Every October, Manufacturing Month and Quality Month offer a chance to look beyond the finished product. Long before a vehicle reaches a driveway, job site or school drop-off line, Toyota’s legacy begins with a simple idea: Quality is built in from the start.

From vehicle assembly plants to engine, casting, and battery facilities, Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing locations are connected by a shared commitment to precision, consistency and care. Each site plays a role in a larger system designed to uphold customer expectation and to carry forward a manufacturing legacy measured not only in years, but also in trust. 

That work stretches across Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing footprint, from long-established vehicle plants in Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Texas to powertrain and casting operations in Alabama, West Virginia, Missouri and Tennessee. It also includes TABC in California and Toyota’s battery plant in North Carolina. Each location has its own role, but together they tell one larger story: Toyota quality is built through many hands, many processes and one shared standard. While there are numerous quality checks at each of Toyota’s U.S. Manufacturing facilities, below are five unique quality checks that stand out to our customers.   

1. Pulling the Andon 
Part of the world-renowned Toyota Production Systems (TPS) includes the Andon response system on the assembly line. The Andon is a cord or button that can be pressed or pulled at any time a team member identifies an issue or needs assistance. This process does not stop the line but allows a team leader to evaluate quickly and keep production moving with consistency.

2. Ultrasound Technology 
Ultrasound Technology is used to check the integrity of certain welds. This is beneficial for areas that are hard to reach with standard chisel tests or areas with high tinsel strength. When performing these checks, team members use the same gel that is used on expectant mothers. 

3. Water Leak Booth 
At assembly plants in Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Texas, vehicles go through a quality check known as the Water Leak Booth. Here, every vehicle that enters will experience a “monsoon” or a “rain shower” and will then be checked by a team member for any water intrusion.   

4. Vehicle Scan Vision System 
In recent years, Toyota Texas added a new quality monitor system. It has 8 cameras that inspect 30 vehicle specifications across the full exterior, including the front wheels, hood, side panels, rear wheels, and deck. Across those checks, the system confirms 204 variations of model content for our customers. 

5. Computed Tomography (CT) Machine 
At Toyota Missouri and Toyota Tennessee, medical grade CT machines are used as a powerful quality assurance tool to peer inside cast aluminum components. It’s similar to an X-ray but provides a 3D map allowing team members to spot flaws like trapped air and other potential defects.

Across the country, Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing story continues to grow. New technologies, changing products and evolving customer needs may shape what is built, but the foundation remains the same: building ever better vehicles that our customers know and trust.