Dacia saw the sharpest decline. The plant in Mioieni assembled 129,400 vehicles over six months—nearly 18% fewer than a year ago. This is the company’s worst first-half performance in at least the last five years. In June alone, 23,218 cars rolled off the assembly line—17% fewer than in June 2025, according to ZF.ro.
Ford Otosan in Craiova appears more stable, but even there, growth has given way to a decline. After a record-breaking first quarter, the plant cut production for three consecutive months. From January through June, the plant produced 118,600 vehicles, which is approximately 6.6% less than a year earlier. In June, production volume fell by 15% to 21,318 vehicles.
According to data the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACAROM), the gap between the country’s two largest automakers is narrowing significantly. While a year ago Dacia was ahead of Ford Otosan by more than 30,000 vehicles, the difference now stands at about 10,800 vehicles. Moreover, in February, the Craiova plant produced more vehicles than the Mioveni plant for the first time in a long while.
Experts cite the realignment of models within the Renault Group as one of the reasons for the decline in Dacia’s production. The new Renault Striker crossover is being produced at the plant in Bursa, Turkey, while the Mioveni plant continues to manufacture the Duster, Bigster, and Logan—the latter of which is nearing the end of its product life cycle. Dacia’s management has also repeatedly pointed to rising production costs and high electricity prices in Romania.
By the end of 2025, 545,500 cars had been produced in the country. If the current rate of decline continues through the end of the year, production in 2026 could fall below the psychologically significant threshold of 500,000 vehicles—for the first time since the industry emerged from the pandemic crisis.
As ACAROM notes, June was the second consecutive month in which both of the country’s automobile plants simultaneously reported double-digit declines in production volumes.
