As U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on non-U.S. made autos are slated to go into effect April 3, Canadians are becoming more conscious of their purchasing decisions.
Though car prices could spike if Canada were to impose reciprocal tariffs, the best thing Canadians can do to support the local economy is buy vehicles manufactured here, said Robert Karwel, the director of customer success at J.D. Power.
“If you want to do the most to support Canada, absolutely buy a vehicle that’s manufactured here,” he said. “At least you’re supporting the Canadian business unit, Canadian suppliers that supply that plant and that vehicle, and Unifor members that assemble it here.”
Addressing the tariffs, Ontario Premier Doug Ford didn’t mince words, writing on the social media platform X that Trump is “putting American jobs at risk” and that Canada will “never back down.”
With that in mind, here are some popular vehicles assembled, produced or built in Canada.
Honda Civic and CR-V
Honda manufactures its Civic and CR-V models at a 4,300-worker facility in Alliston, which originally opened with the production of the Accord in 1986.
In 2023, Honda said it produced its 10-millionth vehicle at the plant, and the company said they build some 210,000 Civics in Canada every year.
Toyota RAV4
The Japanese automaker’s best-selling SUV is made in Woodstock where the company said they produce “over 1,400” RAV4 vehicles per day. (That makes at least 350,000 cars per year.)
Both the hybrid and gasoline-only models of the RAV4 are made in Ontario, and Toyota said that over 77,000 sold in Canada in 2024.
Chevrolet Silverado
The storied American automaker builds the Silverado pickup at its 5.1 million-square foot plant in Oshawa, where it said it has created 2,600 manufacturing jobs and “thousands of indirect jobs” with Canadian suppliers.
Chevrolet previously manufactured the Impala and Equinox, among others, in Oshawa.
Lexus NX and RX350
The luxury Toyota subsidiary assembles its RX, NX, RX Hybrid and NX Hybrid models in Cambridge at a facility that was “the first operation outside of Japan to produce two Lexus vehicles.”
According to Lexus, January 2025 was the best month ever in Canada for the NX 450h+, while the RX Hybrid also saw a significant increase in sales.
Chrysler Pacifica
Chrysler’s Pacifica minivan is produced in Windsor at Stellantis’ 177-acre assembly plant, which was built in 1928. (Stellantis is a multinational automaker that manufactures Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati and Peugeot, and is headquartered in the Netherlands.)
Previously, the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country were produced in Windsor, but the production of those vehicles has since ceased, per Stellantis.
Ford Mustang GTD
The performance-oriented Mustang model “starts life” in Michigan, but is “handcrafted for racing-inspired precision” at a facility in Markham, Ford said.
The work on the Mustangs is done largely by Multimatic, a specialty automotive engineering company based in Markham, said Karwel. So the vehicle isn’t quite made in Canada, especially given how relatively few are made each year.
“They essentially complete the build,” he said of the Ontario-based work done on the vehicles.
