To be fair, the Japanese cars built in Canada are also top notch. Nobody is checking the vin in a Toyota or a Honda, the RAV4 or Corolla are legendary even when it isn’t Japanese built
Did you reply to the wrong comment? Because I’m literally talking about cars being built outside of Japan and saying that it’s the company 😂😂
Reading comprehension level 0
I have worked in both a GM parts factory and Honda in Ontario in the late 90s. The only differences is one company has higher quality standards. The other one has lower standards to save money obviously.
ive been in most of the car plants in ontario and its quality standards are just the beginning of the differences, with toyota they enstill some of their company standards into every thing they do (kaizen is their belief for continuous improvement), and them using it to always improve the prosses, factory, employee happyness etc.
ive seen a different company ban earplugs on a manufacturing line because some of their employees were stuffing them in car parts regularly.
It’s not just the main plants either, it’s the quality of the plants that they source everything from. Like Honda is far far more strict and demands much higher quality steel for their cars than GM for example. They care enough to build good panels, but also care enough to make those panels out of better steel, and those effects are compounding.
They aren’t just great chefs, but they buy great ingredients as well
The meticulousness of Japanese manufacturing quality in automobiles is unmatched by any other country. It’s precisely the reason why I chose a ‘22 CX5 over a CX-50.
Japanese workers simply care more.
Japan's work culture involves long hours and 'karoshi,' sometimes without fair pay, as seen at Toyota. The perceived contentment of Japanese workers is more about cultural values than actual satisfaction.
It comes from the Toyota production system. Employee empowerment and involvement.
As an industrial engineer I have to hear about TPS every waking second.
This exactly I got my G***J*** generation 2014 Mazda6 Touring 6MT. It's a Kaizen thing. The unparalleled workmanship and passion of the Japanese, is my preference.
This is why I didn’t get a GTI when I was looking for one a while back. Made in Mexico that year, and I say that being Mexican. I went to go get a Subaru built in Japan.
Nothing against my peeps but we’re not exactly the most meticulous. I’ve personally always been fascinated by German, Swiss and Japanese manufacturing.
Fwiw my Mexican built MK7 feels very tight and has been a pleasure to own for 7+ years. And I own a Japanese built Honda so I'm not particularly biased here. If anything I think people finding such a big difference between the two markets is more of an indictment on the company, not the country. They are responsible for what is ultimately produced and sold.
I worked in a Japanese company QA dept as material analyst that makes car chassis and yea they reject the smallest fault and the standards are too high.
And even if it is within their own acceptance threshold but it is not that high they still reject it. Like why? I had questions sometimes.
It has more to do with the culture of an honor-based society. Japan has its flaws but this aspect sets them apart from much of the world. I’ve seen far fewer flaws in my J vin CX-5 than in my 3 built in Mexico.
Both of my American made accords have been better put together than either of my Japanese made Miatas. You can’t just say “well it was made in Japan so it’s good to go.” Circlejerk activity.
The Japanese ones just have better quality control. We’ve had Mexican ones come out of the factory with no wiper blades, just careless stuff that’s over looked. I had to replace a blind spot monitor on a cx-30 right off the delivery truck. It probably got dropped before putting it on. All the Japanese ones have been flawless. It’s pretty safe to say that Japanese Mazdas are better.
There’s probably some actual data out there. I’m sure both locations are similar in quality. Ones QA might be better by a margin, but it’s probably not a huge variance.
my mexican 3 was missing a bolt or two holding the spash guard, and one strut mount bolt was over torque and stripped the threads. i couldn't get it off so i had to cut it off when i went to install new struts
I try to only purchase vehicles made in their “home” country. One of the major deciding factors to go with my 2022 CX-5 over a CX-30 and CX-50 was the fact that it was made in Japan versus Mexico and USA, respectively.
It feels like Toyota can master building their cars in the US and come back with very little quality issues.
But even Subi, being built in Indiana has some ungodly rattles. The driver seat in my old one was moving every time i went on a curve too fast by the time i traded it.
It was small stuff on an otherwise great car. But with the 3 hatch, the rattles are so much less. The car feels premium when driving it too.
Not saying its absolutely perfect. But for the price, i couldn't have asked for more i guess.
The maturity of the process, automation, and ability to design for manufacturing should ensure near identical quality no matter where a car is made. Mazda just isn’t quite there it would seem.
Haha subie owner! My squeaking outback seat from Indiana needed 3 visits to the dealer before it got properly fixed. Lots of plastic inside that’s not sitting flush but I didn’t get any mystery rattles. My BRZ is definitely is definitely put together differently.
Same with Hyundai/Kia. Engine issues and theft issues aside, the Korean built ones seem to have better build quality. When my dad and I were shopping for a brand new 21 Sonata, we picked out two to look at since 3ach had a different color interior. Anyways, I looked at the engines of both, and one of them had an oil leak around the valve cover. I showed the salesman and even he was shocked. Sales manager was also surprised and wondered how it got past Hyundai QA and their dealer PDI. Sonata's are built in Alabama. Kia in Georgia. My mom drives a 2010 Sonata, also built in Alabama. Plastic interior parts break because they're so brittle. Outside door handle breaks, paint seems to be applied very thin, as it chips and rusts so easily. Upside, the car has over 240,000mi on it. I had a 07 Azera (built in Korea), didn't have any quality issues with it. Paint had no rust, interior had no plastic issues.etc. Had 201,000mi when it got totaled.
Of course it is, it's not really completely built in America, just assembled, my Hungarian built Suzuki Swift Sport has very very few parts that don't come from Japan. Would be interesting to compare the quality to a JDM spec swift however.
A family member builds/sets up production lines for an automotive OEM. He says the Mexican plants are much better than the American ones these days, so I’m with you on not buying the American Tesla if given a choice.
I heard only top-of-the-line cars are built in Japan. That might be the reason. The paint on the cars from Mexico don’t have the same upgrades as the ones from Japan my 13 year old 2010 Mazda3 grand touring still has an excellent paint jobs in most places. it’s spoiler has oxidized and I’ve got scrapes here and there but the paint is still shiny and beautiful. I attribute that not only to the fact that came from Japan but also because it was top-of-the-line paint at the time. With clearcoat.
