How Many Toyota RAV4s Were Made in the USA? VIN Clues and Plant Info

Last updated: September 11, 2026. Toyota RAV4s sold in the United States are assembled in more than one country. For the 2026 model year, Toyota says RAV4 Hybrid (HEV) models are assembled in Georgetown, Kentucky, and in Woodstock and Cambridge, Ontario, while RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) models are assembled in Japan. Toyota does not publish a simple current annual total for Kentucky-built RAV4s, so plant capacity, plant-wide output, and RAV4-specific production should not be treated as the same number. For a specific vehicle, use the full 17-character VIN to confirm its assembly plant.

Quick Answer

Toyota does build RAV4s in the USA: Georgetown, Kentucky, assembles the RAV4 Hybrid. For 2026, RAV4 Hybrid models are assembled in Kentucky and Ontario, Canada, while RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid models are assembled in Japan. Toyota has not published a current calendar-year total limited to Kentucky-built RAV4s. A roughly 100,000-unit annual RAV4 Hybrid capacity was announced for Kentucky when production was added, while the entire Kentucky plant assembled 444,414 vehicles in 2025. Those figures measure different things. Use the full 17-character VIN in the NHTSA VIN Decoder to confirm an individual RAV4’s plant.

Key Takeaways

  • Georgetown, Kentucky, began RAV4 Hybrid production in January 2020 and began assembling the all-new sixth-generation RAV4 Hybrid on June 22, 2026.
  • For the 2026 U.S. lineup, RAV4 Hybrid models come from Kentucky and Ontario, while RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid models are assembled in Japan.
  • Toyota announced about 100,000 units of annual RAV4 Hybrid capacity for Kentucky when the model was added, but capacity is not the same as actual yearly production.
  • Toyota reports 444,414 total vehicles assembled at its Kentucky plant in 2025; that figure covers the plant’s full vehicle mix, not RAV4s alone.
  • Use the complete VIN and an official decoder to confirm the country and plant for an individual vehicle.

Where Are 2026 Toyota RAV4s Made for the U.S. Market?

The 2026 RAV4 is a fully electrified lineup in the United States, offered as a Hybrid Electric Vehicle or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Toyota’s current production information places the two powertrains in different factory networks.

2026 RAV4 Powertrain Assembly Locations Serving the U.S. Market What to Know
Hybrid (HEV) Georgetown, Kentucky; Woodstock and Cambridge, Ontario A U.S.-sold RAV4 Hybrid is not automatically Kentucky-built. Check the VIN.
Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Japan Toyota states that 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid models are assembled in Japan. Use the VIN for the exact plant.

The Production History of the Toyota RAV4 in the U.S.

rav4 production boosts local economy

The RAV4 reached North America in 1996, years before Toyota began assembling it in Kentucky. A vehicle’s U.S. sales launch is not the same as the start of U.S. production.

Toyota began RAV4 production in Woodstock, Ontario, in 2008, making Canada the first RAV4 production base outside Japan. Toyota’s Georgetown plant later added RAV4 Hybrid production in January 2020 after Toyota announced approximately 100,000 units of annual capacity for that model.

The factory mix changed again for the sixth generation. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada began production of the all-new RAV4 in January 2026, and Toyota Kentucky began assembling the all-new RAV4 Hybrid on June 22, 2026. These changes confirm that production assignments can shift by generation and powertrain.

The Impact of the Georgetown, Kentucky Plant on RAV4 Supply

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky is a major U.S. assembly complex, but its published plant totals include multiple vehicle lines. You should not treat the factory’s overall annual capacity as a RAV4-only production number.

The Kentucky plant adds domestic RAV4 Hybrid supply and gives Toyota another North American assembly source alongside Ontario. This can improve production flexibility when demand, model changeovers, transportation constraints, or parts availability affect another plant.

Local assembly still does not guarantee continuous dealer inventory. Vehicle availability also depends on component supply, production scheduling, transportation, regional allocation, grade demand, and dealer ordering patterns.

A plant-wide capacity figure is not an annual RAV4 production total. Toyota’s Kentucky complex builds more than one vehicle line, and the model mix changes over time.

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How Many Toyota RAV4s Are Made in the USA Each Year?

Toyota does not consistently publish a simple, current, model-specific total showing exactly how many RAV4s the Georgetown plant assembles each calendar year. Public reports may list plant-wide output, total factory capacity, U.S. sales, regional production, or planned capacity for one model. Those figures are not interchangeable.

When Toyota announced Kentucky RAV4 Hybrid production in March 2019, it said the model would have annual capacity of approximately 100,000 units when production started in January 2020. That figure described planned production capacity, not a guaranteed annual output total.

