Toyota to move all Tacoma production to Mexico in 2021
As part of a restructuring effort to better align its plants, products, and platforms, Toyota will cease Texas-based production of the mid-size Tacoma in late 2021, moving all production efforts for the mid-size truck down to two facilities in Mexico.
The announcement comes on the heels of an additional $700 million investment into its facility in Princeton, Indiana, in preparation for the all-new 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid mid-size SUVs as well as the Sienna minivan. That investment is part of a larger $13 billion investment by Toyota in its U.S. operations over a five-year period through 2021. The shift at the Indiana facility will send production of the full-size body-on-frame Sequoia SUV down to San Antonio to be built alongside its platform-mate, the Tundra.
Currently, the Tacoma is built in two manufacturing centers, the first being the aforementioned San Antonio, Texas, facility. The other location is the Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California facility, in Tijuana, Mexico, which has been assembling Tacomas since 2004. The second Mexico-based plant tasked with building the Tacoma is located in Guanajuato, Mexico. That plant’s Tacoma line began running in December of 2019.
Toyota says that there will be no reduction to direct jobs at any of its North American facilities amidst this restructuring.
While we’re sad to see the made-in-the-USA Tacoma coming to an end, grouping like-platform vehicles at the same facilities makes a lot of sense. The shift also won’t change much—of the 275,193 Tacomas produced last year between the two countries, 168,275 (61 percent) of them were built in Mexico, according to Toyota.
The Tacoma is a willing and able trail companion to those looking for something a bit more analog in today’s driving world. We’re a fan of all generations, from the earlier ones that are now prevalent in the red-hot collector truck and SUV market to the brand new, off-road-minded variants like the Tacoma TRD Pro. Keep on truckin’, Toyota.