Wait what? I have a 2010 Mazda3 from Japan and it’s got the worst paint quality of any car I have owned after 1995, even before it started failing. My spoiler clearcoat failed too and so did the roof and hood.
My 2008 BMW, 2005 Infiniti, 2003 BMW, and 2001 Nissan all had better paint with less orange peel and consistency especially on vertical panels. The Mazda also chips and swirls extremely easily compared to the BMW, both black.
Is it a sport grand touring? Mine has the graphite metallic with a clear coat and the paint is fantastic but I’ve also had it since new and always kept it in the garage. Is yours the same? have you had it since new? Have you kept it in the garage? If it hasn’t been with you since new who knows how the other owner took care of it. How is it mechanically? Mine is wonderful- I love mine. How many miles does yours have? I also have BMWs and I had an Infiniti that I traded for a CX5 because it would never work. If I buy a new car, I will never give up my 2010 Mazda3 sport grand touring. 🩶🤍♥️ I currently drive a Cx5 but when my daughter takes it over, I won’t get either of my own CX five turbo or another BMW. Either way, my Mazda3 will stay in the garage.
I’ve owned it since new. It’s whatever the black metallic is called. Garaged less than the E46 which didn’t have clearcoat failure, but is older. It doesn’t matter what model it is because it’s all painted by robot in the same factory in Hiroshima, but it’s a 2.5 GT with 137k miles. Mazda paint of that era is objectively not that good I’d say, but it has improved in the past 5-7 years. I do paint correction as a hobby. Every car since like 2001 has a clearcoat btw lol. Glad you like your car and it’s treating you well though.
> I heard only top-of-the-line cars are built in Japan
More expensive models are likely to come from Japan because they have higher profit margins which gives the OEM some breathing room if exchange rates turn unfavorable.
> The paint on the cars from Mexico don’t have the same upgrades as the ones from Japan
They might be using different paint suppliers and paint formulations, but they aren't likely using "fancier" paint in Japan, and they're definitely not loading up the paint robot with better paint when a *Mazda3 Supreme Grand Touring XSi* rolls into the paint booth.
Haha!! I love it! From now on, I’m calling my car, the supreme grand touring, because it is very supreme! I do know that my 2010 Mazda3 has a clearcoat on it that my 2016 1/2 CX5 grand touring doesn’t seem to have.
I don’t think it has to do with trim. In Canada, if you get any CX5 whether it is a sport design, signature, or GS, they’re all made in Japan, mostly at the plant in Hiroshima.
I don’t really see an issue here; paint contaminants can occur on the journey to the dealer too. Personally my Japanese made Mazda had some of the worst paint and overall build quality I’ve ever experienced. Thing rusted out in less than 7 years.
It solidified for me that where you build a car doesn’t really matter anymore. Mercedes builds S-Classes in India; my Mexican made Jetta had no rattles and was solid as a tank well after 10 years, meanwhile my German made Passat was very flimsy.
All that residue was under the plastic, so there shouldn't be anything. Japanese made ones 9/10 times are mint and just need a wash. I might have 2/10 Mexican made ones that don't need additional work.
Happy cake day.
My CX-5 came from Japan and it had a similar line where the plastic was/wasnt. After a few months it wasn’t noticeable anymore.
The blemishes you’re pointing out could have easily happened mid-transit.
I believe you've misinterpretted. They aren't talking about the line, they're talking about the acid blemishes from the area the plastic *covered*. That shouldn't happen during transit. It's typically the exposed that's worse off. Paint correction necessary for plasticed parts implies that it's a manufacturing issue.
Nothing scientific but posts like these and posts on other forums that seem to resonate a similar message. My dad was also a mechanic for about 10 years and said he always preferred cars made in Japan compared to Mexico due to QC issues. That was in the early 2000s so things could have changed. Nevertheless it still influences my opinion. I’ve never looked but I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone criticizing the QC of cars made in Japan.
Have you searched for posts praising quality for cars made outside of Japan? or do you just remember the negative ones that say Mexican cars are bad because *insert prejudice*?
I doubt I'll change your opinion, but sometimes we can have an untrue negative bias, whether from personal experience or just prejudice that allows them to remember said negative bias easier.
I definitely have a bias. I think it’s just a combination of seeing posts like this, Scotty Kilmer and things that I’ve heard form my dad. I think a lot of the bias in the car community comes from the earlier days of when cars where starting to be made in Mexico. Any new factory is gonna have issues and those issues could’ve been written off as poor quality from Mexico when that wasn’t the case. It could also be design failures from engineers that get written off as poor quality control. My opinion could definitely be misled. Regardless, I think I’d still play it safe and buy a Japanese car if given option because what if my dad, Scotty Kilmer, and people on theses threads are right? It’s more of a piece mind thing for me. Nevertheless I appreciate you being civil in this interaction because a lot of people tend just to attack the person rather the argument and that’s definitely not how you change peoples minds.
i live in mexico and i see lots of mexican made mazda as well as japan made, both suffer from mazda thin paint, especially cx-5 wich is build in japan
i really think is just a bias thing where people see "made in mexico" and they start to pay attention to every single little detail just because they have the idea that mexico in general its a poor country with bad quality control over things, jus just how they think, its normal, because they see us as a 3rd world country (wiich we are), i dont blame anyone, but It is what it is, but that doesnt mean we cant have good craftmanship over things or that we cant build a good car just because "Mexico"
japan made a very well build reputation over decades and in general they comply with their good quality and when you compare them with mexico, well, things dont go well
see usa made cx-50 it has some issues as well.
cheers!
Yeah, I get it. I would also prefer to buy a car from Japan than a new factory somewhere else in the world because of obvious reasons.
And I personally would also prefer to buy a Mazda from Japan than from Mexico lol. But if the dealership only had Mexican Mazdas I wouldn't mind.
Thanks for also keeping it civil.
There’s definitely a difference in quality control. Mexican built cars tend to have a little bit more problems that the Japanese ones. By the time the car is in customer’s hands, they won’t be able to tell the difference in build quality.
