What Motorcar Parts of America makes

Motorcar Parts of America (NASDAQ: MPAA) is one of North America's largest remanufacturers and suppliers of non-discretionary automotive aftermarket parts. Its core business is rotating electrical: new and remanufactured alternators and starters, which it has built since acquiring one of its suppliers in 1985 and refocusing the catalog on that category. The company reports annual production capacity of more than 8.8 million units across its manufacturing network.

The product range has broadened well beyond rotating electrical. MPA supplies brake master cylinders, brake power boosters, brake calipers, rotors, brake pads and shoes, wheel hub assemblies and bearings, and turbochargers. Through its D&V Electronics unit it also builds diagnostic and test equipment for rotating electrical and electric-vehicle applications. Products ship under company brands including Quality-Built, Quality-Built Black Series, Pure Energy, Dixie Electric, and, since a 2026 acquisition, the StopTech and Posi Quiet brake brands. Customers include more than 7,700 automotive parts retailers and distributors, professional repair shops, warehouse distributors, and original equipment suppliers.

Remanufacturing is the heart of the operation. MPA runs a lean-cell system in which cores are fully disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt with new and refurbished components, then subjected to a three-phase testing regime it calls T3+: 100% initial sample approval testing of component lots, 100% subassembly performance testing, and 100% end-of-line testing on proprietary computer-controlled testers. The company describes remanufacturing as its main sustainability argument, citing roughly ten times less energy and nine times less material than producing an equivalent new starter.

Financial performance

For fiscal 2026, the year ended March 31, 2026, MPA reported net sales of $789.8 million, up from $757.4 million a year earlier, a gain of about 4.3%. Operating income rose sharply to $65.8 million from $39.9 million, lifting operating margin to roughly 8.3%, and the company posted net income of $12.4 million. For fiscal 2027 it has guided to net sales of $780 million to $800 million. These figures come from the company's SEC filings and investor results, so they are reported numbers rather than modeled estimates.

The balance sheet backdrop is stable. In 2026 the company extended its PNC-led credit facility to August 2031, giving it committed liquidity well ahead of any near-term maturities. Combined with positive net income and the step-up in operating income, that refinancing is the basis for a favorable read on financial resilience.

Ownership and history

Motorcar Parts of America was founded by automotive entrepreneur Mel Marks in 1968 as an importer of European and Japanese replacement parts, first serving independent retailers and then mass-merchandise chains. In 1985 it acquired one of its suppliers and turned toward remanufactured starters and alternators. After decades on the East Coast, the company moved from Plainview, New York to California, and by 1993 had relocated to Torrance. It became a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the ticker MPAA in 1994, and in 2003 changed its name from Motorcar Parts & Accessories, Inc. to Motorcar Parts of America, Inc.

The company is led by Selwyn Joffe, its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, with David Lee as Chief Financial Officer, Douglas Schooner as Chief Manufacturing Officer, and Kamlesh Shah as Chief Accounting Officer. Its world headquarters occupies about 140,000 square feet in Torrance, California, including a 20,000 square foot innovation lab that runs product testing around the clock.

Global footprint

MPA describes a network of roughly 13 locations across 7 countries, employing more than 5,700 people. The Torrance headquarters handles manufacturing and remanufacturing, distribution, testing, and engineering. A separate sourcing headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee coordinates components and finished goods for the global network. The company's largest plant sits in Tijuana, Mexico, a facility of more than 310,000 square feet with over 1,000 employees and total production capacity above 8.8 million units per year. Additional alternator and starter remanufacturing runs in Johore and Parit Sulong, Malaysia, with consolidation and distribution facilities in Shanghai, China and Jurong East, Singapore. This spread across the US, Mexico, and Southeast Asia gives buyers a mix of nearshoring and lower-cost manufacturing within one supplier.

Certifications and quality

MPA states that its manufacturing and remanufacturing facilities are IATF 16949 certified, the automotive quality-management standard, with the Torrance and Tijuana plants named as certified sites and legacy ISO/TS 16949 registration referenced for the Malaysia operations. The company positions its proprietary end-of-line testing and specification database as the mechanism that lets remanufactured units meet original-equipment build specs. For buyers evaluating a remanufacturer, that documented production part approval discipline and 100% end-of-line testing are the relevant quality signals.

Known customers

MPA sells primarily into the automotive aftermarket channel rather than to a small set of named tier-one programs, so most buyer relationships are not individually disclosed.

Specific retailer names are not published by the company, so no individual retail account is asserted here.

Sourcing evidence

MPA's US import record is that of a high-volume remanufacturer pulling cores, components, and finished units from a global base: 5,033 sea shipments since January 2015, with the most recent recorded on September 25, 2026. The declared product mix is dominated by rotating electrical, HTS headings 8511.50 (alternators and generators) and 8511.40 (starter motors), alongside vehicle parts under 8708 for the newer brake and hub lines. That is the signature of a manufacturer importing to feed domestic production and distribution, consistent with its own plants in Mexico and Malaysia.

Eight shown of many recorded suppliers.

The origin mix leans on China and Malaysia, with Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan also active. Malaysia and Mexico appear because MPA operates its own plants there, so a share of these movements is intra-company. The recent lanes include brake calipers from Thailand, reflecting the undercar expansion, and rotating-electrical components from China and Southeast Asia. For buyers weighing tariff exposure on Asian-sourced automotive components, that origin profile is worth modeling.

Coverage caveats apply. These are US ocean-freight records only. Air, truck, and rail movements, including most US-Mexico cross-border flows, do not appear; some records name freight intermediaries rather than manufacturers; and product categories come from declared manifest codes, which are noisy. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence.

Frequently asked questions

What does Motorcar Parts of America make?

Motorcar Parts of America makes new and remanufactured automotive aftermarket parts. Its core products are alternators and starters (rotating electrical), and it also supplies brake master cylinders, power boosters, calipers, rotors, pads and shoes, wheel hub assemblies and bearings, and turbochargers. Through D&V Electronics it builds diagnostic and test equipment for rotating electrical and electric-vehicle applications.

Who owns Motorcar Parts of America?

Motorcar Parts of America is a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker MPAA. It was founded by Mel Marks in 1968 and became public in 1994. Selwyn Joffe is its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

What is Motorcar Parts of America's revenue?

For fiscal 2026, the year ended March 31, 2026, the company reported net sales of $789.8 million, up from $757.4 million the prior year, with operating income of $65.8 million and net income of $12.4 million. It has guided to net sales of $780 million to $800 million for fiscal 2027.

Where is Motorcar Parts of America headquartered?

The company's world headquarters is in Torrance, California, at 2929 California Street, a facility of about 140,000 square feet. It also operates a global sourcing office in Nashville, Tennessee and plants in Tijuana, Mexico; Johore and Parit Sulong, Malaysia; Shanghai, China; and Singapore.

Who are Motorcar Parts of America's customers?

The company serves more than 7,700 automotive parts retailers and distributors, including major retail chains and traditional warehouse distributors, plus professional repair shops and original-equipment suppliers. It does not publicly name individual retail accounts.

Is Motorcar Parts of America IATF 16949 certified?

The company states that its manufacturing and remanufacturing facilities are IATF 16949 certified, the automotive quality-management standard, and names its Torrance and Tijuana plants among the certified sites. It runs a three-phase testing regime with 100% end-of-line testing on proprietary computer-controlled testers.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.