Jeep
Every year, Cars.com releases a list of the most American-made vehicles. And every year, that list is curiously thin on domestic pickups—often the best-selling on the market, that also cash in most on the American spirit. It’s no different in 2024, as the Jeep Gladiator is the lone truck from a domestic automaker to crack the top 10.
Specifically, the Gladiator is eighth in the rankings. Check out the lineup here:
- Tesla Model Y
- Honda Passport
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Tesla Model S
- Honda Odyssey
- Honda Ridgeline
- Toyota Camry
- Jeep Gladiator
- Tesla Model X
- Lexus TX
Really, that list looks a lot like it has for years. Teslas and Hondas comprise the majority as each car company nabs three spots apiece. Notably, the Honda Ridgeline—the most hated by rootin’ tootin’ pickup drivers—is more American-made than any other truck.
The Jeep Gladiator is built alongside the Wrangler at the manufacturer’s Toledo, Ohio plant. It jumped 19 spots to land in eighth place based on its contributions to the U.S. economy in “manufacturing, parts sourcing, and employment.” Only one other domestic truck made the top 20, and that’s the Ram 1500 Classic at 19th. The Ford F-150, America’s best-selling truck for more than four decades, is all the way down at 58th, while the Chevrolet Silverado is 89th.
Many automakers like to tout that that their vehicles are “assembled in the United States,” which is indeed true of all of the aforementioned pickups. But that doesn’t mean all their components are manufactured here. I wrote a story a while back focusing specifically on full-size pickups and their absence from the American-made index, and that distinction was key. General Motors, Ford, and Ram were quick to point out their investments in U.S. assembly plants, though that doesn’t change their standing on the list.
Car companies spend big bucks on U.S. facilities, no doubt, but one statistic doesn’t tell the full story alone.
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