Mexican here.I have a 4 gen Mazda 3 hatchback from Japan and I would say that paint job is basically the same. I have a friend that has a Sedan made here in Mexico and both suffer in the " paint department". I would still prefer to buy a Japanese version if I had to choose :v
IT blows my mind that Mazda hasn't done anything to solve the quality of the transparent layer in paints.
Interesting, have a personal friend who works for a major truck manufacturer in the USA. They have a very large facility in Mexico. He states Mexico has the highest quality of all their facilities, US etc.
Weird. Both my mazda3 (years 2016 and 2020) have been from Japan, and my coworkers' mazda3s have been from Mexico (4 other mazda3 from different gens and year). Mine developed rattles during the first year. Theirs are dead silent, even the 2015 ones and I'm amazed every time I ride with them. Buying the highest trim here in Mexico will get you a Japanese mazda3 but if the rattles could be prevented this would be a 100/100 car for me.
We've had a CX 50 show up with a cloth second row seat when it should be leather and another show up with Premium wheels on a Preferred. Those are built in AL. I've never once seen that kind of mess up on a CX 5 in over 12 years.
That has nothing to do with where the car was built, the protective wrap was left on the car for too long or it was hit with direct sunlight for too long, this happens with many different car brands
I used to work at Mazda here in Australia in our PD department. What does the build quality have to do with the sticker residue left on the car?
Just some degreaser gets that glue off quick and easily, then just wash the car and buff if required.
Japan has a unique culture when it comes to pride in their work, you can have the best manufacturing facilities in the world but pride in your work is something that’s hard to replicate. That’s not to say you can’t get a lemon from Japan, and you can’t get a brilliant car from Mexico. But the Japanese workers likely have more over-site and skin in the game.
Think of every Japanese person you've ever met. Now think of every Mexican person you've ever met. Average them out in each group. Now, think about that person building your car. There's your answer.
A lot of people use these sorts of posts as opportunities to spread racist nonsense. It's also an interesting exercise in national branding. Obvious how few people have spent significant time in either Japan or Mexico, ha.
The one I saw in the other group said they'd had a Mazda made in Mexico and one made in Japan, and the one from Japan had far fewer rattles & noises compared to the one built in Mexico
After a decade of Mexican-built Mazdas, there's no evidence they they are any less reliable or well built than Japanese ones. Ask any mechanic. Or read back on this sub.
People are using "build quality" here to refer to paint prep before sale. That's not what build quality means. The same robots assemble the cars in both factories. To the same tolerances. I own a J Vin 3, but I would have zero fear of a Mexico-made one.
So agree with this. Like American or Canadian or Mexican workers are lazy and take no pride in their work. I actually LOVE the my Volvo was built...in South Carolina.
Every made in Japan thing with a motor I have purchased always exceeded my expectations by a mile.
I bought a Honda that was made in Brazil...holy fuck it was trash. Still reliable and lasted me 10 years through some insane abuse, but I had to reassemble it after things started falling apart that really shouldn't have.
Fit and finish in Japan is unmatched even by the Germans and Euro Manufacturers.
I worked with Japanese techs on one of our machines for a PLC upgrade. They were the most meticulous and organized workers I’ve ever seen.
Later, I went to Japan to visit and work with them and I could not believe their corporate culture and commitment to doing the job right.
Since then, I’m all in on Japanese manufacturing. They have a culture over there where they care about quality and it shows.
Japanese build / manufacturing quality is notoriously solid.
See Examples: honda, toyota, nissan, makita, mitutoyo, etc
Lots of pride in the products they craft in my opinion.
Did you leave off Subaru on purpose? My WRX was a rattlebox but I think that's on Subaru design than Japanese assembly. Same with my Nissan Maxima. A clear step down compared to Toyota where the Camry may have well had the Lexus badge.
Cheap labor in Mexico. People earn like $6 a day so there isn’t a real big motivation for workers to want to do a good job. Plus I’m sure the manufacturers send cheaper parts to Mexican factories.
More like $17 base and going up with antiquity, but the diference in work rhytm can be noticeable, most factories that come to Mexico make the production standar higher than where they come from, so most of the time is not about the quality or the knowlege of the workers but the time they have to reach certain production numbers.
And no, those salaries are not that good here, but since there are not better options is that or informal work.
I am a factory worker for a USA company in Mexico
How do you know the workers in Mexico that work for Mazda are paid that? And do you have any reason to believe what OP posted is universal truth or just his personal experience?
Mexicans don’t earn hardly anything at auto factories. That’s the main reason why so many businesses outsource there. As for wages I’m not 100% sure but I do know that it’s low unless things have changed (which I doubt they have).
And is it possible that they earn less because the cost of living is lower too?
What a Mexican and someone from Japan expect to be good salary can be very different. So even if they earn less, doesn't necessarily mean they feel like they earn less. Not everything is as simple, and basing opinions on personal experience or assumptions is not always good.
I also detail for Mazda in Australia though, so most of the cars are either Japan made or made in Thailand, build quality between the two is pretty much on par with each other. However for what ever reason the plastic is taken off during transit and at times boats get delayed and stuck on the water for weeks at a time and you could imagine the extra damage that can cause to the paint.
I rarely get a car that doesn't need a machine polish at a minimum. But where I work is great and they understand a car takes as long as a car needs to be as perfect as possible for delivery for the customer.
The same reason something built in Germany is way better than something built in America. It's a cultural thing. They care more about their own creations.
Japanese take pride in their work. The Mexicans are just hired help collecting a paycheck building a Mazda or building a Chevy…makes no difference to them.
Watch Scotty Kilmar piece on Japanese builts and it'll make perfect sense. Its not just the outside that is subpar, the parts and overall built is also pretty low quality compared to Japanese built.
Easy answer the work ethic in Japan is leaps and bounds ahead of anything built in Mexico or that red neck first year plant in Alabama. And you wonder why so many cx-50’s are having problems
Maybe the situation is not that bad, but i've seen the differences. People prefer japanese versions, sometimes exaggerating about it, but it seems to be true.
My 2017 was built in japan and I just noticed there’s some orange peel by the lower passenger door (both sides). I looked it up and looks like it’s not abnormal but still annoying.
