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Toyota truck owners love to say, “It may be engineered in Japan, but it was built in Texas!” But if their truck is a fourth-generation Tacoma, it was not built in Texas. Toyota has moved 100% of its Tacoma assembly to Mexico.

The automaker has been slightly vague about when this changeover happened. Back in 2021, it announced it would be moving most Tacoma production to its two Mexico plants to make more room for its new full-size truck and SUV family in Texas. For those keeping track at home, the new Tundra dropped for the 2022 model year. It was followed by a new 2022 Lexus GX and then a new 2023 Toyota Sequoia.

As recently as 2022, analysts said “some” third-generation Toyota Tacomas were built in Texas and some were built in Mexico. Toyota rolled out the fourth-generation of the Tacoma for the 2024 model year, implementing much of the technology it designed for that new Tundra. And it did not retool its Texas factory to build this truck. Toyota Texas’ website only lists the full-size trucks and SUVs und its “built here.” So we can confidently say 100% of future Toyota Tacomas will hail from Mexico.

Close up of the Trailhunter logo in the headlight of a new Tacoma pickup truck
2024 Toyota Tacoma headlight | Toyota

The Tacoma is insanely popular, for a midsize pickup truck. By 2023, many Toyota buyers were opting for Tundras rather than the outdated third-gen Tacoma. Its sales plummeted from 53,583 (2022) to 21,558 (2023). It was the worst sales year for the Tacoma in recent memory. And it still outsold every single other midsize pickup truck. The 2023 Tacoma outsold the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado–combined!

Where do the parts for the Toyota Tacoma come from? Every fourth-generation Tacoma engine will be built in Huntsville, Alabama. In addition, Toyota’s Texas plant and the suppliers that share its campus may build a ton of components for the Tacoma. We will need to wait for analysts to go over Tacoma window stickers to find out what percentage of the parts in various trims come from the U.S./Canada.

New Toyota Tacoma parked in the jungle.
2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter | Toyota

The Tacoma is far from the only U.S.-sold truck that is assembled in Mexico. Both Ram and General Motors assemble some half-ton trucks in Mexico. In addition, Ram now builds every one of its heavy-duty pickup trucks in Mexico. In the compact truck segment, 100% of Ford Mavericks come from Mexico.

So which trucks are the most “American made?” When Cars.com ranked 2023 models based on where their parts came from, its most “American made” compact, midsize, and half-ton pickup trucks were:

  1. Honda Ridgeline
  2. Toyota Tundra
  3. Jeep Gladiator
  4. Ram 1500
  5. Hyundai Santa Cruz
  6. GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado
  7. Ford F-150 Lightning EV
  8. Toyota Tundra Hybrid
  9. Nissan Titan
  10. Ford F-150 Hybrid
  11. Nissan Frontier
  12. Ford F-150
  13. Ford Ranger
  14. Ram 1500 Classic
  15. GMC Sierra 1500/Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Next, learn how Ram and GM may be responsible for the Detroit of Mexico, or see CNBC’s deep dive on just how “American” your car is in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.