Toyota Crowned Best-Selling Automaker In 2022 With Nearly 10.5 Million Cars

Despite supply bottlenecks that hampered production and consequently impacted sales, Toyota managed to defend its title as the best-selling car manufacturer in 2022. The final numbers are in, showing the Japanese automaker shipped 10,483,024 vehicles to customers from all over the world. The total – which is down by 0.1 percent compared to 2021 – includes deliveries made by subsidiaries Daihatsu as well as commercial vehicle manufacturer Hino.

Toyota ended the year way ahead of the Volkswagen Group as the German automotive conglomerate sold only 8.3 million cars in 2022, down by seven percent compared to the year before. It was VW’s worst result in over a decade, caused by supply shortages generated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition, COVID-19 lockdowns in China also took their toll on sales as the world’s most populous country is one of VW’s main markets.

Getting back to Toyota, although global sales were slightly down, worldwide production actually increased by 5.3 percent to 10,610,604 units. The core brand assembled 5.2 percent more vehicles than the year before, reaching 9,026,713 units. Domestic production decreased by 7.7% to 2,656,009 cars while the number of vehicles assembled outside of Japan jumped by 11.7 percent to 6,370,704 cars.

Although Toyota is holding on to the global sales crown, it was dethroned in the United States by General Motors. In 2022, GM moved 2,274,088 vehicles while Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), which includes Lexus, delivered 2,108,458 during the calendar year.

Parts shortages are still giving Toyota serious headaches, forcing the company to halt operations at its factory in the Czech Republic in February. The plant in Kolin where workers put together the Aygo X and Yaris will be on a hiatus from January 31 until the end of next month.

Global production plans are being adjusted on a monthly basis because of supply constraints. If everything goes according to plan, Toyota intends to build 10.6 million vehicles in 2023, so just about the same as last year.