The Ford F-150 is America’s best selling truck, but is it as American as people believe? There was a time when buying Ford meant supporting American jobs, an American company, and the American economy overall. Yet as our world has become smaller and companies have begun to connect with and depend on organizations and a labor force outside of the United States, that’s changed. In fact, it’s changed so much that the F-150 isn’t the most American truck – it’s actually the sixth, and 29th overall.

The Ford F-150 isn’t the most American truck

A survey conducted annually by Cars.com concluded that nearly three quarters of car shoppers consider where their vehicle comes from. Yet not many people know where that really is. Many people assume a Ford, or a Chevy, or a Ram truck is made in America. The truth is a lot more complicated than that.

These days car manufacturers don’t just buy all of their parts from one place and build their vehicles in one plant. Different vehicles are built in different locations, some outside of the U.S. Parts may be sourced from the United State, or they might come from overseas. The labor force producing the parts and building the cars may or may not be American. Whether that matters to you is another story, but the truth is, the origin of a vehicle isn’t straightforward.

Cars.com collected information about where vehicles are manufactured, as well as where their parts come from and the makeup of the labor source that gets that car to the dealership. They then compiled a list of 90 cars. These are ranked by how “American” they are. Cars.com didn’t include vehicles with small production numbers, fleet-only vehicles, and vehicles in their last year of production. The results show that the F-150 isn’t the most American truck.

Where is the Ford F-150 built?

The regular Ford F-150 is built in two factories. One of these is Dearborn Truck in Michigan, and the other is the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri.  The Ford F-150 Hybrid, a little further down the list, is also built in Dearborn Michigan.

Despite this, the F-150 is only number 29 on the list of 90 most American vehicles. The hybrid version is even lower on the list, taking spot number 44. This means that a combination of parts and labor must be from outside of the U.S. 

Which trucks are more American than the F-150?

If supporting the American economy is one of your top priorities when truck shopping, there are five better choices. Number six overall on the list of most American cars is the Honda Ridgeline. People may be surprised to learn that Honda makes the most American pickup truck, but it’s true. The Ridgeline is made in Lincoln, Alabama. 

Toyota makes the number 10 Tundra in San Antonio, Texas. Or you could opt for the Chevy Colorado, number 14 on the list. GMC makes the number 15 Canyon in Wentzville, Missouri, same as the Colorado. Even the Ford Ranger is a spot above the F-150, taking number 28 with its production in Wayne, Michigan. 

The next time you’re car shopping, if buying American is your priority, don’t just go by car manufacturer names. Do some research, consult the Cars.com list, and spend your money in a way that’s meaningful to you.