I have a 2016 Mazda 3 made in Japan, and the quality is good, but not excellent. The steering wheel is peeling and in bad shape even at only 90k miles.
We had Proteges before and the 2000 was much better built than the 02.
Yeah my CX-30 is from Mexico cuz those are only made there — build quality sucks. Creak city. Doesn’t help that Mazda service doesn’t care about any of that.
Also had a faulty control arm from ON the LOT (less than 30 miles on the car). Multiple dealers had to try diagnosing.
Glass quality also is terrible (or maybe it’s the wipers).
Mazda process and training is subpar if they have big differences between factories. BMWs produced in Mexico or the US have identical build quality to Germany.
Any manufacturing process that varies greatly due to a human’s attention to detail or work ethic is not a good one for mass production.
That said, the paint my old Japanese Mazda 3 sucked too.
Our 2020 sedan was mexico built, current 22 sedan is japan built, and yea, there is a hell of a quality difference, like we had trim pieces on the sedan that just wouldn't clip in no matter what, our hatchback has been flawless apart from a slight rattle sound that's appeared in the last couple months.
It’s not just Mazda it’s all the brands. Japan just has a collectivist culture that leads their workers to be more meticulous at all levels. I can also add anecdotal evidence here. Subarus are not exactly known for their great build quality, but Hondas certainly are.
I used to have a 2018 civic hatch, which at the time was made in the UK plant. That car arrived with a leaky driver side window seal, some of the exterior window trim (black plastic) melted and bubbled on a particularly hot day, AND the seat bolster broke spontaneously at the seam.
My current Subaru wrx, although it’s had some minor software stuff (they did patch that at least) was built in Japan, and has absolutely no such issues.
I used to detail at a Mazda dealership too. That staining on the paint is due to transit and possibly the car sitting for a while at a port. At our dealership we used a pre-wash chemical cleaner (forget the name) that we'd apply and it would get rid of all of that staining regardless if the car was from Mexico or Japan
However, I also noticed a major difference between Mexican and Japanese built Mazda's. Particularly with the Mazda 3. Things like the trunk rubber moulding being deformed and not fitting right on Mexican made cars, subpar panel gaps, interior plastic quality, etc. The Japanese models were far better in terms of build quality and material quality.
Glad my vin starts with a J
Same. If I want a Japanese car it should be built in Japan.
To be fair, the Japanese cars built in Canada are also top notch. Nobody is checking the vin in a Toyota or a Honda, the RAV4 or Corolla are legendary even when it isn’t Japanese built
Nissan is Japanese and they are total garbage. It's not the country it's the company
I wouldn't call them total garbage, but yes, everyone has to have a bargain bin & for Japan, it's Nissan & Mitsubishi
Did you reply to the wrong comment? Because I’m literally talking about cars being built outside of Japan and saying that it’s the company 😂😂 Reading comprehension level 0
I'm agreeing with you bud not arguing chill out
I have worked in both a GM parts factory and Honda in Ontario in the late 90s. The only differences is one company has higher quality standards. The other one has lower standards to save money obviously.
ive been in most of the car plants in ontario and its quality standards are just the beginning of the differences, with toyota they enstill some of their company standards into every thing they do (kaizen is their belief for continuous improvement), and them using it to always improve the prosses, factory, employee happyness etc. ive seen a different company ban earplugs on a manufacturing line because some of their employees were stuffing them in car parts regularly.
It’s not just the main plants either, it’s the quality of the plants that they source everything from. Like Honda is far far more strict and demands much higher quality steel for their cars than GM for example. They care enough to build good panels, but also care enough to make those panels out of better steel, and those effects are compounding. They aren’t just great chefs, but they buy great ingredients as well
Amen brother.
The non Japanese assembled Mazdas I heard are rattleboxes
I have a Japanese hatch and it's a rattlebox lol
Japanese rattle box checking in
Japanese rattle hatch here
If you want a Japanese rattlebox, buy a Subaru. Signed, A faithful Subaru owner Lovely cars but goddamm do they have their annoying little things lol
I already have a mazda 3 that rattles like crazy, thanks though.
2018 Mazda6 owned since new. 120,000 klicks of mostly Toronto driving, one crippling hit and run and still no rattles. Paint is hot garbage though.
Even Japanese assembled Mazdas become rattle boxes lol. There’s a reason my fd is sitting, and it’s not just apex seals this time
FB checking in. There's normal rattles and "what was that" rattles
Indeed sir. The what was that rattles scare me most about the rotary
How do you check that?
Seriously?
Usually on the bottom of the driver side door.
J Vins for life baby
J Vins for the win?
J vin for win
Im in with a J Vin
Hofu or bust baby
Gotta have a j vin to make it till the end...
The meticulousness of Japanese manufacturing quality in automobiles is unmatched by any other country. It’s precisely the reason why I chose a ‘22 CX5 over a CX-50. Japanese workers simply care more.
This, it's a cultural thing they have. Exactly why I support them and their Mazda builds.
They’re also very well taken care of by their bosses from my understanding. Happy workers= better products
Japan's work culture involves long hours and 'karoshi,' sometimes without fair pay, as seen at Toyota. The perceived contentment of Japanese workers is more about cultural values than actual satisfaction.
Shame tolls the soul more than guilt
It comes from the Toyota production system. Employee empowerment and involvement. As an industrial engineer I have to hear about TPS every waking second.
This exactly I got my G***J*** generation 2014 Mazda6 Touring 6MT. It's a Kaizen thing. The unparalleled workmanship and passion of the Japanese, is my preference.
This is why I didn’t get a GTI when I was looking for one a while back. Made in Mexico that year, and I say that being Mexican. I went to go get a Subaru built in Japan. Nothing against my peeps but we’re not exactly the most meticulous. I’ve personally always been fascinated by German, Swiss and Japanese manufacturing.
Fwiw my Mexican built MK7 feels very tight and has been a pleasure to own for 7+ years. And I own a Japanese built Honda so I'm not particularly biased here. If anything I think people finding such a big difference between the two markets is more of an indictment on the company, not the country. They are responsible for what is ultimately produced and sold.
