Ford fails to place in Cars.com’s 2024 American-Made Index, highlighting shifting supply chains and Tesla’s dominance in U.S. manufacturing rankings.
Ford Motor Co. failed to place a single model in the top 20 of the 2024 American-Made Index, a ranking compiled annually by Cars.com to highlight vehicles with the highest domestic manufacturing content.
The list, marking its 20th anniversary this year, arrives at a time when U.S. manufacturing and supply chains are under heightened scrutiny. Cars.com uses a five-factor methodology that considers final assembly location, origin of the engine and transmission, percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts, and the direct American workforce involved in production.
Tesla dominated the upper tier, with all four of its current models — the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X — claiming the top four spots. Stellantis placed two vehicles in the ranking: the Jeep Gladiator at No. 5 and the Jeep Wrangler at No. 13, both built in Toledo, Ohio. General Motors had just one entry, the Chevrolet Colorado pickup, assembled in Wentzville, Missouri, at No. 19.
Ford’s absence is notable given its position as one of the “Big Three” U.S. automakers alongside GM and Stellantis. While the company builds several vehicles domestically, none met the index’s criteria strongly enough to make the cut this year.
Cars.com analysts say the results underscore the complexity of modern automotive manufacturing, where even brands with deep U.S. roots rely heavily on global supply chains. Vehicles assembled domestically may still fall short on domestic-parts content or engine and transmission sourcing, which weigh heavily in the rankings.
The report also serves as a reminder that a vehicle’s badge is not always the best indicator of its economic footprint. As automakers navigate shifting supply lines, consumer interest in buying “American-made” continues to be balanced by the realities of global production.
