Toyota has finally announced that it will no longer be able to sustain production at the NUMMI production facility, meaning that thousands may be out of work and some vehicles may only be available as used cars in New Jersey.
The Japanese automaker had previously built the Corolla compact sedan, the Matrix hatchback and the Tacoma there, but the Matrix was discontinued after General Motors shuttered Pontiac. Corollas will now be produced in Ontario, Canada and Tacomas will be built in San Antonio, company officials announced.
There had been a struggle to keep the facility viable after General Motors backed out of the joint venture that had led to NUMMI’s creation, and now aficionados may want to consider used Pontiac Vibes or a used Toyota Matrix in New Jersey.
“We remain strongly committed to maintaining a substantial production presence in the U.S. and North America,” said Atsushi Niimi, Toyota’s North American head. “To that end, we will consider moving additional Corolla production back to North America over time.”