The plants supply vehicles to the U.S., but Nissan remains silent on what’s next for those products
Facing mounting financial pressure, Nissan is aggressively pushing forward with its “Re:Nissan” turnaround plan. Following the recently announced closure of its Oppama facility in Kanagawa, Japan—set to wind down by early 2027 with production relocating to Kyushu—a new report suggests that two of Nissan’s plants in Mexico are next on the chopping block.
According to Automotive News, Nissan intends to shut down both its Civac plant in Morelos and the COMPAS plant in Aguascalientes by 2027. The company has not confirmed where the vehicles produced at these sites will be built in the future.
The Civac plant, which opened in 1966 as Nissan’s first international facility, is reportedly outdated and would require major investment to modernize. It currently manufactures the South American version of the Frontier (NP300), the Mexico-only V-Drive (based on the old Versa), and the N18 Versa sold in the U.S. While closure rumors first surfaced in May, Nissan denied them at the time. Now, sources say Chinese automakers BYD and SAIC are eyeing the plant to expand their North American presence.
The COMPAS facility, a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, began operations in 2015. It has built models such as the Mercedes GLB, Infiniti QX50, and QX55, all of which are nearing the end of production. Infiniti paused orders for the QX50/55 in April, and the Mercedes GLB is expected to cease production in early 2026 as the model transitions to a new platform that may be built in the U.S.
In response to inquiries, Nissan issued a statement saying:
“Under Re:Nissan, Nissan is currently reviewing the integration and closure of some of its global production sites. However, this process has not yet been concluded beyond the three sites that have been announced so far. We are committed to maintaining transparency with our stakeholders and if any decisions are made, we will provide information at the appropriate time.”
So far, Nissan has confirmed the closures of:
- The Oppama plant in Japan
- One plant in Thailand, via consolidation
- A yet-unnamed third facility
The automaker’s ultimate goal is to reduce its global plant count from 17 to 10 to streamline operations and avoid financial collapse.