Toyota’s current Kentucky facility page reports 444,414 vehicles assembled in 2025 and states that the plant is capable of producing 550,000 vehicles annually. Those numbers cover the plant’s vehicle production as a whole, including RAV4 Hybrid and Camry Hybrid production; they are not RAV4-only totals.

A 5,000-unit figure should not be used as Georgetown’s annual RAV4 production total. It is not supported by Toyota’s Kentucky plant data. The accurate answer is that Toyota has published RAV4 Hybrid capacity benchmarks for Kentucky, but a current calendar-year RAV4-only output total is not publicly broken out on the plant page.

Note: Sales totals show how many vehicles customers bought. Production totals show how many vehicles factories assembled. Capacity shows what a plant may be able to build. Do not use one figure as a substitute for another.

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How Do You Decode a Toyota RAV4 VIN to Find the Assembly Plant?

decode rav4 vin origin

Your RAV4’s 17-character vehicle identification number provides a more dependable answer than a trim-level assumption. You can find the VIN at the lower driver’s side of the windshield, on the driver’s door or door-jamb label, and on registration or insurance documents.

VIN Structure Explained

The first three characters form the World Manufacturer Identifier. For 2026 RAV4 and RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid models, Toyota’s NHTSA filing lists JTM for Japan, 2T3 for Canada, and 4T3 for the United States. The 10th character identifies the model year, and the 11th character identifies the assembly plant in Toyota’s model-year coding.

Identifying the Manufacturing Location

  1. Copy the full 17-character VIN exactly as shown on the vehicle.
  2. Open the NHTSA VIN Decoder.
  3. Enter the VIN and review the reported plant city, state or province, and country.
  4. Compare the result with the certification label on the driver’s door jamb or the original window sticker when available.

NHTSA states that its decoder displays build-plant and country information reported by the manufacturer. For a deeper walkthrough, see how to decode where your Toyota RAV4 was made.

2026 RAV4 VIN Plant Codes

Toyota’s 2026 RAV4/RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid VIN filing lists the following 11th-character plant codes. These codes are model-year specific, so do not assume the same code has the same meaning for every Toyota or every year.

11th Character 2026 RAV4 Plant Country
C Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Cambridge Plant Canada
D Toyota Industries Corporation, Nagakusa Plant, Obu, Aichi Japan
J Toyota Motor Corporation, Takaoka Plant, Toyota, Aichi Japan
U Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown United States
W Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Woodstock Plant Canada

Warning: VIN plant codes can change by model year and product line. Use all 17 characters in the NHTSA decoder before ordering plant-specific parts or making claims about a vehicle’s origin.

Do Different U.S. Regions Receive RAV4s From Different Factories?

Regional dealer inventory does not prove that one part of the United States receives vehicles from only one factory. Toyota can allocate vehicles according to demand, grade popularity, transportation routes, and available supply.

For 2026, one dealer may stock more HEV all-wheel-drive models while another has more front-wheel-drive HEVs or Plug-in Hybrids. Vehicles on either lot can have different assembly countries, so inventory patterns are not a reliable substitute for VIN verification.

When comparing vehicles, check each VIN rather than assuming that all RAV4s on the same dealer lot share the same origin.

Where Are U.S.-Market RAV4s Made Outside Kentucky?

For the 2026 U.S. market, Toyota uses a multi-country RAV4 production network. Kentucky supplies RAV4 Hybrid production, Ontario supplies additional RAV4 Hybrid production, and Japan supplies RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid production.

This network means the answer to “Where is the RAV4 made?” depends on the exact vehicle. A broad model name is not enough to identify the assembly plant.

The current U.S.-market summary is:

  • Georgetown, Kentucky, United States: RAV4 Hybrid production.
  • Woodstock and Cambridge, Ontario, Canada: RAV4 Hybrid production.
  • Japan: 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid production; use the VIN to identify the exact plant.

Toyota can revise the factory mix during redesigns, capacity changes, or supply-chain adjustments. Check the VIN for a specific model year instead of treating any plant list as permanent.

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What RAV4 Production Means for Owners and Buyers

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Assembly location is useful for identifying a vehicle’s history and exact configuration, but it should not be treated as a simple quality ranking. An individual vehicle’s condition, maintenance, accident history, mileage, recall status, and exact specification usually matter more to a buyer. For a separate origin-and-quality analysis, see whether Japan-built RAV4s are actually better.

Question What Build Location Actually Changes
Parts lookup Some parts can differ by model year, grade, powertrain, or production code. Order by VIN.
Warranty A RAV4 originally sold through Toyota’s U.S. network follows the applicable U.S. warranty terms, regardless of whether it was assembled in the U.S., Canada, or Japan.
Reliability The VIN alone does not establish that one country produces a more reliable RAV4.
Resale value Condition, mileage, service records, title history, grade, and local demand usually matter more than assembly country.
Availability Multiple plants can improve supply flexibility, but they do not guarantee that every grade will be readily available.

