Toyota Assembly Plant in Texas Turns Twenty

by Matthew Guy

Published: October 26th, 2023

toyota assembly plant in texas turns twenty

Whilst we don’t generally run news of this sort, it is worth noting that this month represents a full two decades since Toyota put shovels in the ground to build what would become their San Antonio truck plant, a spot which currently cranks out Tundra and Sequoia machines.

Why is it worth noting? Because the products that pop from this plant are one of the few that have had even a meager amount of success in challenging the Detroit Three in the half-ton truck game. Other challengers have come and gone but the Tundra and Sequoia have managed to stick around and be relatively successful. That’s something to crow about – even if the market share of these models remains a sliver of what Detroit grabs every year.

Since breaking ground in 2003, Toyota Texas has assembled upwards of 3 million trucks and SUVs since production started in 2006. The company claims this place represents $4.2 billion in the Lone Star State, though specifics on that figure are tough to nail down. Suffice it to say that any automotive plant producing this many vehicles has far-reaching positive effects on the area in which it is located, from direct jobs to supplier contracts to local businesses that benefit from people spending their Toyota paychecks.

If you need a brief history lesson, the Tundra has been produced steadily at this facility since it opened in 2006, though the Sequoia only began life there in 2022. That was one year after Tacoma production was shuttled off elsewhere, ending an 11-year run that began in 2010. Through the third quarter of this annum, just over 92,000 Tundra pickups have been sold plus about 15,000 Sequoia SUVs.

Toyota has also donated more than $50 million to local nonprofit organizations, including a hundred grand this week to The Institute for School & Community Partnerships at Texas A&M University San Antonio and The 100 Club of San Antonio. It seems the names of societies in Texas are as big as the state itself.

[Images: Toyota]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#Toyota #Texas #Production #Sales

Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 22 comments

TheEndlessEnigma on Oct 27, 2023

Is that 3 million vehicle number correct? It averages out to 150,000 vehicles a year, that seems like a rather lower volume plant.

Like Reply
Kwik_Shift_Pro4X on Oct 27, 2023

Too bad for all of those rusty truck frames getting through.

Like Reply
- Carson D on Nov 03, 2023
  
  Those were UAW built frames from Dana that were delivered with falsified inspection reports to go along with the corrosion treatment steps that were paid for by Toyota and skipped by Dana/UAW. It was sabotage that worked because there was nobody in the media willing to tell the truth about the UAW.
  
  1

Recent Comments

Rishabh Ive actually seen the one unit you mentioned, driving around in gurugram once. And thats why i got curious to know more about how many they sold. Seems like i saw the only one!
Amy I owned this exact car from 16 until 19 (1990 to 1993) I miss this car immensely and am on the search to own it again, although it looks like my search may be in vane. It was affectionatly dubbed, " The Dragon Wagon," and hauled many a teenager around the city of Charlotte, NC. For me, it was dependable and trustworthy. I was able to do much of the maintenance myself until I was struck by lightning and a month later the battery exploded. My parents did have the entire electrical system redone and he was back to new. I hope to find one in the near future and make it my every day driver. I'm a dreamer.
Jeff Overall I prefer the 59 GM cars to the 58s because of less chrome but I have a new appreciation of the 58 Cadillac Eldorados after reading this series. I use to not like the 58 Eldorados but I now don't mind them. Overall I prefer the 55-57s GMs over most of the 58-60s GMs. For the most part I like the 61 GMs. Chryslers I like the 57 and 58s. Fords I liked the 55 thru 57s but the 58s and 59s not as much with the exception of Mercury which I for the most part like all those. As the 60s progressed the tail fins started to go away and the amount of chrome was reduced. More understated.
Theflyersfan Nissan could have the best auto lineup of any carmaker (they don't), but until they improve one major issue, the best cars out there won't matter. That is the dealership experience. Year after year in multiple customer service surveys from groups like JD Power and CR, Nissan frequency scrapes the bottom. Personally, I really like the never seen new Z, but after having several truly awful Nissan dealer experiences, my shadow will never darken a Nissan showroom. I'm painting with broad strokes here, but maybe it is so ingrained in their culture to try to take advantage of people who might not be savvy enough in the buying experience that they by default treat everyone like idiots and saps. All of this has to be frustrating to Nissan HQ as they are improving their lineup but their dealers drag them down.
SPPPP I am actually a pretty big Alfa fan ... and that is why I hate this car.