Mazda is a Japanese multinational automaker company founded in 1920. Its previous name was Toyo Kogyo although all of its cars bore the name of Mazda as part of their model title. The company officially changed its name to Mazda in 1984. It is the 22nd largest automaker in the world and has a world market share of 2.3%.
But you must be wondering where are Mazdas made? What’s the biggest Mazda manufacturing plant? And how to check where a specific Mazda was produced? In this article, you are going to answer all of these questions.
Where is Mazda Manufactured?
Unlike other Japanese car brands like Toyota and Honda, the majority of Mazda cars are produced in Japan. About two-thirds (66%) of total Mazda cars are produced in Japan.
Mazda also owns many manufacturing and assembly facilities in different parts of the world. In some countries, it has joint ventures with national and multi-national car companies.
Also read: Why are Mazdas so Cheap? Is it Because They’re Unreliable?
- Japan
In total, Mazda has three manufacturing plants in Japan. Two of them are in Hiroshima and the other one is in Yamaguchi. Its oldest plant is located in Hiroshima and it first started production in 1931.
Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-5, CX-8. CX-9, CX-30, MX-5, and Abarth 124 Spider are manufactured in Japan for the local and international markets.
- Thailand
In Thailand, Mazda has a joint venture with Ford Motor Company and it is named Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT). The JV has two manufacturing facilities in Rayong, Thailand. It first started production in 1998.
Mazda2, Mazda3, BT-50, and CX-3 are manufactured in these plants for the local and international markets.
- Vietnam
In 2011 Mazda announced its joint venture with THACO in Vietnam. A manufacturing facility was built in the Nui Thanh district with an annual production capacity of 10,000 vehicles.
Mazda manufactures BT-50 and CX-5 models in this facility for the local Vietnam market.
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- Malaysia
For the Southeast Asia market, Mazda has an assembly plant in Kulim, Malaysia. It is a joint venture with Inokom Cooperation and the plant first started its production in 2011.
Currently, Mazda CX-5 and Mazda CX-8 models are being produced in this plant.
- Mexico
In Mexico, Mazda had a joint venture with Sumitomo Cooperation. But in 2020 Mazda bought all the shares and became the sole owner of the production facility in Salamanca, Mexico. It is also known as Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO) and has a production capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year.
Mazda2, Mazda3, and CX-30 are manufactured in this plant for the local, American, and European markets.
- Russia
Mazda established a manufacturing facility in Russia as a 50:50 joint venture with Sollers PJSC. The plant is located in the city of Vladivostok and started production in 2012. It has an annual production capacity of 70,000 vehicles.
Currently, Mazda is producing CX-5, CX-9, and Mazda6 models in this plant for the Russian market.
- China
Changan Automobile and Mazda own a manufacturing facility in China as a 50:50 joint venture. The JV was formed in 2012 and the production plant is located in the city of Nanjing.
The plant is currently producing Mazda CX-5, CX-8, CX-30, Mazda3, and Mazda6 for the local Chinese market.
Below is the table summarizing the countries of origin of popular Mazda models and the markets for which they are produced.
| MODEL | WHERE IT’S PRODUCED | FOR WHICH MARKET |
| Mazda2 | Yamaguchi, Japan | Worldwide |
| Rayong, Thailand | Worldwide | |
| Salamanca, Mexico | North America, South America, and Europe | |
| Mazda3 | Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, Japan | Worldwide |
| Rayong, Thailand | Worldwide | |
| Nanjing, China | China | |
| Salamanca, Mexico | North America, South America, and Europe | |
| Mazda6 | Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, Japan | Worldwide |
| Vladivostok, Russia | Russia | |
| Nanjing, China | China | |
| Mazda MX-5 | Hiroshima, Japan | Worldwide |
| Mazda CX-3 | Yamaguchi, Japan | Worldwide |
| Rayong, Thailand | Worldwide | |
| Mazda CX-5 | Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, Japan | Worldwide |
| Nui Thanh, Vietnam | Vietnam | |
| Kulim, Malaysia | Southeast Asia | |
| Vladivostok, Russia | Russia | |
| Nanjing, China | China | |
| Mazda CX-8 | Hiroshima, Japan | Worldwide |
| Kulim, Malaysia | Southeast Asia | |
| Nanjing, China | China | |
| Mazda CX-9 | Hiroshima, Japan | Worldwide |
| Vladivostok, Russia | Russia | |
| Mazda CX-30 | Hiroshima, Japan | Worldwide |
| Nanjing, China | China | |
| Salamanca, Mexico | North America, South America, and Europe | |
| Mazda BT-50 | Rayong, Thailand | Worldwide |
| Nui Thanh, Vietnam | Vietnam |
Also read: Where is Toyota Manufactured? (The Full List)
What’s the Biggest Mazda Manufacturing Plant?
Mazda has the biggest manufacturing facility in the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The annual production capacity of the facility is 569,000 vehicles.
