US car salesman appears shocked by manufacturing sticker on his Toyota, but there's an explanation
Published on Jul 07, 2025 at 7:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jul 07, 2025 at 11:21 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A car salesman from the US was shocked after spotting something strange on the manufacturing sticker on his Toyota Corolla, but there’s actually a pretty simple explanation.
After taking a closer look at the manufacturing sticker on his car, he noticed that it had been made by a different company altogether.
But fear not, he wasn’t driving around in a fake Toyota.
Because there’s a simple, and quite interesting, reason why.
Why would a Toyota Corolla have Mazda on its manufacturing sticker?
Folks who work in car sales get to learn all sorts of things over the years, like which car is the hardest to sell, and a subtle way to let people know they haven’t been approved for a loan.
But the car salesman behind the @alawapprovesautoloans TikTok account recently turned to his followers to ask if they could explain something strange he spotted on his Toyota’s manufacturing sticker.
Although the car was a Toyota Corolla, the manufacturing sticker said it had been built by ‘Mazda Toyota Manufacturing US Inc’.
Confusing, right?
“Can someone explain to me why it says ‘manufactured by Mazda Toyota Manufacturing?’” he said in the clip.
“I have no idea. Mazda and Toyota had a collaboration?”
Well, it turns out that the salesman actually knows the answer and provided some insight in the caption.
In 2021, Mazda and Toyota opened a joint manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.
The factory produces the Toyota Corolla Cross and the Mazda CX-50.
So, even though the Toyota Corolla in question is very much the real-deal, by law the car must display the name of the manufacturer at the point of assembly, which is the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant.
The manufacturing sticker would carry the same name whether it was on a Mazda Toyota Manufacturing made Mazda or Toyota.
This doesn’t mean the Toyota is some sort of rebadged Mazda, as the name on the label is only to clearly show that they came from the joint factory and doesn’t mean the cars share parts.
Toyota has shared facilities in the past
Carmakers sharing plants like this isn’t common but it’s not unheard of.
In fact, Toyota has previously had a similar set up with General Motors.
@alawapprovesautoloans 🎯 Hey, quick question for my mechanic fam, car lovers, and picky SUV shoppers: why does your Toyota Corolla Cross have Mazda badging inside? Seriously, it’s wild—but actually makes total sense: • 🤝 It’s built at the Mazda‑Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama—a 50/50 joint‑venture that started building the Corolla Cross in September 2021. MTM cranks out both the Corolla Cross and Mazda CX‑50 side by side on different assembly lines . • 🎨 That gorgeous Soul Red Crystal paint? It’s Mazda’s signature color, and Toyota started offering it on the 2025 Corolla Cross thanks to this partnership . It’s honestly not some weird crossover conspiracy—it’s badge engineering and platform sharing, a classic move automakers use to save R&D and plant costs . ⸻ But here’s the real conversation-starter: If Mazda’s building it and Toyota’s just slapping on their badge—and charging like it’s a Toyota—is it worth the premium? 🤔 These cars share so much under the skin now, is brand loyalty just a marketing thing? What do you think? • Is paying Toyota money for Mazda-built quality smart or smoke & mirrors? • Which badge would you rock—Mazda or Toyota? • Or are they twins just wearing different jackets? Let’s hear it 👇 ⸻ #Co#CorollaCrossMysterya#MazdaToyotaMTMa#BadgeEngineeringo#SoulRedCrystala#CarTalkU#SUVShowdowno#ToyotaVsMazdar#BrandBrosa#CarDealerLifee#MechanicMemesa#CarPeopleu#BuildLocationMattersa#CarConversationh#ThisOrThath#WhatWouldZoomZoomDoa#CarBrandLoyaltyr#DriveDebatei#TikTokCarTalke#RealCarTalka#MazdaCrewo#ToyotaTribe ♬ original sound – buyherepayherepops
It’s a way to keep costs down by sharing facilities and infrastructure, while still creating their own distinct vehicles.
“It’s honestly not some weird crossover conspiracy,” the TikToker explained.
“It’s badge engineering and platform sharing, a classic move automakers use to save R&D and plant costs.”
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
