Ford, GM don’t make the most 'American-made’ car. Here's who does.
The majority of U.S. customers are eager to purchase an “American made” vehicle, but the bulk of the top 15 cars that contribute the most to the economy are actually produced by foreign automakers, according to a new ranking released on Tuesday.
The most American-made vehicle in 2019, which includes criteria such as the number of factory jobs and where parts are sourced, was the Jeep Cherokee, according to Cars.com annual ranking. While it is built in Belvidere, Illinois, Jeep is owned by Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler.
Of the top 15, nine are manufactured by Japanese firms Honda or Toyota. Ford’s F-150 pickup is the only vehicle from the Dearborn-based company to make it on the list:
- Jeep Cherokee
- Honda Odyssey
- Honda Ridgeline
- Honda Passport
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Acura MDX
- Honda Pilot
- Chevrolet Colorado
- GMC Canyon
- Acura RDX
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Toyota Avalon
- Ford F-150
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Tundra
The automotive industry has been in a state of perpetual uncertainty as President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, along with an escalating trade war with China and an unclear path forward for a new trade agreement meant to update the North American Free Trade Agreement, has led top firms to reanalyze their complex global supply chains.
To-date, however, most companies that produce the vehicles on Cars.com’s “American-Made Index” (AMI) have not announced any major manufacturing changes, according to senior editor Kelsey Mays.
“It’s no small task to move supply chains, much less alter where a car or its major components are built – both factors that influence AMI rankings. Such actions take years to plan, negotiate and implement,” she said in a statement.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | GENERAL MOTORS CO. | 45.07 | -0.03 | -0.07% |
| F | FORD MOTOR CO. | 13.05 | +0.10 | +0.77% |
| FCAU | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
Older customers were more likely to care about purchasing a car that contributes the most to the U.S. economy, while 61 percent of those ages 18-34 listed it as a concern, according to an adjoining survey by Cars.com.
“Younger generations aren’t any less patriotic than past generations, but they likely don’t prioritize buying American to the same extent as their parents and grandparents because they grew up with imported brands and digital access to goods from all over the world their entire lives,” said Mays.
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Half of the respondents also said they were concerned about the potential for new tariffs on the industry. Alongside the existing duties, the White House is weighing whether to impose a blanket tariff on auto imports to the U.S.