The complex includes two plants, officially named U1 and U2 because of their location in the Ujina district. U1 plant was established in 1966 and has a production capacity of 291,000 vehicles per year. Whereas, the U2 plant was opened in 1972.
Mazda’s car museum is also located within this plant. The museum showcase Mazda’s historical car models along with the current and future models.
Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-30, CX-5, CX-8, CX-9, MX-5, and Abarth 124 Spider are the current products of this plant. These models are manufactured for both local and international markets.
In Which Other Countries is Mazda Made?
Although Japan is the main producer of Mazda cars, Mazda also manufactures its cars in six other countries. The list includes Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, China, and Russia.
The combined production of all countries other than Japan is about 33% of the total production. Most of these production facilities were established under joint venture programs.
In the past, Mazda also used to produce cars in South Korea, Columbia, Ecuador, Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Zimbabwe. But the production of these plants was stopped due to various financial and technical reasons.
Also read: Do Mazdas Last Long? (8 Popular Models Lifespans)
How to Check Where a Specific Mazda was Produced?
There are two common ways to check the manufacturing country of any Mazda car. You can either check it by looking at the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or by seeing the manufacturer’s plate on the car.
The VIN can often be found by looking at the driver’s side dashboard from the outside. For Mazda cars that were produced in Japan, the first character of the number would be J. The number will start from 3 if the manufacturing country was Mexico.
Below is a table with the list of major characters and their corresponding countries.
| First Character of VIN | Name of The Country Your Toyota was Produced in |
| 1,4, or 5 | U.S |
| 3 | Mexico |
| 8 or 9 | South America |
| J | Japan |
| L | China |
| PL-PR | Malaysia |
| RL-RR | Vietnam |
| ML-MR | Thailand |
| X3-X0 | Russia |
Usually, there is also a manufacturer’s plate placed in between the door and door jamb. It has plenty of useful information like the country of origin, production date, gross vehicle weight rating (VWR), and trim code of the car.
Is Mazda from Different Manufacturing Plants Different Quality?
Mazda cars that are built in Japan are slightly better in quality than the cars built in other countries.
They are produced using the exact same technology and manufacturing processes. It is the Japanese workforce that makes the difference. Japanese people are well known for their work ethic, discipline, and dedication. They take pride in their work and produce near-perfect vehicles.
Because of the innovation and automation in the automobile industry, this difference is decreasing continuously and will almost become negligible at the end of this decade.
Where are Mazdas Designed?
The majority of Mazda cars are designed and developed in Japan. Mazda has two research and development sites in the country, one in Hiroshima and the other one in Yokohama.
Mazda has also R&D centers in the U.S, Germany, and China. They are responsible for the design and development for the respective markets. These R&D sites also evaluate product conformity of Mazda cars with the local market standards.
Is Mazda Planning to Open New Manufacturing Plants or Close Any Existing Ones?
Mazda has recently started production in the U.S and will further expand in the coming years. During the years 2020 and 2021, Mazda halted production at several of its facilities due to Coronavirus and the global shortage of silicon chips.
But these suspensions are temporary, and closed plants will return to full production once the situation gets normal.
In 2018 Mazda announced a joint venture with Toyota and planned to build a new manufacturing plant in Alabama, U.S. The plant has the capacity to build 300,000 vehicles per year. It has started production in 2022.
Initially, Mazda is manufacturing CX-50 at this facility for the North American market.
How Many People Does Mazda Hire?
Currently, Mazda has more than 50,000 employees and plans to hire more for its newly built production facility in the U.S.
The recently inaugurated manufacturing plant in Alabama has 2,800 employees. Mazda is looking to expand its workforce by adding 1,200 more employees during the year 2022. This will take the total number of employees to four thousand, and the plant will begin its second shift this year.
Also read: Where is Honda Made? (The Full List)
How Many Cars Does Mazda Make a Year?
During the year 2021, Mazda produced 1.07 million cars. This figure is 8.5% less than the previous year.
Out of these 1.07 million vehicles, 735,649 were made in Japan and the rest were produced in overseas factories. The U.S was the top market for Mazda cars followed by China, Japan, and Europe. The best-selling models were CX-5, Mazda3, and CX-30.
Where is Mazda Headquarters?
Mazda’s headquarter is in Fuchu, Hiroshima, Japan.
It was established in the year 1920 and for more than a century it has been serving as the headquarters of Mazda Motor Cooperation.
Who is Mazda Owned by?
Mazda is not owned by a single person. It is a public company and several companies and persons own shares of it.
Japan Trustee Services Bank is the major stakeholder in Mazda. It owns 6.3% of the shares. 5% shares of the company are owned by Toyota. Kiyotaka Shobuda is the current chairman and Akira Marumoto is the president & CEO of Mazda Motor Cooperation.
References:
en.wikipedia.org, newsroom.mazda.com, best-selling-cars.com, mazda.com, epicvin.com, madeinalabama.com, macrotrends.net
