Toyota North America Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The interview included a resume review at the start, followed by 3 STAR questions focusing on networking, problem-solving with unclear root causes, and career goals. Then, there were 10 easier questions about overtime and travel. The process concluded with a 5-person manager panel interview (4 normal managers and 1 senior manager) using a scorecard and STAR format that had to be passed.

It was a really weird interview process. First, I had a call with the recruiter where we talked about my resume and background, plus my salary expectations. He said my expectations were in the range for the job. Then, a couple of weeks later, I got invited to a video interview with three people. They asked about my background, my knowledge of Toyota, and what I could offer. When I tried to ask questions, the hiring manager said I couldn't and maybe we'd have time at the end. At the end, they started to wrap up, and when I asked about asking questions, they gave me about 90 seconds before ending the 45-minute call. I didn't learn anything about the position. I got a second interview invite with the hiring manager and another team member. The hiring manager was very short and cold. When I tried to ask questions, he laughed and said we might have time at the end, like before. I wanted to ask about the job and moving to Texas, but it seemed like they didn't care. The hiring manager even stood up and left the room mid-answer to deal with his dog, which I thought was unprofessional. This interview was similar to the first, with more STAR questions and experience questions. After two hours of video interviews, I had only gotten about 5 minutes to ask questions, and I still didn't know much about the position. This dodging of questions was a big red flag, and I started to lose interest because of the potential manager's attitude. Surprisingly, I got a third video interview for a writing assignment and presentation. I only found out an hour before when they apologized for forgetting to send the prep materials. The hiring manager was 20 minutes late. One of the other interviewers got me started on the assignment. I had 15 minutes to solve a problem, write it up, and present it. After my presentation, they made a few comments and ended the call. This was supposed to test problem-solving. A week later, I got an offer from the recruiter. I was surprised because of the cold vibe from the team and manager. The offer was much lower than my stated salary expectations, even though the recruiter said they were in range. He said it was non-negotiable because a team at Toyota decides compensation for everyone in this role, citing 'internal equity.' He also couldn't explain the bonus structure. It was easy to decline the offer. I had a strange feeling about the company due to the hiring manager's personality and interview style – being late, leaving the room, not allowing questions, and being demeaning. This was for a job requiring relocation. It felt like they didn't try to impress me or wanted me to interview them, basically saying 'if you don't take it, someone else will; everyone wants to work at Toyota.'

Got contacted a month after applying for a job I saw online. The first interview was a phone interview, about an hour long, with a principal engineer, the engineering manager, and an HR coordinator. It was mostly 10 STARs based questions. The second interview was at their facility, lasting about an hour and a half with the same engineering manager, the general manager, an engineer, an HR coordinator, and an HR recruiter. This one covered technical questions.