Pro Tip: When comparing two used RAV4s, use each VIN to check the build plant, open recalls, service history, and exact parts configuration. The full vehicle record is more useful than a country-of-origin preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Toyota RAV4s are made in the USA each year?

Toyota does not publish a simple current calendar-year total limited to Kentucky-built RAV4s. Toyota announced about 100,000 units of annual RAV4 Hybrid capacity for Kentucky when production was added, while the entire Kentucky plant assembled 444,414 vehicles in 2025. Capacity and plant-wide output are not RAV4-only annual production totals.

What year did RAV4 production begin in the U.S.?

Toyota began RAV4 Hybrid production at its Georgetown, Kentucky, plant in January 2020. The plant began assembling the all-new sixth-generation RAV4 Hybrid on June 22, 2026.

Are all 2026 RAV4 models produced in the U.S.?

No. For the 2026 U.S. lineup, RAV4 Hybrid models are assembled in Kentucky and Ontario, Canada, while RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid models are assembled in Japan.

Which RAV4 is built in Georgetown, Kentucky?

Georgetown is a production source for the RAV4 Hybrid. It began RAV4 Hybrid production in 2020 and started building the all-new sixth-generation RAV4 Hybrid in June 2026. Verify an individual vehicle with its complete VIN because not every U.S.-sold RAV4 Hybrid comes from Kentucky.

Is the 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid made in the U.S.?

No. Toyota states that 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid models are assembled in Japan. Use the complete VIN and window sticker to confirm the exact plant for an individual vehicle.

Does the first VIN character identify the country?

It can indicate the broad manufacturing country or region, but the full VIN is safer. For 2026 RAV4 models, Toyota’s NHTSA filing lists JTM for Japan, 2T3 for Canada, and 4T3 for the United States. Use all 17 characters to confirm the exact plant.

Are U.S.-made RAV4s more reliable?

Assembly country alone is not a reliable measure of durability. For a used RAV4, focus on maintenance records, inspection results, recall completion, mileage, accident history, and overall condition.

How does U.S. production affect RAV4 resale value?

No dependable rule shows that a Kentucky-built RAV4 automatically sells for more. Resale value is usually driven by age, grade, mileage, condition, service history, title status, options, and local demand.

Conclusion

Toyota does build RAV4s in the United States, but not every U.S.-sold RAV4 is American-assembled. For 2026, Georgetown, Kentucky, builds RAV4 Hybrid models; Ontario also builds RAV4 Hybrids; and Japan builds RAV4 Plug-in Hybrids. Toyota has published useful Kentucky capacity and plant-wide output figures, but not a simple current calendar-year RAV4-only production total. If you need the answer for one vehicle, decode its complete VIN through NHTSA and confirm the result against the certification label or original window sticker.

Sources

  1. Toyota: 2026 RAV4 U.S. Launch and Production Locations — confirms the fully electrified 2026 lineup, Hybrid assembly in Kentucky and Ontario, and Plug-in Hybrid assembly in Japan.
  2. Toyota Kentucky Begins Assembly of the All-New RAV4 Hybrid — confirms June 22, 2026 production of the sixth-generation RAV4 Hybrid in Georgetown.
  3. Toyota Kentucky Begins RAV4 Hybrid Production — confirms the original January 2020 start of Kentucky RAV4 Hybrid production.
  4. Toyota U.S. Manufacturing Investment Announcement — states the approximately 100,000-unit annual RAV4 Hybrid capacity planned for Kentucky.
  5. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky — reports current plant products, 2025 vehicle output, and overall annual capacity.
  6. Toyota Begins RAV4 Production in Canada — confirms the 2008 start of RAV4 production in Woodstock, Ontario.
  7. Toyota Canada: Sixth-Generation RAV4 Production — confirms Canadian production of the all-new RAV4 beginning in January 2026.
  8. NHTSA VIN Decoder — official instructions for identifying a vehicle’s plant and country of manufacture.
  9. NHTSA 2026 Toyota RAV4 VIN Coding Filing — lists 2026 RAV4 WMI and assembly-plant codes.

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About the Author

Natalie Rhodes is a writer at GoMyReview who focuses on practical automotive troubleshooting, vehicle maintenance, and consumer technology. She creates clear, reader-friendly guides that help everyday users understand common problems and make informed decisions. Her work covers topics ranging from Toyota Camry engine and cooling issues to laptop performance and temperature monitoring. Natalie is committed to careful research, straightforward explanations, and useful solutions that readers can confidently apply.

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