Who makes Toyotas motors?
Most Toyota engines are designed and built in-house by Toyota Motor Corporation at its own global engine plants. There are, however, notable exceptions where Toyota collaborates with partner companies or uses engines produced by affiliates for certain models.
This article explains how Toyota designs and manufactures its engines, where they are produced around the world, and the cases in which external partners contribute to Toyota’s powertrains. It also highlights a high-profile collaboration with Subaru that has shaped definitions of “Made by Toyota.”
In-house engineering and global production
In-house engine design and development
Toyota’s powertrain engineers work in global centers to design gasoline, diesel, and hybrid engines that can be paired with Toyota’s transmission and hybrid systems. These teams focus on efficiency, performance, and emissions across a diverse lineup—from small inline engines to sophisticated hybrid powertrains.
Global manufacturing footprint
The majority of Toyota’s engines are produced at Toyota-owned facilities in Japan and across other regions. Assembly, testing, and calibration are coordinated to ensure seamless integration with the company’s transmissions, electrified systems, and vehicle platforms. Plant locations and production lines vary by engine family and market.
Notable collaborations and exceptions
Before listing specific examples, it’s helpful to note that Toyota maintains a few high-profile partnerships where the engine is developed or produced with an external collaborator. These arrangements are typically driven by performance targets, market demands, or shared technology goals.
- Subaru FA20/FA24-based engines for the Toyota 86 / GR86: A 2.0- to 2.4-liter flat-four engine developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru and produced by Subaru in Japan for the Toyota 86 and its successor. This collaboration reflects a true cross-brand powertrain effort rather than a Toyota-only design.
- Hybrid powertrain components and peripherals: While Toyota designs and builds the core engines in-house, certain hybrid-system components and electronics are sourced from or co-developed with trusted suppliers and subsidiaries. Denso, for example, is a major supplier of electrical and control components used in Toyota hybrids.
In these cases, Toyota retains overall system integration responsibility and the leadership of core design, but the external partner contributes specialized engineering, manufacturing capacity, or both for specific models or technology lines.
Types of engines and powertrains Toyota uses
Across its lineup, Toyota employs a mix of in-house gasoline engines, diesel engines in some markets, and advanced hybrid powertrains. The gasoline engine families are predominantly designed and built within Toyota’s own engineering and manufacturing network, with hybrid systems integrating electric motors and battery management that are developed by Toyota’s own teams and suppliers. The balance between in-house production and collaboration varies by region, model, and generation.
Summary
In short, Toyota’s engines are mainly designed and manufactured by Toyota’s own engineering and manufacturing operations. The company maintains a global production footprint and emphasizes in-house development, especially for standard gasoline and hybrid powertrains. Notable exceptions occur when Toyota collaborates with partners like Subaru for certain models (most prominently the Toyota 86 / GR86), where the engine is developed and built outside Toyota’s own facilities. These partnerships are carefully managed to preserve Toyota’s overall design integrity and performance goals.
