Cars.com has released its American-Made Index for 2022, showing which vehicles call on the U.S. most for factory jobs, manufacturing plants and parts sourcing. Tesla has once again earned the title of “most American made” with its Model Y, and that’s no shock considering the brand’s massive growth and doubling down on domestic production. What is surprising, though, is that no full-size pickup made the top 10.
This year, only one vehicle with a truck bed is mentioned so high up. It’s built in Lincoln, Alabama, and it’s not a Chevy, Ford, or Ram. It’s the Honda Ridgeline, and it sits at number eight.
This means U.S.-based truck makers like Ram, Ford and General Motors are currently being overshadowed by their international competitors. Cars.com completes its analysis based on five primary factors: location of final assembly, percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts, country of origin for available engines, country of origin for available transmissions, and U.S. manufacturing employees relative to the automaker’s footprint. Apparently, the Ridgeline meets that criteria better than anything that claims to come from Detroit.
The Ford F-150 is usually assumed to be as American as apple pie, but on this list, it’s in 21st place. Meanwhile, the Ram 1500 is number 45, and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 have plunged to 93rd and 94th out of 95 ranked vehicles. Factors like the chip shortage have crippled production for several truck companies, possibly forcing them to look elsewhere for parts and labor.
The Ford Ranger was number one as recently as 2020; in that same year, the Chevrolet Colorado rounded out the top 10 and the GMC Canyon trailed at number 11. One year later, Cars.com’s 2021 list showed the Tesla Model 3 at the top and the Ford Ranger had plummeted to number 28. The Ranger has since clawed back to number 17, though the Missouri-built GMC Canyon is the highest-ranking truck from an American automaker on the list at number 12.
Other trucks from Detroit’s Big Three, like the Ford Maverick and even some Chevy Silverados, are built in Mexico. Does it matter? To some buyers, yes. And for those watching the journey to U.S. chip independence and the current supply challenges, they may be keeping their eyes on this as automakers shift and adjust.
Nevertheless, if you need a vehicle with a bed and want to buy American, you might consider a Honda.
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