10 Japanese Cars You Didn’t Know Were Made In America

Japan is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, maintaining a standard of excellence in all segments, from economy cars to luxury and sports cars. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Subaru are some of the big-name brands from Japan that have given the world the best cars ever driven. These Japanese cars have become favorites for all drivers even in America where many drivers prefer Japanese cars over their American counterparts.

However, Japan is over 6,000 miles away from the United States, and importing the best cars from Japan can be economically suboptimal. Thus, these Japanese car manufacturers have decided to build their assembly line on American soil to bring these great cars closer to Japanese car enthusiasts in the US. In this list are 10 Japanese cars you may not know were built on American soil.

10 Acura NSX

Manufactured in: Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc., Marysville Auto Plant, Marysville, Ohio.

Back in 2016, Honda assembled the Acura NSX on American soil for the first time. Considered one of the fastest Japanese sports cars ever built, the Acura NSX is a fan favorite among Japanese car collectors and was even. Production of the Acura NSX in Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio lasted for 6 years and has sold an estimated 2900 cars globally. In January 2022, Honda announced that it would build 350 units of the Limited Edition Acura NSX for the last time.

With the 2022 Acura NSX being Acura’s final NSX model, Honda truly pulled all the stops and produced one of Honda’s fastest cars ever. It’s fitted with a hybrid powertrain that surpasses all other Honda and Acura models in power – a twin-turbo V6 coupled with three electric motors mounted in the middle of the car. 600 horsepower and 492 lb-ft of torque is the maximum output from this Japanese beast as it accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 191 miles per hour. Although Honda has stopped the assembly line for the Acura NSX in Ohio, the manufacturing plant still produces some Honda cars in its lineup.

9 Honda Accord

Manufactured in: Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc., Marysville Auto Plant, Marysville, Ohio.

40 years of production and 12.5 Million Honda Accords sold. That is how popular the Honda Accord is in the US. The Accord is considered one of the best-selling cars of all time. The same manufacturing plant that assembled the Acura NSX started the production of the Honda Accord on November 1, 1982, and still produces the same extremely reliable sedan. With multiple awards under its belt, the Honda Accord has become a favorite for buyers as this car features a very comfortable drive and a lot of safety features most especially the 2022 – 2024 Honda Accords.

The Honda Accord has evolved from a simple hatchback to one of the most recognizable sedans and has become a standard of how tough and reliable a car should be. Honda’s Marysville Auto Plan in Ohio has truly improved and innovated the Honda Accord through the years and now the assembly line is busy in building the new 2024 Honda Accord. Keeping at pace with today’s trend, the 2024 Honda Accord now has a Hybrid Powertrain and is installed with all the modern Honda Technology and safety features.

8 Honda CR-V

Manufactured in: Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc., East Liberty Auto Plant, East Liberty, Ohio; and Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, Greensburg, Indiana.

The Comfortable Runabout Vehicle more popularly known as the CR-V is another Japanese car built in the US and has already sold nearly 6 million units. It has been one of America’s best-selling SUVs since its US launch in 1997 and is still the best-selling Honda vehicle since 2017. Assembled in 2 manufacturing plants in the US namely the East Liberty Plant in Ohio and the Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in Greensburg Indiana, the Honda CR-V is now in its Sixth Generation and the 2023 Honda CR-V is now the highlight of the CR-V.

Keeping up with today’s trends, the 2024 Honda CR-V features two power trains: a gasoline-powered 1.5-liter turbo 4-cylinder and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder hybrid. The new CR-V also offers a significant increase in mileage as the hybrid powertrain can reach up to 43 miles per gallon in fuel consumption. Expect this CR-V to be another best-seller from Honda as it is expected to be released late this year.

7 Acura RDX

Manufactured in: Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc., East Liberty Auto Plant, East Liberty, Ohio.

Another Honda Luxury vehicle that is built in the US is the Acura RDX, a compact SUV with the same platform as the Honda Civic and the CR-V. Having sold more than 600,000 units globally since 2006, the East Liberty Auto Plant in East Liberty, Ohio continues to make the Acura RDX, and it is set to release the 2024 Acura RDX early next year. With the 2023 Acura RDX looking like a hit for a luxury SUV, expect the 2024 Acura RDX to be another success for the American-based Japanese luxury car.