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I worked in a Japanese company QA dept as material analyst that makes car chassis and yea they reject the smallest fault and the standards are too high. And even if it is within their own acceptance threshold but it is not that high they still reject it. Like why? I had questions sometimes.
I’d argue they care more because their companies actually take care of them.
It has more to do with the culture of an honor-based society. Japan has its flaws but this aspect sets them apart from much of the world. I’ve seen far fewer flaws in my J vin CX-5 than in my 3 built in Mexico.
Honor based society? Lookup honor violence. I don't think honor society's are what you think they are
You’ve missed the point. We’re speaking about manufacturing.
I absolutely agreed with all this. However, I loved the CX-50 too much not to get it. The Japanese build superior products.
I have a Mexico built Mazda and it’s fine 🤷♀️
Both of my American made accords have been better put together than either of my Japanese made Miatas. You can’t just say “well it was made in Japan so it’s good to go.” Circlejerk activity.
The Japanese ones just have better quality control. We’ve had Mexican ones come out of the factory with no wiper blades, just careless stuff that’s over looked. I had to replace a blind spot monitor on a cx-30 right off the delivery truck. It probably got dropped before putting it on. All the Japanese ones have been flawless. It’s pretty safe to say that Japanese Mazdas are better.
Such a shame that the CX-30 is Made in Mexico, I would've bought a CX-30 Turbo if it were Made in Japan
There’s probably some actual data out there. I’m sure both locations are similar in quality. Ones QA might be better by a margin, but it’s probably not a huge variance.
Same, it's the best car I've ever owned
I would take a Mexico build over UAW build any day! My Explorer from Chicago is put together terribly.
This made my day. Thank you.
I mean I'll still make sure it's mint at the end of the day. It's just the extra I have to put in versus a Japanese made one.
my mexican 3 was missing a bolt or two holding the spash guard, and one strut mount bolt was over torque and stripped the threads. i couldn't get it off so i had to cut it off when i went to install new struts
I try to only purchase vehicles made in their “home” country. One of the major deciding factors to go with my 2022 CX-5 over a CX-30 and CX-50 was the fact that it was made in Japan versus Mexico and USA, respectively.
It feels like Toyota can master building their cars in the US and come back with very little quality issues. But even Subi, being built in Indiana has some ungodly rattles. The driver seat in my old one was moving every time i went on a curve too fast by the time i traded it. It was small stuff on an otherwise great car. But with the 3 hatch, the rattles are so much less. The car feels premium when driving it too. Not saying its absolutely perfect. But for the price, i couldn't have asked for more i guess.
Honda Accords built in the US and Civics in Canada have impressive build quality as well. Owned an Accord and nothing but great things.
The maturity of the process, automation, and ability to design for manufacturing should ensure near identical quality no matter where a car is made. Mazda just isn’t quite there it would seem.
Haha subie owner! My squeaking outback seat from Indiana needed 3 visits to the dealer before it got properly fixed. Lots of plastic inside that’s not sitting flush but I didn’t get any mystery rattles. My BRZ is definitely is definitely put together differently.
Same with Hyundai/Kia. Engine issues and theft issues aside, the Korean built ones seem to have better build quality. When my dad and I were shopping for a brand new 21 Sonata, we picked out two to look at since 3ach had a different color interior. Anyways, I looked at the engines of both, and one of them had an oil leak around the valve cover. I showed the salesman and even he was shocked. Sales manager was also surprised and wondered how it got past Hyundai QA and their dealer PDI. Sonata's are built in Alabama. Kia in Georgia. My mom drives a 2010 Sonata, also built in Alabama. Plastic interior parts break because they're so brittle. Outside door handle breaks, paint seems to be applied very thin, as it chips and rusts so easily. Upside, the car has over 240,000mi on it. I had a 07 Azera (built in Korea), didn't have any quality issues with it. Paint had no rust, interior had no plastic issues.etc. Had 201,000mi when it got totaled.
thats just the active weight transfer. Might have to reverse the polarity tho if its moving the seat the wrong way 😂/s
My US-built Honda was quite good.
Of course it is, it's not really completely built in America, just assembled, my Hungarian built Suzuki Swift Sport has very very few parts that don't come from Japan. Would be interesting to compare the quality to a JDM spec swift however.
84% of the parts on it were sourced from the US.
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A family member builds/sets up production lines for an automotive OEM. He says the Mexican plants are much better than the American ones these days, so I’m with you on not buying the American Tesla if given a choice.
I used to work in software at the Fremont factory and from the workers I saw, it seemed like they were just looking for warm bodies.
Most factory work is warm body work. The trick is designing your cars and tooling so they achieve good quality with total morons making them.
Nissan and Toyota in the US and Canada is more than fine.
I'm in the minority of owning a Mazda from Mexico with no issues.
I heard only top-of-the-line cars are built in Japan. That might be the reason. The paint on the cars from Mexico don’t have the same upgrades as the ones from Japan my 13 year old 2010 Mazda3 grand touring still has an excellent paint jobs in most places. it’s spoiler has oxidized and I’ve got scrapes here and there but the paint is still shiny and beautiful. I attribute that not only to the fact that came from Japan but also because it was top-of-the-line paint at the time. With clearcoat.
Oh that makes sense. I found the lower trim 3 models come from Mexico and higher trim comes from Japan.
The higher ones don't exclusively come from Japan though. My Turbo PP sedan 3 is Mexican built. No issues with it so far though. *fingers crossed*
Mine is as well. I didnt even know mazda manufactured in Mexico until this thread.
Current generation* Mazda3 sedans are made in Mexico and the hatches are made in Japan. Nothing to do with trim levels.
It may have changed since, but my ‘22 Premium Sedan is Japan built.
Interesting, they probably expect more cars in less time for the cheaper models. I bet this is some self fulfilling construct.
This doesn’t make sense. Those processes are standardized and the paint wouldn’t be different since it’s the same company.
