Where is the Vibe built?

[Sparky]

Just curious if anyone knows where their making these things?

[BCGT]

I believe it is built at NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.) in Fremont, CA. It is a joint Toyota/GM plant that has built mostly Toyota products and GM counterparts (i.e. Corolla/Prizm). Interestingly, the Vibe is not built alongside the Toyota Matrix. The Matrix is built at TMMC (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada) in Cambridge, Ontario. http://www.nummi.com http://65.112.188.100/photo_library/dis ... =nummifact http://www.tmmc.ca http://65.112.188.100/photo_library/dis ... d=tmmcfact
[Modified by BCGT, 5:12 AM 4/8/2002]

[Sparky]

Ahhhhh,...I see, thanks. So, I also wonder how "American" it really is. Do any of the proceeds go overseas? I want an American made car. No offence to forign car owners though.

[mlevine]

The Vibe is a full dometic model. It's sold by Pontiac and built right here in San Francisco Bay Area in Fremont, CA. Toyota exports a version of the Vibe back to Japan where it's sold as the Voltz.The plant where it's built, NUMMI, used to be a total GM plant that made Camaros before it was basically rebuilt from the ground up by GM with Toyota. They also manufacture the Toyota Tacoma compact truck there.All profits go to GM for the car.- Mike

[Fformula88]

Its about as American as a car gets nowadays. Since all cars have a portion of parts from outside the country, there is no "true" America car. I have not seen a parts content sticker (that I paid attention to) on the Vibe, but it would tell you where the engine/trans is from and the percentage of foreign and domestic parts on it.

[BCGT]

By the government's definition they are domestic products, as the Vibe and Matrix exceed the 75% US- or Canada-sourced parts content required to classify a car as a domestic product. So, the majority of parts are domestic sourced. The original materials for the car are of North American origin. Much of the interior is sourced from the 2003 US-spec Corolla (which are built in the US and Canada). As far as the base (1ZZ-FE) engine goes, I'm pretty sure those will be North America-sourced from either TMMC or TMMWV (I'm not certain that NUMMI produces any 1ZZ-FE engines), since they are currently in production there. The 2ZZ-GE in the Vibe GT I am unsure of though; as far as I know, it hasn't been produced in the US yet, as the only vehicle to be offered with the 2ZZ-GE in the US market prior to the Matrix/Vibe introduction was the Celica GT-S, not manufactured in the US.Each manufacturer will keep their own profits on their respective vehicles, as mentioned above.

[Sparky]

So it's prob. just as, "American made", as my blazer,...ya think?...and thanks for all the info everone

[gts24]

Good comments everyone. I really could care less where my car is made as long as I love my car. I mean, when Pontiac brings back the GT0,,,, if it's feasible I will consider getting it. I find it interesting all the people that hate on Japanese cars and yet their "American" car is made in Mexico.... so which would you rather have? A car made in Japan or Mexico?

[Fformula88]

Mexican production is another good point. A lot of domestic nameplates are assembled there... some Ford Focuses and PT Cruisers to name just two. GM is also going to start contracting out the whole interiors of its cars in a few years, so the only real part in building it will be bolting it inside the frame. The industry is heading towards cars that are built completely by contract, and the auto companies will more or less just market them. Thats still in the future, and may change but it is the direction they are going.