Unlike the 2024 Honda CR-V, the 2024 Acura RDX will feature a non-hybrid turbocharged gasoline engine. However, it is guaranteed that this car will still be fuel-efficient as the manufacturer claims that the 2024 Acura RDX will have a combined gas mileage of 23 miles per gallon while being driven by its 272-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.

6 Toyota Camry

Manufactured in: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Toyota produces some of the most reliable cars in the world and one of them is the Toyota Camry. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown, Kentucky is the main assembly line for the Toyota Camry in the US and has sold around 13 million units in the US and over 21 million worldwide making it one of the best-selling cars of all time. The Toyota Camry’s reputation has grown over the years and is now considered to be a perfect car for commuters due to it being a very reliable car.

This year, the 2024 Toyota Camry was introduced to the public as part of its 7th generation. Two engine choices will be available for the 2024 Toyota Camry: a base 2.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine and a 3.5-liter V6 engine for the XLE V6, XSE V6, and TRD trims. Expect the 2024 Toyota Camry to become another best-selling car in the US and stay in production on American soil for years to come.

5 Toyota Sequoia

Manufactured in: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Princeton, Indiana.

The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size SUV so powerful it can tow payloads like a full-size pickup truck. The assembly of this SUV started in 2001 at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana, and continued production until 2021.

After a brief hiatus due to COVID, the assembly of the Toyota Sequoia resumed production in 2022 but at a different location in the Toyota Motor Manufacturing in San Antonio, Texas. This assembly plant successfully released the 2023 Toyota Sequoia and will soon debut the all-new 2024 Toyota Sequoia. A capable full-size hybrid SUV, the 2024 Toyota Sequoia will boast a powerful 3.5-liter V6 hybrid engine that can tow up to 9,000 pounds of payload without sacrificing fuel economy. Toyota Motor Manufacturing in San Antonio will surely have its hands full when orders for the 2024 Toyota Sequoia come rushing in.

4 Toyota Tacoma

Manufactured in: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, San Antonio, Texas.

“Everything is bigger in Texas,” is true even for this Japanese truck. The Toyota Tacoma is big for a midsize truck that has become America’s top pick when it comes to pickup trucks thanks to its reliability, toughness, and longevity. Even the first-generation Toyota Tacoma is considered a living legend since some of these trucks are still running even today.

Toyota Motors Manufacturing in San Antonio, Texas continues to produce this midsize Japanese truck. Later this year, the assembly line will release the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma, and in the spring of 2024, the Toyota Tacoma i-Force Max will start rolling out of the production line.

3 Nissan Pathfinder

Manufactured in: Nissan North America, Inc., Smyrna, Tennessee.

Nissan started manufacturing the Nissan Pathfinder in the Nissan North America, Inc. assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee in 1985 and is still rolling off the assembly lines today. The early models of the Pathfinder came in 2 chassis types: a midsize pickup truck chassis and an SUV chassis. Now, only the SUV chassis is being produced by the Smyrna manufacturing plant in Tennessee.

This year, Nissan continues to roll out the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder and has already sold at least 40,000 units in the US. In the Summer of 2024, Nissan is expected to release the new Nissan Pathfinder in an 8-seater full-size SUV trim.

2 Nissan Titan

Manufactured in: Nissan North America, Inc., Canton, Mississippi.

Canton, Mississippi is the home of the Nissan Titan, the big brother of the Nissan Frontier. Making its debut in 2004, the Nissan Titan became one of the toughest full-size trucks in America. Nissan North America, Inc. continues to assemble the Nissan Titan until today; however, announcements have been made that Nissan will discontinue the Nissan Titan in the summer of 2024 as sales have slowly come to a decline.

The discontinuation of the Nissan Titan will also usher in a new era for the full-size truck as this Japanese car will transition from the V8 gasoline engine to a fully electric system. Expect that the halt in production will be temporary as Nissan has made announcements to build an all-new fully-electric Nissan Titan by 2030.

1 Subaru Impreza

Manufactured in: Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., Lafayette, Indiana.

In 2002, the Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. in Lafayette, Indiana finally rolled out the Subaru Impreza WRX STI model for the first time, and the rest is history. Having won multiple World Rally Championships, the Subaru Impreza has become a favorite for American racing fans. Subaru has sold nearly a million units of the Impreza since 2005 and continues to sell it like hotcakes today.

Now, Subaru has created the 2023 Subaru Impreza 22B STI to commemorate the first generation Subaru Impreza and is set to be released either late this year or in the early parts of 2024.