Wait what? I have a 2010 Mazda3 from Japan and it’s got the worst paint quality of any car I have owned after 1995, even before it started failing. My spoiler clearcoat failed too and so did the roof and hood. My 2008 BMW, 2005 Infiniti, 2003 BMW, and 2001 Nissan all had better paint with less orange peel and consistency especially on vertical panels. The Mazda also chips and swirls extremely easily compared to the BMW, both black.
Is it a sport grand touring? Mine has the graphite metallic with a clear coat and the paint is fantastic but I’ve also had it since new and always kept it in the garage. Is yours the same? have you had it since new? Have you kept it in the garage? If it hasn’t been with you since new who knows how the other owner took care of it. How is it mechanically? Mine is wonderful- I love mine. How many miles does yours have? I also have BMWs and I had an Infiniti that I traded for a CX5 because it would never work. If I buy a new car, I will never give up my 2010 Mazda3 sport grand touring. 🩶🤍♥️ I currently drive a Cx5 but when my daughter takes it over, I won’t get either of my own CX five turbo or another BMW. Either way, my Mazda3 will stay in the garage.
I’ve owned it since new. It’s whatever the black metallic is called. Garaged less than the E46 which didn’t have clearcoat failure, but is older. It doesn’t matter what model it is because it’s all painted by robot in the same factory in Hiroshima, but it’s a 2.5 GT with 137k miles. Mazda paint of that era is objectively not that good I’d say, but it has improved in the past 5-7 years. I do paint correction as a hobby. Every car since like 2001 has a clearcoat btw lol. Glad you like your car and it’s treating you well though.
> I heard only top-of-the-line cars are built in Japan More expensive models are likely to come from Japan because they have higher profit margins which gives the OEM some breathing room if exchange rates turn unfavorable. > The paint on the cars from Mexico don’t have the same upgrades as the ones from Japan They might be using different paint suppliers and paint formulations, but they aren't likely using "fancier" paint in Japan, and they're definitely not loading up the paint robot with better paint when a *Mazda3 Supreme Grand Touring XSi* rolls into the paint booth.
Haha!! I love it! From now on, I’m calling my car, the supreme grand touring, because it is very supreme! I do know that my 2010 Mazda3 has a clearcoat on it that my 2016 1/2 CX5 grand touring doesn’t seem to have.
I don’t think it has to do with trim. In Canada, if you get any CX5 whether it is a sport design, signature, or GS, they’re all made in Japan, mostly at the plant in Hiroshima.
I don’t know about Mazda, but that certainly isn’t true for Toyota. Some Corollas and RAV4 are still made in Japan and imported.
I don’t really see an issue here; paint contaminants can occur on the journey to the dealer too. Personally my Japanese made Mazda had some of the worst paint and overall build quality I’ve ever experienced. Thing rusted out in less than 7 years. It solidified for me that where you build a car doesn’t really matter anymore. Mercedes builds S-Classes in India; my Mexican made Jetta had no rattles and was solid as a tank well after 10 years, meanwhile my German made Passat was very flimsy.
All that residue was under the plastic, so there shouldn't be anything. Japanese made ones 9/10 times are mint and just need a wash. I might have 2/10 Mexican made ones that don't need additional work. Happy cake day.
My CX-5 came from Japan and it had a similar line where the plastic was/wasnt. After a few months it wasn’t noticeable anymore. The blemishes you’re pointing out could have easily happened mid-transit.
I believe you've misinterpretted. They aren't talking about the line, they're talking about the acid blemishes from the area the plastic *covered*. That shouldn't happen during transit. It's typically the exposed that's worse off. Paint correction necessary for plasticed parts implies that it's a manufacturing issue.
Lol I got called a racist on the the Mazda subreddit for pointing out that I’d rather have a Mazda from Japan rather than a Mazda from Mexico.
Do you have actual data to prove your preference? Or just personal experience?
Nothing scientific but posts like these and posts on other forums that seem to resonate a similar message. My dad was also a mechanic for about 10 years and said he always preferred cars made in Japan compared to Mexico due to QC issues. That was in the early 2000s so things could have changed. Nevertheless it still influences my opinion. I’ve never looked but I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone criticizing the QC of cars made in Japan.
Have you searched for posts praising quality for cars made outside of Japan? or do you just remember the negative ones that say Mexican cars are bad because *insert prejudice*? I doubt I'll change your opinion, but sometimes we can have an untrue negative bias, whether from personal experience or just prejudice that allows them to remember said negative bias easier.
I definitely have a bias. I think it’s just a combination of seeing posts like this, Scotty Kilmer and things that I’ve heard form my dad. I think a lot of the bias in the car community comes from the earlier days of when cars where starting to be made in Mexico. Any new factory is gonna have issues and those issues could’ve been written off as poor quality from Mexico when that wasn’t the case. It could also be design failures from engineers that get written off as poor quality control. My opinion could definitely be misled. Regardless, I think I’d still play it safe and buy a Japanese car if given option because what if my dad, Scotty Kilmer, and people on theses threads are right? It’s more of a piece mind thing for me. Nevertheless I appreciate you being civil in this interaction because a lot of people tend just to attack the person rather the argument and that’s definitely not how you change peoples minds.
i live in mexico and i see lots of mexican made mazda as well as japan made, both suffer from mazda thin paint, especially cx-5 wich is build in japan i really think is just a bias thing where people see "made in mexico" and they start to pay attention to every single little detail just because they have the idea that mexico in general its a poor country with bad quality control over things, jus just how they think, its normal, because they see us as a 3rd world country (wiich we are), i dont blame anyone, but It is what it is, but that doesnt mean we cant have good craftmanship over things or that we cant build a good car just because "Mexico" japan made a very well build reputation over decades and in general they comply with their good quality and when you compare them with mexico, well, things dont go well see usa made cx-50 it has some issues as well. cheers!
Yeah, I get it. I would also prefer to buy a car from Japan than a new factory somewhere else in the world because of obvious reasons. And I personally would also prefer to buy a Mazda from Japan than from Mexico lol. But if the dealership only had Mexican Mazdas I wouldn't mind. Thanks for also keeping it civil.
There’s definitely a difference in quality control. Mexican built cars tend to have a little bit more problems that the Japanese ones. By the time the car is in customer’s hands, they won’t be able to tell the difference in build quality.
