Are mazdas made by Toyota?
Mazdas are not made by Toyota in the sense of one company producing all Mazda cars. Mazda remains an independent automaker, though the two brands collaborate closely, including a shared manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama that produces vehicles for both brands.
A quick look at the brands
While Mazda and Toyota share engineering ideas and pursue joint development, each company designs, builds, and sells its own lineup under its own brand identity. The collaboration is about cooperation and cost-sharing, not a takeover or a merger.
How the alliance is structured
To outline how the partnership works, consider these core elements:
- Joint venture named Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) in Huntsville, Alabama
- Equal ownership and governance by Mazda and Toyota
- Co-development of platforms, powertrains, and technologies to benefit both brands
- Cross-brand production: vehicles for Mazda and Toyota are assembled at MTM
- Shared procurement and manufacturing planning to achieve efficiencies
In short, the alliance blends resources and manufacturing capacity while preserving each brand’s distinct lineup and customer experience.
Manufacturing in Huntsville: the MTM plant
The centerpiece of the partnership is the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, a dedicated facility built to produce vehicles for both brands. The plant represents a physical embodiment of the alliance, linking Mazda’s design language with Toyota’s engineering scale.
What models are built at MTM?
As part of the joint venture, MTM has produced models for both brands, including:
- Mazda CX-50
- Toyota Corolla Cross
The arrangement demonstrates how the alliance operates in practice: shared production capacity while each brand maintains its own product identity on the showroom floor.
What this means for consumers
For shoppers, the collaboration can influence model availability, pricing, and features through shared platforms and economies of scale. However, buyers still choose Mazda or Toyota based on each brand’s design language, driving experience, and dealer networks. The joint production at MTM mainly affects which vehicles are built in the United States for each brand and how supply chains are managed.
Summary
In summary, Mazdas are not produced by Toyota in the sense of an outright manufacturing handover. Mazda remains independent, but the two companies operate a formal alliance that includes the MTM plant in Huntsville, Alabama, where vehicles for both brands—such as the Mazda CX-50 and the Toyota Corolla Cross—are built. The partnership aims to reduce costs and accelerate development while keeping Mazda and Toyota distinct in design, branding, and customer experience.
Which Mazda cars are made by Toyota?
The Mazda CX-50 is the primary Mazda model with direct Toyota collaboration, specifically the CX-50 Hybrid, which uses Toyota's hybrid system and is built at a joint Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Alabama. Other Mazda models like the CX-50, CX-5, and Mazda3 are built in different locations, not by Toyota. The partnership also involves sharing other technologies like software and motors.
- Mazda CX-50 Hybrid: This model uses the same hybrid engine as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. It is produced at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.
- Other CX-50 models: The non-hybrid versions of the CX-50 are built in Huntsville, Alabama, but their assembly and powertrain are not directly derived from Toyota's models.
- Joint plant: The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) facility in Alabama is a joint venture that produces both the Mazda CX-50 and the Toyota Corolla Cross.
- Other models: Other Mazda vehicles, such as the CX-5 and Mazda3, are manufactured in different locations, like Japan and Mexico, and are not directly associated with Toyota's production or components.
Does Toyota own any Mazda?
Toyota owns roughly 5% of Mazda, and Mazda owns a portion of a percentage of Toyota.
Does Toyota build Mazda?
No, Toyota does not build Mazda, but they operate a joint-venture factory in Alabama where both companies' vehicles are built on the same assembly line. This partnership is called Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, and it allows both companies to share production costs and resources.
- Joint-venture factory: Both Mazda and Toyota have invested in and operate the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.
- Shared production: The plant produces both the Mazda CX-50 and the Toyota Corolla Cross.
- Brand independence: Despite the shared facility, Mazda and Toyota remain independent companies that develop and manufacture their own distinct vehicles.
Are mazdas as reliable as Toyotas?
Mazda is not quite as reliable as Toyota, though the gap has narrowed significantly in recent years. While Toyota maintains a long-standing reputation for durability and a slight edge in reliability studies like Consumer Reports, Mazda has earned strong rankings, sometimes scoring higher in specific studies and models. Both brands are considered dependable and offer reliable vehicles.
Mazda vs. Toyota reliability
| Mazda | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Rankings | Ranked second among mainstream brands in the 2025 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study | Ranked third in the 2025 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study |
| Consumer Reports | Earns consistent top-five reliability rankings | Holds a slight edge in Consumer Reports reliability rankings |
| Repair costs | Average annual repair costs are below the industry average | Maintenance expenses are slightly higher but still low |
| Long-term durability | Modern models have shown solid performance and are considered long-lasting | Many models are known to last well over 200,000 miles |
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Key differences
- Reputation: Toyota's reputation for long-term durability is legendary, built on a history of reliable engineering. Mazda's reputation has grown in recent years, but the legacy of Toyota is still considered superior by some sources.
- Recent Performance: Mazda has closed the reliability gap significantly, with some recent studies showing them performing as well as or even better than Toyota.
- Specifics: Some Mazda models have demonstrated reliability that matches or surpasses their Toyota competitors. Conversely, Mazda doesn't include free scheduled maintenance in its warranty like Toyota does.
