When it comes to vehicles, it’s not quite as simple as just saying its made in America. There aren’t vehicles that are 100% made from start to finish with all American parts by all American people anymore. Cars.com came up with an indexing system to determine which vehicles are the most American.²

Most American Made Vehicles
Photo: Andy Steil/Flickr
Factors that determine the vehicles ‘Merica-ness
  • assembly location
  • domestic parts content
  • engine origin
  • transmission origin
  • U.S. manufacturing employees supported per vehicle

“Cars.com analyzed light-duty passenger vehicles built in the U.S. (more than 120 in total) to arrive at the top 10”.

Top 10 most American-made vehicles

  1. Jeep Wrangler
  2. Jeep Cherokee
  3. Ford Taurus
  4. Honda Ridgeline
  5. Acura RDX
  6. Ford F-150
  7. Ford Expedition
  8. GMC Acadia
  9. Honda Odyssey
  10. Honda Pilot

According to the cars.com index, the Jeep has some of the highest domestic parts content at 75% for the Wrangler and 70% for the Cherokee. The Wrangler is assembled in Toledo, Ohio. The Cherokee is assembled in Toledo, Ohio and Belvidere, Illinois.

Manufacturers that have plants in the USA

There are, however, over 100 vehicles ‘made in America’ and a lot of manufacturers that have plants here on home turf. All of the new car brands that Fremont Motors offer build cars in the United States. Ford Motor Company have plants in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois.

General Motors have plants in Michigan, Texas, Missouri, and Indiana. Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Ram have plants in Michigan and Ohio. Toyota’s plants include Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana, and Texas. Volkswagen builds the Atlas and Passat in Tenessee.

Nathan Bomey, a reporter for CNBC said that “Automakers have showered their U.S. manufacturing investments with publicity after President Trump took office and threatened to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement to punish auto companies that manufacture vehicles in foreign markets and sell them to Americans”. ¹

When it comes to purchasing a new vehicle, is the point of assembly or origin of parts content important to you? Would you pay more for the same vehicle made in America versus made in Mexico?

1.Bomey, Nathan. “Jeep Tops American-made Vehicle List, Ousting Toyota.” CNBC. CNBC, 26 June 2017. Web. 29 June 2017

2.Mays, Kelsey. “The 2017 Cars.com American-Made Index | News from Cars.com.” Cars.com. N.p., 26 June 2017. Web. 29 June 2017.