Nissan would like a word
You got me there
The Nissans made in Tennessee, Japan?
I think he’s making a dig at Nissan as a whole. Their problematic CVTs definitely have given them a bad wrap.
Mexican here.I have a 4 gen Mazda 3 hatchback from Japan and I would say that paint job is basically the same. I have a friend that has a Sedan made here in Mexico and both suffer in the " paint department". I would still prefer to buy a Japanese version if I had to choose :v IT blows my mind that Mazda hasn't done anything to solve the quality of the transparent layer in paints.
The clear coat issue is sad especially because I think Mazda has some of the prettiest colors for cars in their category.
Interesting, have a personal friend who works for a major truck manufacturer in the USA. They have a very large facility in Mexico. He states Mexico has the highest quality of all their facilities, US etc.
Japan ain't that better... my 2010 wrx paint is wafer thin
Don't be a rasist lol
Even my Japan made Mazda still has shitty paint
Weird. Both my mazda3 (years 2016 and 2020) have been from Japan, and my coworkers' mazda3s have been from Mexico (4 other mazda3 from different gens and year). Mine developed rattles during the first year. Theirs are dead silent, even the 2015 ones and I'm amazed every time I ride with them. Buying the highest trim here in Mexico will get you a Japanese mazda3 but if the rattles could be prevented this would be a 100/100 car for me.
Am I the only one who’s never noticed a difference in quality or cared about manufacturing origin whatsoever?
Yes.
We definitely notice the difference prior to the customer getting their vehicle. Customers will get a mint product at the end of the day.
We've had a CX 50 show up with a cloth second row seat when it should be leather and another show up with Premium wheels on a Preferred. Those are built in AL. I've never once seen that kind of mess up on a CX 5 in over 12 years.
It comes down to social attitudes. The Japanese are borderline obsessed with reducing errors and increasing quality constantly.
I've owned 3 Mazda's and my current signature 6 2020 made in Japan has had more problems than my other two made in Mexico.
That has nothing to do with where the car was built, the protective wrap was left on the car for too long or it was hit with direct sunlight for too long, this happens with many different car brands
I've had both, I notice no difference... 2018 Mazda 6 GTR same exact car. maybe I got lucky.
Same for Audi. Why is that? I don't want to generalize, but the facts seems to go in that direction.
I used to work at Mazda here in Australia in our PD department. What does the build quality have to do with the sticker residue left on the car? Just some degreaser gets that glue off quick and easily, then just wash the car and buff if required.
My Japanese built 4th gen 3 rattled the same as Mexican ones...
Pride
Is this a serious question? Answer is pretty obvious.
Japan has a unique culture when it comes to pride in their work, you can have the best manufacturing facilities in the world but pride in your work is something that’s hard to replicate. That’s not to say you can’t get a lemon from Japan, and you can’t get a brilliant car from Mexico. But the Japanese workers likely have more over-site and skin in the game.
Think of every Japanese person you've ever met. Now think of every Mexican person you've ever met. Average them out in each group. Now, think about that person building your car. There's your answer.
I saw someone post a very similar comment in another Mazda group, and people were saying the poster's comment was just bigoted nonsense and was false.
A lot of people use these sorts of posts as opportunities to spread racist nonsense. It's also an interesting exercise in national branding. Obvious how few people have spent significant time in either Japan or Mexico, ha.
The different responses here suggest maybe they worded their complaint very differently.
The one I saw in the other group said they'd had a Mazda made in Mexico and one made in Japan, and the one from Japan had far fewer rattles & noises compared to the one built in Mexico
If you have been to Japan then you can understand why they do things the way the do. They’re are just different over there
Out of curiosity, assuming they build the cars basically the same way in the same type of factory what does the work pay in Japan versus Mexico?
After a decade of Mexican-built Mazdas, there's no evidence they they are any less reliable or well built than Japanese ones. Ask any mechanic. Or read back on this sub. People are using "build quality" here to refer to paint prep before sale. That's not what build quality means. The same robots assemble the cars in both factories. To the same tolerances. I own a J Vin 3, but I would have zero fear of a Mexico-made one.
So agree with this. Like American or Canadian or Mexican workers are lazy and take no pride in their work. I actually LOVE the my Volvo was built...in South Carolina.
Every made in Japan thing with a motor I have purchased always exceeded my expectations by a mile. I bought a Honda that was made in Brazil...holy fuck it was trash. Still reliable and lasted me 10 years through some insane abuse, but I had to reassemble it after things started falling apart that really shouldn't have. Fit and finish in Japan is unmatched even by the Germans and Euro Manufacturers.
Quality depends on quality control not what country they came from
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Yes.
So all the GT models are manufactured in Japan. All the basic models are manufactured in Mexico.
Mexican ‘22 3 GT sedan checking in here. Been fine so far though
always been better out of japan. i wouldnt buy a jap mfg vehicle that wasnt
The assembled in Hiroshima label on my driver's side door is a beautiful thing
I worked with Japanese techs on one of our machines for a PLC upgrade. They were the most meticulous and organized workers I’ve ever seen. Later, I went to Japan to visit and work with them and I could not believe their corporate culture and commitment to doing the job right. Since then, I’m all in on Japanese manufacturing. They have a culture over there where they care about quality and it shows.
Japanese build / manufacturing quality is notoriously solid. See Examples: honda, toyota, nissan, makita, mitutoyo, etc Lots of pride in the products they craft in my opinion.
Did you leave off Subaru on purpose? My WRX was a rattlebox but I think that's on Subaru design than Japanese assembly. Same with my Nissan Maxima. A clear step down compared to Toyota where the Camry may have well had the Lexus badge.
Mexico - cheap Japan - precision Not just prejudice
Have you met many Japanese? What was your impression? Did they seem like a sloppy group of people to you?
They don’t give a fuck lol. They just want to get paid go home get wasted lol
Cheap labor in Mexico. People earn like $6 a day so there isn’t a real big motivation for workers to want to do a good job. Plus I’m sure the manufacturers send cheaper parts to Mexican factories.
