The Mexican automotive industry registered a mixed performance in August 2026, with a decline in car production and mixed results in exports, according to the Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Light Vehicles (RAIAVL), published by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .
During the eighth month of the year, the automakers installed in the country produced 344,940 cars , 1.4% less than the 349,951 units manufactured in the same month of 2025.
Meanwhile, the cumulative production between January and August stood at 2,645,140 vehicles , a decrease of 0.72% compared to the 2,664,417 vehicles registered in the same period last year.
Production remained concentrated on light trucks, which accounted for 79.3% of total manufacturing during the January-August period, with 2,097,224 units. The remaining 20.7% consisted of passenger cars, totaling 547,916 units.
In the first eight months of 2026, General Motors accumulated 600,912 units manufactured, a growth of 4.2% compared to January-August 2025. Stellantis totaled 309,688 vehicles, 20.8% more than in the same period last year; while Volkswagen manufactured 259,193 units, which meant an annual increase of 17.3%.
In contrast, Nissan’s production fell 25.1% to 340,683 units in January-August of this year. Ford Motor saw a 4.4% decrease with 267,557 vehicles manufactured, and Toyota’s production declined 1% year-on-year to 208,585 units.
Exports, with mixed results
In contrast, exports totaled 300,475 vehicles in August 2026 , an increase of 1.3% compared to the 296,734 units sent abroad during the same month of 2025.
In the period January-August, 2,251,254 light vehicles were placed in international markets , a drop of 0.06% compared to the 2,252,516 units of the same period last year.
In total, the United States remained the primary destination for vehicles manufactured in Mexico, accounting for 76.3% of exports , with 1,716,610 units. Canada followed with 281,502 vehicles, representing 12.5%. Germany received 59,422 units, equivalent to 2.6% of the total.
By brand, Stellantis stood out in total exports with 284,743 vehicles shipped abroad, representing a 40.2% year-over-year increase. Volkswagen followed with 211,306 cars, 19.4% more than in 2015. KIA advanced 10.5% year-over-year with 156,944 cars. Conversely, Nissan reduced its exports by 29% in the first eight months of 2016; Ford Motor fell by 10.5%, and Toyota registered a 4.4% year-over-year decrease.
With these results, the Mexican automotive sector closed August with production continuing its slight contraction, while export volume showed contrasting results. The evolution of both indicators will be key to gauging the pace of production lines and the performance of vehicles assembled in Mexico in international markets.
Furthermore, with the review process of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , the Mexican automotive industry faces challenges, such as the tariff policy of the United States and a possible tightening of the rules of origin.
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