Is Chevrolet under Toyota?
Chevrolet is not under Toyota. It is a brand owned by General Motors (GM), the American multinational automaker. Toyota Motor Corporation is a separate company and does not own or control GM or its Chevrolet brand.
In this article, we’ll explain how Chevrolet fits into GM’s corporate structure, note any historical ties between GM and Toyota, and outline what that means for consumers today. While the companies have collaborated in the past, there is no current parent-child relationship between Chevrolet and Toyota.
Ownership and corporate structure
Chevrolet operates as a division within General Motors (GM), which is publicly traded and headquartered in Detroit. GM owns a portfolio of brands, including Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick. Toyota Motor Corporation is an independent automaker based in Japan and is not part of GM’s corporate family.
These distinctions matter for governance, branding, and dealer networks in markets around the world.
- Chevrolet is a brand owned by General Motors (GM).
- GM is an independent, publicly traded company based in the United States.
- Toyota is a separate, independent automaker headquartered in Japan.
- There is no current ownership link placing Chevrolet under Toyota.
- Historically, GM and Toyota collaborated through the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) joint venture in California (1984–2010), but it did not create a parent/child relationship between Chevrolet and Toyota.
In summary, Chevrolet remains part of GM, and Toyota remains a separate automaker with no ownership stake over GM or Chevrolet.
Historical ties and collaborations
Beyond being separate corporate entities, GM and Toyota have had notable but limited collaborative efforts in the past. The most well-known was the NUMMI joint venture in California, which brought together GM and Toyota manufacturing expertise at a single plant. That collaboration ended in 2010 as GM restructured during its bankruptcy proceedings.
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI)
NUMMI operated from 1984 to 2010 in Fremont, California, as a 50/50 joint venture between GM and Toyota. The plant produced vehicles for both brands, including Toyota Corolla variants and the Pontiac Vibe. After GM exited the venture during the 2008–2010 restructuring, the facility was later acquired and repurposed by Tesla, becoming the Tesla Fremont Factory. This history demonstrates that while GM and Toyota have worked together, Chevrolet has never been under Toyota’s ownership.
These milestones show that past ties between GM and Toyota did not culminate in a parent/child relationship between Chevrolet and Toyota.
Implications for consumers and markets
For consumers, the ownership structure primarily affects warranties, service networks, and branding. Chevrolet vehicles are supported through General Motors’ dealer network, while Toyota vehicles are supported through Toyota’s own dealer network. Although GM and Toyota have collaborated on projects in the past, such collaborations do not transfer ownership or control of Chevrolet to Toyota.
- Warranty and service for Chevrolet vehicles are handled via GM’s dealer network.
- Toyota vehicles are supported through Toyota’s own dealer network.
- Past collaborations between GM and Toyota do not alter Chevrolet’s ownership status.
Bottom line: Chevrolet remains a GM brand, and Toyota remains an independent automaker with no parent/child relationship between the two.
Summary
Chevrolet is not under Toyota. It is a brand owned by General Motors, an independent automaker. The two companies have a historical collaboration through NUMMI (1984–2010), but that venture ended and did not confer ownership of Chevrolet to Toyota. Today, Chevrolet and Toyota operate as separate brands within distinct corporate families.
