Here’s Where Ram’s Truck Engines Are Built (And Which Ones Hail From Mexico)
There may be nothing more “American” than pickup trucks. But the truth is that most Ram pickup trucks’ engines are built in Mexico. Only the Cummins I6 and some Pentastar V6s are still built in the U.S.A.
Where is the Ram’s Hemi V8 built?
Every 2023 Hemi V8 will be built in the Saltillo, Mexico, engine plant. Chrysler Corporation began operations in Saltillo in 1950, and its Saltillo engine plant has been building reliable 5.7-liter, 6.4-liter, and Hellcat V8s for as long as those engines have existed.
For years, Chrysler Corporation (later FCA, and finally Stellantis) built many of its V8s in Michigan. But today, the Trenton and Dundee engine plants only make the 3.6-liter V6 and smaller engines. This means that every new V8-powered Ram truck will have an engine from Mexico.
Cummins is still building every single turbocharged 6.7-lite I6 in Ohio. This means that if you pay the extra $10k to option your heavy-duty Ram with a diesel, you’ll be getting an engine built in the U.S.A.
If you opt for an entry-level Ram 1500 with a 3.6-liter V6, you may or may not get one built in the U.S.A.
Are Ram trucks made in America?
Defining American-made is difficult. The regular Ram 1500 is assembled in the United States out of parts primarily built in the U.S. and Canada. Heavy-duty Rams and regular cab Classics are assembled 180 miles south of the border in Saltillo, Mexico, but many of their parts originate in the U.S. and Canada.
The Automobile labeling act requires that all half-ton pickup trucks’ window stickers declare where the vehicle was assembled and what percent of its parts originate from the U.S. or Canada. Heavy-duty trucks do not need to come with this information.
The Kogod School of Business at the American University in Washington D.C. analyzed several 2022 models for its Auto Index (Kogod.American.edu). It reported that all half-ton Rams, be they the 1500 or the Classic, feature 63% components from the U.S. or Canada. The most American-made is the Ram 1500 Classic because its engine comes from the U.S., even though its transmission does not.
Every Ram pickup truck with a VIN that begins in 1,4, or 5 was assembled in the U.S. But if a VIN begins in 2, that vehicle was assembled in Canada. If the VIN starts with a 3, that vehicle was assembled in Mexico.
Where are Ram truck engines made?
The majority of engines available in Ram pickup trucks come from Saltillo, Mexico, with a few notable exceptions: the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel I6.
You can see where every current Ram truck engine, and future engines, such as the Hurricane I6, are currently made in the table below:
| Engine Name | Vehicles | Assembly Plants |
| 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 | Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic | Trenton, Michigan Dundee, Michigan Saltillo, Mexico |
| 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo I6 | Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, Wagoneer L, Grand Wagoneer L | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 5.7-liter Hemi V8 | Ram 1500 | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.4-liter “BGE” Hemi V8 | Ram 2500 Heavy Duty, and larger trucks | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.4-liter “Apache” SRT Hemi V8 | Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, Dodge Durango SRT | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.2-liter “Hellcat” Supercharged SRT Hemi V8 | Ram 1500 TRX | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.7-liter Cummins Turbodiesel I6 | Ram 2500 Heavy Duty, and larger trucks | Columbus Midrange Engine Plant, Ohio |
Next, find out the only full-size truck on the American-made list, or about Mexican manufacturing in the video below:
