced in Fremont, California.
The Tacoma models for the U.S. are good towing machines. We have a list here of how much each Toyota Tacoma model can tow.
Are They Assembled in the US?
Toyota also assembles Tacoma vehicles sold in the USA at its manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Texas.
Please also read our article about the 11 Toyota Tacoma statistics you should know.
How Can You Check Where a Specific Tacoma was Produced?
The best way to determine where a specific Toyota Tacoma was produced is to check its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This number is located on the metal dashboard of the Tacoma.
It is a unique set of digits exclusive to your Tacoma, which contains information like the location where your car was produced. You can choose to work out the location yourself by doing research on what the numbers on your VIN mean.
Otherwise, you can consult a website like autocheck.com to tell you where your car was produced.
Let’s say you decide to work out the VIN on your own. You need to know that the first digit on the VIN, which may be a letter or number, refers to the location where your car was made.
Vehicles produced on the American continent always have a number in the first position. In contrast, letters of the alphabet represent countries outside America.
Since the Tacoma is only produced within the American continent, your VIN most certainly starts with a number.
If your Tacoma was produced in Mexico, the first number of your car’s VIN will be 3. Cars manufactured in the US bear 1, 4 or 5 as the first number on the VIN.
Please also read our article on where the Toyota Tundra is made.
Where Is the Tacoma Designed?
The most recent design of the Toyota Tacoma was done in Japan by Shigeya Hattori, Hideo Karikomi, and a few others.
But before you dive into which model to get you should get familiar with the best as well as the problematic Toyota Tacoma years.
The first design of the Tacoma was made at the Calty Design Research Studios in California in 1992. In 1998, a Japan-based designer, Yusuke Fukushima gave the design of the first generation of the Tacoma a facelift.
Look into our article which reads about 4 Most-Common Problems With Toyota Tacoma
Where Are Tacomas Made for the Australian Market?
Toyota does not offer the Tacoma in Australia because big trucks used to be unpopular among Aussies.
However, the company’s division in down under is making efforts to bring the Tacoma and Tundra into the Australian market to tap into the growing appetite for large trucks
Chevrolet Silverados and its Dodge Ram equivalent enjoy exclusive access to the Australian market at the moment.
Where Are Tacomas Made for the Canadian Market?
Toyota Tacomas are made for the Canadian market in Mexico.
Where Are Toyota Tacomas Made for the UK Market?
Toyota does not offer the Tacoma in the UK. But you can import the vehicle and convert it to a RHD.
Also check out our article on how long the Honda Ridgeline lasts.
Is Toyota Planning to Move Its Production?
Toyota is planning to move all production of the Toyota Tacoma to Mexico by 2021. The company has announced its intention to stop producing the Tacoma in Texas after 2021.
Toyota says the move was made to boost the overall standard of production, speed and competitiveness of its North American factories. So far, the company has already invested $700 million in the Guanajuato plant in Mexico.
Is Toyota Hiring or Firing in the USA?
Toyota will hire new staff this year in the USA. The company has already announced job vacancies on Glassdoor, a job website.
Likewise, Toyota USA has no intentions to retrench any of its staff this year. Nevertheless, it plans to cut the pay of 5,000 temporary staff.
The lockdown enforced across many countries in the world to contain the coronavirus also decreased the company’s sales.
Is Toyota an American Company?
Toyota is a Japanese carmaker. Nevertheless, the company has extended its wings to several continents, including America.
Some American Toyota factories even enjoy exclusive production of some Toyota vehicles.
For instance, only factories in North America have produced the Toyota Tacoma since its inception.