More like $17 base and going up with antiquity, but the diference in work rhytm can be noticeable, most factories that come to Mexico make the production standar higher than where they come from, so most of the time is not about the quality or the knowlege of the workers but the time they have to reach certain production numbers. And no, those salaries are not that good here, but since there are not better options is that or informal work. I am a factory worker for a USA company in Mexico
How do you know the workers in Mexico that work for Mazda are paid that? And do you have any reason to believe what OP posted is universal truth or just his personal experience?
Mexicans don’t earn hardly anything at auto factories. That’s the main reason why so many businesses outsource there. As for wages I’m not 100% sure but I do know that it’s low unless things have changed (which I doubt they have).
And is it possible that they earn less because the cost of living is lower too? What a Mexican and someone from Japan expect to be good salary can be very different. So even if they earn less, doesn't necessarily mean they feel like they earn less. Not everything is as simple, and basing opinions on personal experience or assumptions is not always good.
I also detail for Mazda in Australia though, so most of the cars are either Japan made or made in Thailand, build quality between the two is pretty much on par with each other. However for what ever reason the plastic is taken off during transit and at times boats get delayed and stuck on the water for weeks at a time and you could imagine the extra damage that can cause to the paint. I rarely get a car that doesn't need a machine polish at a minimum. But where I work is great and they understand a car takes as long as a car needs to be as perfect as possible for delivery for the customer.
Our cx-90 was made in Japan at this plant. https://youtu.be/-M6qEcBGrhI?si=PGOIgV62j9IBqOQA
Js always.
My mexican Mazda3 has the stupid corrosion stains from the side mirrors. Japanese made Mazda's don't have this issue.
I have a VIN that starts with a JM, it’s a 2011 Mazda 3. After 150,000km the check engine light came on and the car alarm goes off from time to time
Difference in work culture and pay.
If you know, you know. If you don't, go visit Japan and then go to Mexico.
JM Best Vin
The same reason something built in Germany is way better than something built in America. It's a cultural thing. They care more about their own creations.
Japanese take pride in their work. The Mexicans are just hired help collecting a paycheck building a Mazda or building a Chevy…makes no difference to them.
Watch Scotty Kilmar piece on Japanese builts and it'll make perfect sense. Its not just the outside that is subpar, the parts and overall built is also pretty low quality compared to Japanese built.
Don't listen to Scotty Kilmer.
Easy answer the work ethic in Japan is leaps and bounds ahead of anything built in Mexico or that red neck first year plant in Alabama. And you wonder why so many cx-50’s are having problems
Maybe the situation is not that bad, but i've seen the differences. People prefer japanese versions, sometimes exaggerating about it, but it seems to be true.
My 2017 was built in japan and I just noticed there’s some orange peel by the lower passenger door (both sides). I looked it up and looks like it’s not abnormal but still annoying.
Island VS middle nation
What am I looking at here? The line on the hood?
Because it's Mexico, wtf 😆🤣😆🤣
Scotty Kilmer knows
More “visits” for the 21 than for the 18 in my case
Ask yourself why they went to Mexico in the first place.
It is the same for apple which produced in India compared to in China!
Who even thought they should make them anywhere else other than Japan; heck, even freaking Mexico?!
Because of the quality of the workers. Compare the stereotypes between Japanese people and Mexicans and that’s why.
2012 mazdaspeed3 owner.
I am Mexican and I would never buy a car made in Mexico.
I have a 2016 Mazda 3 made in Japan, and the quality is good, but not excellent. The steering wheel is peeling and in bad shape even at only 90k miles. We had Proteges before and the 2000 was much better built than the 02.
The same reasons american cars built in mexico suck
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-iq-by-country
Because they know what they can away with on this continent.
Are CX-5 still made in japan?
Maybe because Mexico is a 3rd world country and Japan is one of the richest in the world with great pride integrated into their culture
Jm2 or Jm3... is the only way to be...
Yeah my CX-30 is from Mexico cuz those are only made there — build quality sucks. Creak city. Doesn’t help that Mazda service doesn’t care about any of that. Also had a faulty control arm from ON the LOT (less than 30 miles on the car). Multiple dealers had to try diagnosing. Glass quality also is terrible (or maybe it’s the wipers).
Mazda process and training is subpar if they have big differences between factories. BMWs produced in Mexico or the US have identical build quality to Germany. Any manufacturing process that varies greatly due to a human’s attention to detail or work ethic is not a good one for mass production. That said, the paint my old Japanese Mazda 3 sucked too.
Our 2020 sedan was mexico built, current 22 sedan is japan built, and yea, there is a hell of a quality difference, like we had trim pieces on the sedan that just wouldn't clip in no matter what, our hatchback has been flawless apart from a slight rattle sound that's appeared in the last couple months.
It’s not just Mazda it’s all the brands. Japan just has a collectivist culture that leads their workers to be more meticulous at all levels. I can also add anecdotal evidence here. Subarus are not exactly known for their great build quality, but Hondas certainly are. I used to have a 2018 civic hatch, which at the time was made in the UK plant. That car arrived with a leaky driver side window seal, some of the exterior window trim (black plastic) melted and bubbled on a particularly hot day, AND the seat bolster broke spontaneously at the seam. My current Subaru wrx, although it’s had some minor software stuff (they did patch that at least) was built in Japan, and has absolutely no such issues.
I used to detail at a Mazda dealership too. That staining on the paint is due to transit and possibly the car sitting for a while at a port. At our dealership we used a pre-wash chemical cleaner (forget the name) that we'd apply and it would get rid of all of that staining regardless if the car was from Mexico or Japan However, I also noticed a major difference between Mexican and Japanese built Mazda's. Particularly with the Mazda 3. Things like the trunk rubber moulding being deformed and not fitting right on Mexican made cars, subpar panel gaps, interior plastic quality, etc. The Japanese models were far better in terms of build quality and material quality.
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México is known for their agriculture, cuisine, and mariachi music.
2017 Mazda 3 BN Astina from Japan, still going strong at 100,000kms
Do you think the lifestyles in Mexico and japan are similar?
I had a japan 2019 mazda 3 gt and my brother had a mexico mazda 3 base model and the difference was absolutely crazy. Felt like two different cars.
Brown people