REPORT: Toyota to end production at NUMMI in March
2009 Toyota Matrix - Click above for high-res image gallery
Word 'round the campfire (okay, by way of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper in Japan and via Reuters) is that Toyota will end production at its NUMMI plant in California in March of next year. Though a spokesperson for the automaker claims no final decision has been made about an official closing of the plant, reports indicate that suppliers have already been notified about plans to shutter the assembly lines early next year after more than a quarter century in operation.
General Motors' only current contribution to the plant in California is the Pontiac Vibe, which officially ends production this month. Toyota is said to be moving production of the Tacoma pickup to its plant in San Antonio, Texas, and final assembly of the Corolla will reportedly join the Matrix, its hatchback sibling, in Ontario, Canada and a factory in Japan.
Gallery: 2009 Toyota Corolla Matrix
[Source: Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Taglane 6:57PM (8/17/2009)
This is bad... My uncle works there and now he's gonna have to find a new job, which is already hard enough in this economy.
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daleam 7:44PM (8/17/2009)
Que "your lazy underworked and overpaid UAW criminal slob uncle deserves it" comment in 5, 4, 3, 2.....
daleam 1:49AM (8/18/2009)
Christ. Have some appreciation for sarcasm.
daleam 1:51AM (8/18/2009)
Yep. I found the comment by dumbass UltraP down below as predicted.
maestro mario 7:21PM (8/17/2009)
I just can't understand why GM gets rid of one of it's few good vehicules.
To me it would have made total sense to slap the bow tie logo on the grille.
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BoneHeadOtto 10:08PM (8/17/2009)
Probably because they let go of the brand that they sold it under.
djSyndrome916 10:54PM (8/17/2009)
And compete against its own HHR? Not likely.
maestro mario 11:39PM (8/17/2009)
It's true, but since Chrysler's PR Cruiser is going away, the HHR should be dropped too. The HHR is just too little, too late. Way too late.
Like I said they've decided to keep the bad one. Honestly you have to sit in the claustrophobic interior of the HHR to start understanding why it has no chance against a vehicule like the new Kia Soul as an example. And considering it's size, how come it's so heavy?
Luis 10:30AM (8/18/2009)
Exactly, why the hell do they need the Orlando when they have a good engine/platform right there.
Joe K. 7:35PM (8/17/2009)
As an owner of a 2009 Vibe, it's too bad to see them go. It is a wonderful value for a vehicle and the plastic cargo area only makes sense. Children, beach and camping, it's easy as pie to clean it up, plus long trips, I have my XM radio. So nice...
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the4thheat 2:13AM (8/18/2009)
You know...anybody who wanted to buy a Vibe can still buy the identical Matrix...and heck, you can even put a Pontiac logo on it.
I was considering a Matrix/Vibe at some point and frankly the only thing that mattered one way or the other was the pricing and depreciation (and to a lesser extent the styling but back then I was looking at the first gen Vibe and the body cladding...)
So as far as consumer choice goes nothing's really changed except that you can't buy anything branded Pontiac anymore.
Joe K. 7:46AM (8/18/2009)
Except that at the time I bought it, my GT came standard with XM radio, Traction control and VSC. All things that cost extra on the Matrix. Plus I had the GM Family discount from my father-in-law. So I got what would have been a $22K Matrix (even with a deep discount, my wife was working at a Toyota dealer at the time) for $18.5K... Plus I think the Vibe GT looks better, but that's personal preference...
wvuquentin 7:43PM (8/17/2009)
Certainly will be disappointing if this happens. Toyota has too much capacity right now and California isn't exactly the cheapest place to build a vehicle. They were left in a tough spot with the capacity, the economy, and GM pulling out.
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farmer0904 7:47PM (8/17/2009)
Do you cry for the union workers there. I want to feel bad but I don't because I am making only 16.50 an hr , while they are making 27.00 dollars or more an hr! I don't find it easy to survive off of 16.50 a hr but I do. maybe the UAW there should offer to work for 15.00 to no more then 20.00 dollars a hr . A lower paying job is better then a high paying job thats about to go bye bye! also if president obama can pass the health reform bill hen maybe toyota could save more costs on health insurance prices by not giving its workers insurance! Again a job making 9 dollars over the min wage is better then a laid off high paying job . it might seem cruel in some ways but its true ! I as a consumer can not afford the higher price of a price tag on a car that figures in uaw pay rates!
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daleam 7:56PM (8/17/2009)
Where do you live? Do you have any idea what the cost of living is in the area? I know of people who went to work there and had to share houses because they couldn't afford one of their own. And it's about more than just wages. Doing business in California is expensive and the economy is shot. NUMMI is paying about the same wages as any Toyota plant in the United States whether the plant is union or not.
john riley 9:56PM (8/17/2009)
I don't see what you gain from these jobs going away. They spent that money in the community, and that meant jobs for other people.
I think the issue is Toyota's excess capacity, especially that big fancy truck plant in TX.
the4thheat 2:07AM (8/18/2009)
I used to make about that much and I lived in NYC. You don't really *have* to have your own house. I can see how it'd be tough if you have kids but if there are two incomes in the household it's certainly doable if you're good at managing your money-I think a lot of people are really bad at money management though.
Poe 8:15PM (8/17/2009)
That's too bad... I really like my NUMMI-built Tacoma. My primary complaint about it is the pathetic Delphi-sourced radio in it. The first one flaked out after less than a week and the replacement is showing signs that it's going to do the same thing after just a few months. LOTS of people with 2009's are having this same problem. Time to place an order with Crutchfield I guess. Makes me wonder what other GM-supplier garbage has found its way into the Tacomas as a result of this joint venture. This closing sucks for the workers in Freemont, but at least Toyota is keeping that Tacoma production line in this country.
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Judy Zik 8:34PM (8/17/2009)
How many times do we have to correct you folks. Here is a link... http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/wa/vp?vp=Home.TMMC
Cambridge already builds the Corolla. They have been building it since they started in 1988. This is why I laugh every time someone tells me the Corolla is made in the USA. Most of the Corolla's made in Cambridge go to the US (though Cambridge does supply all of the Corolla's for the Canadian market as well). Nummi builds them as well but is not the sole supplier for the US market. The Matrix is built in Cambridge not Nummi. Nummi only built the Pontiac Vibe not the Matrix.
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Matt K 8:51PM (8/17/2009)
It is true that they messed up on not mentioning Cambridge the other source of the Corolla, but please READ THE ARTICLE!
"final assembly of the Corolla will reportedly join the Matrix, its hatchback sibling, in Ontario, Canada and a factory in Japan"
They never said the Matrix was made at NUMMI.