06:00 20-06-2026

Japanese brands ship US-built cars to Japan: what buyers should know about the quality gap

Toyota, Honda and Nissan will sell US-made Camry, Highlander, Tundra, Integra Type S, Passport and Murano in Japan — and prepare customers for differences.

Japanese carmakers are preparing for an unusual move: part of the lineup for the domestic Japanese market will now arrive from the United States. As The Drive reports, manufacturers will have to explain to customers that a Japanese-badged car built in America may differ from the familiar local-market versions.

The topic became relevant after a shift in trade terms between the US and Japan. Toyota announced earlier that it plans to begin selling three US-built models in Japan starting in 2026 — the Camry from Kentucky, the Highlander from Indiana and the Tundra from Texas. The company said the move should broaden customer choice and help US–Japan trade relations. Honda also revealed plans to bring two American-built cars to the Japanese market: the Acura Integra Type S and the Honda Passport TrailSport Elite, both in the second half of 2026. Nissan, for its part, will ship the Murano crossover from its Smyrna, Tennessee plant to Japan in early 2027.

The main nuance is the perception of quality. For Japanese buyers, the names Toyota, Honda and Nissan are traditionally tied to local engineering and tight factory control. But American-built cars can differ in tuning, materials, dimensions, trim levels and finish. That doesn’t automatically make them worse. It simply means automakers will have to address customer concerns up front, especially when it comes to large SUVs and pickups that feel out of place on Japanese roads.

The simplified flow became possible thanks to a new certification system for US-built vehicles. Nissan stated directly that the Murano will use the new procedure introduced by Japan’s transport ministry in February 2026. According to WardsAuto, such cars will receive a special star-shaped decal styled after the American flag and a notation in their documents as “approved vehicles from the US”.