Daihatsu is a Japanese carmaker founded in 1907, now part of Toyota Motor Corporation. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — Japan 100%. 2 models are tracked here (1985–2026). Reliable? mostly, with caveats — 3.5 out of 5 across 2 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Daihatsu
Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. is the oldest surviving Japanese internal-combustion engine manufacturer, founded in 1907 in Osaka and headquartered in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. The company specialized in industrial engines until 1930, when it began producing small three-wheeled vehicles. Daihatsu has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation since 2016 and operates as Toyota's small-car and kei-car specialist. Daihatsu builds Japan's top-selling kei cars including the Tanto, Move, Mira and Hijet. The brand also produces compact cars (Boon, Rocky, Cast) and badge-engineered models for Toyota (the Toyota Pixis and Toyota Raize). The Tanto kei minivan has been Japan's best-selling kei car most years since 2003. Daihatsu exited the United States in 1992 after four years of US sales, and exited European markets in 2013, focusing on Japan, Indonesia and other Asian markets. Daihatsu's parent Toyota trades on the NYSE under TM. Recall data for Daihatsu vehicles sold in the US during 1988-1992 is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org maintains historical Daihatsu VIN data.
Hatsudoki Seizo Co. (Engine Manufacturing Co.) was founded in March 1907 in Osaka by faculty of Osaka Imperial University as Japan's first internal-combustion engine manufacturer. The company renamed itself Daihatsu (a contraction of Osaka and engine manufacturer) in 1951. The 1958 Midget three-wheeled mini-truck launched the brand's small-vehicle expertise, and the 1980 Mira kei car established the four-wheeled kei dominance Daihatsu still holds today. Toyota acquired 51% of Daihatsu in 1998 and full ownership in 2016.
| Daihatsu | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1907 |
| Founded by | Hatsudoki Seizo Co., Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Ikeda, Japan |
| Owned by | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Listed as | TM |
| Slogan | «Innovation for Tomorrow» |
| Models tracked here | 2 (1985–2026) |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: DNGA (Daihatsu New Global Architecture), e-Smart Hybrid, ASA (Active Stability Assist), Smart Assist (Daihatsu's ADAS), Kei-car packaging mastery.
This page covers Daihatsu Motor, the Toyota subsidiary — not Hatsudoki Seizo (its 1907-1951 corporate predecessor) or Daihatsu Diesel (the related industrial engine company).
Where Daihatsu cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 8 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JD1 | 1988–1992 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Daihatsu beginning JD1 was assembled in Japan.
All Daihatsu models 2
Every Daihatsu model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Daihatsu Cars & sedans 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daihatsu Charade | 1985–2026 | 3 | 10 | 34 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Daihatsu More models 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daihatsu Rocky | 1989–2026 | 5 | 3 | 21 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Daihatsu by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Daihatsu | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 8 campaigns | Most recalled: Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control |
| Owner complaints | 13+ filed | Most reported: Charade |
| Fuel economy | 34 mpg best | Leader: Charade |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
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Get a Daihatsu window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Daihatsu's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Daihatsu window stickers →How to read a Daihatsu VIN
Every Daihatsu built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Daihatsu and the country it was built in (real Daihatsu codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- JapanJD1 · JD2
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. The whole position-by-position breakdown — year codes 2001–2026, country codes, stamping locations — lives in our VIN decoder tool.
Who owns Daihatsu, and what you get
Daihatsu belongs to Toyota Motor Corporation. Daihatsu specializes in kei-class vehicles (sub-660cc engines, sub-3.4-meter length) for Japanese domestic sales, plus compact and small SUV models for Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian markets. The brand's commercial-vehicle Hijet kei truck dominates Japanese small-business delivery use. Within Toyota Group, Daihatsu serves as the kei-car and emerging-Asian-market specialist while Toyota and Lexus focus on global mid-size and premium segments.
| Daihatsu | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Ownership | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Stock ticker | TM |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | Japan |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Daihatsu models actually start to break →
Daihatsu — frequently asked
Is Daihatsu japanese?
Daihatsu is a Japanese company, headquartered in Ikeda and founded in 1907. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Daihatsu vehicles in our records were assembled in Japan.
Where are Daihatsu cars made?
Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Japan (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Daihatsu?
Daihatsu is part of Toyota Motor Corporation.
How many Daihatsu models are there?
We track 2 Daihatsu models spanning 1985–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Daihatsu warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Daihatsu reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Daihatsu model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.