No modern pickup truck is 100% built in the U.S.A. The Ram 1500 is assembled in Michigan and made up of parts that are mostly from the U.S. or Canada. Ram’s heavy-duty trucks, however, are all assembled in Mexico.
Where is the Ram 1500 manufactured?
Every fifth-generation Ram 1500 is assembled in Sterling Heights, Michigan. And while 58% of its components are manufactured in either the U.S.A. or Canada, the rest of its parts hail from elsewhere–namely Ram’s Saltillo, Mexico plant. The Ram 1500 Classic is a different story.
Chrysler Corporation first opened its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in 1953 to build missiles. So it’s unsurprising that the U.S. Army bought and operated the plant for years. The Army eventually sold the plant to Volkswagen and, in an interesting turn of fate, VW sold it back to Chrysler in 1983.
In 2016, Chrysler spent $1.49 billion to retool the old plant to make pickup trucks. It diverted its old Warren Truck Assembly plant to Jeep Wagoneer production, and now the fifth-generation Ram 1500 is exclusively built in the Sterling Heights plant.
Since the U.S. Government passed the American Automobile Labeling Act, every manufacturer must display the location of assembly and the percentage U.S./Canadian-made parts on every new light-duty vehicle’s sticker window. This is how we know that 58% of the 2021 Ram 1500’s components come from the U.S. and Canada.
Where are Ram 2500 trucks manufactured?
All of Ram’s 2500, and heavier, trucks–along with its ProMaster vans–are assembled at the company’s Saltillo, Mexico plant. This includes the Ram 3500 trucks as well as the company’s cab/chassis vehicles: the Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500.
Unlike light-duty trucks, automakers do not need to disclose what percent of the components of their heavy-duty trucks come from th U.S.A./Canada. For this reason, we do not know what percentage of Ram’s heavy-duty trucks, such as the 2500, are manufactured in the U.S.A./Canada.
That said, Stellantis’ Saltillo Assembly plant is a 49-acre campus. It includes two separate engine assembly facilities and a body-stamping facility. According to Stellantis, Saltillo builds its 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engines, 6.4-liter (392 cubic inch) HEMI V8s, some of its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6s, and will build its upcoming 3.0-liter turbocharged Hurricane I6.
It’s safe to say the majority of the components of the heavy-duty Ram trucks assembled in Saltillo, Mexico are also manufactured in Saltillo.
Where are the Ram 1500 Classics manufactured?
The Ram 1500 Classic is a newly-built fourth-generation Ram truck targeted at fleet buyers. Every two-door Ram Classic and some four-doors are built in Saltillo, Mexico. Every Ram Classic Quad Cab and some Crew Cab trucks are built alongside the new Wagoneer, in Warren Michigan.
The Ram 1500 Classic is a bit of a time capsule. Because it only offers its fifth-generation Ram as a relatively expensive four-door truck, Ram chose to continue building its fourth-generation Ram as a $30k work truck. If you want to spend more you can upgrade your bare-bones Ram Classic with 4WD or a V8 engine.
Many Ram 1500 Classics are still built where the fourth-generation Ram truck was built, in Stellantis’ Warren assembly plant. But if you order a two-door Classic, you know it comes from Mexico. And if you order a Crew Cab, you are rolling the dice.
Want to know where your Ram truck was made? Simply check the VIN number. Vehicles with a VIN beginning in 1, 4, or 5 were made in the U.S. A VIN beginning with 2 means Canada and 3 means Mexico.
