Subaru And Toyota Discuss Ending Camry Production At US Subaru Plant

Subaru and Toyota are in talks to halt production of the Toyota Camry sedan at Subaru's Indiana assembly plant, likely timed to the introduction of the nameplate's next generation.

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the parent company that makes Subaru vehicles, has been approached by Toyota about discontinuing Camry production at the Lafayette, Ind., plant, Fuji Heavy spokesman Masashi Uemura confirmed today.

"We have received the offer from Toyota and are now considering it," Uemura said, adding that no decisions have been made.

He said Toyota was sounding out Subaru about the plan. Uemura did not give a timeline for when Camry production would end, but said it would likely be timed with the car's next generation.

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MattDarringer - 11/15/2013 7:11:29 PM

+1 Boost

What's to talk about? Toyota controls Subaru.

MorePower - 11/16/2013 4:38:16 PM

+1 Boost

Toyota paying Subaru, to lease Subaru's un-used manufacturing capacity, hardly equates to total control.

MattDarringer - 11/16/2013 7:19:15 PM

+1 Boost

Toyota owns a chunk of Subaru and they are collaborating on and merging platforms. Thus, Toyota controlls Subaru because Subaru desperately needs the insulation of Toyota to remain being a brand. Subaru's alignment with Toyota in effect allows Toyota to call the shots where and when it wants to. Case in point: the allocation of the FRS to Scion dealers is much bigger than what Subaru gets. Toyota made that decision.

MorePower - 11/17/2013 12:07:12 AM

+1 Boost

Diamler still owns a sizeable percentage of Chrysler, but they do not control them.

GM owned a portion of Subaru, as did Nissan, yet they did not control them.

Large international firms will find ways of making money and lowering costs. This includes working together without direct control over another firm, even when one firm owns a share of the other.

MorePower - 11/17/2013 12:12:50 AM

+1 Boost

Did you even consider the possibilities that Toyota may have been allowed a larger number of cars because they were going to pay the tens of millions of dollars to market the platform worldwide?

Did you consider the possibility that Toyota has more FRS/GT86s because they paid Subaru to make a car that they were not interested in making in the first place?

Did you forget that Toyota had to make a prototype to convince Subaru that the project had merit?

Did you consider that since the FRS/GT86 is based on a modified Imprezza chassis, that Subaru makes money on every FRS/GT86 that Toyota sells without investing a dollar in marketing?