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No vehicle segment better represents the U.S.A. than the pickup truck. But an increasing number of trucksā€“even wearing Detroit badgesā€“are being assembled in Mexico. The Rivian startup is the only company building every pickup truck it sells in the U.S.A. Both Honda and Nissan are companies that build various trucks for worldwide markets. But every truck that Honda or Nissan sells in the U.S.A is assembled in the U.S.A.

Where are Rivian trucks built?

Rivian is an EV startup that released the first electric pickup truck on the market: the R1T. Rivian operates out of the old Mitsubishi/Chrysler plant in Normal, Illinois. Though its volume is comparatively low, it is still technically the only automaker building 100% of its trucks in the U.S.A.

Rivian R1T | Rivian

Ford still assembles all its full-frame pickup trucks in the U.S.A. (both the F-Series and the Ranger). But it assembles the Maverick in Mexico. General Motors assembles some half-ton trucks (the GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado) in Mexico. And Ram makes every heavy-duty trucksā€“and some Ram 1500 Classicsā€“in Mexico. Every Toyota Tundra and many Toyota Tacomas hail from San Antonio, Texas. But Toyota has moved some Tacoma production to Mexico.

Where does Nissan build its trucks?

Nissan offers two full-frame trucks here in the United States. Both the midsize Nissan Frontier and full-size Titan are assembled in Canton, Mississippi. But many of this truckā€™s components come from abroad.

A tan Nissan Frontier climbs an off-road trail.
2022 Nissan Frontier | Nissan

Only 40% of the parts Nissan uses to assemble its Frontier are built in the U.S.A. or Canada. The number for the Titan is slightly higher: 50% of that Nissan truckā€™s parts come from the U.S.A. or Canada, including its 5.6-liter V8.

Where does Honda build the Ridgeline?

Hondaā€™s Ridgeline is a compact, unibody truck that shares a chassis with the Honda Pilot SUV. The Ridgeline hails from Lincoln, Alabama, and is often ranked among the most ā€œAmerican-madeā€ trucks.

In total, 70% of the parts that go into the Honda Ridgeline come from the United States or Canada. This is why Cars.com ranked it the most ā€œAmerican-madeā€ pickup truck.

Which pickup truck is the most American-made?

Cars.com ranked the Honda Ridgeline as the most ā€œAmerican-madeā€ pickup truck. But others claim the GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado truly earns the number one spot. But first, here are the Cars.com rankings.

  1. Honda Ridgeline
  2. GMC Canyon
  3. Chevrolet Colorado
  4. Ford F-150
  5. Toyota Tundra
  6. Jeep Gladiator
  7. Ram 1500
  8. Ford F-150 hybrid
  9. Nissan Titan
  10. Nissan Frontier
  11. Ram 1500 Classic
  12. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  13. GMC Sierra 1500
A red Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, assembled in the U.S.A. fords a stream.
2017 Honda Ridgeline | Honda

The experts at the Kogod School of Business at the American University keep their own ranking. Kogod penalizes companies with headquarters abroad. This is because much of the money you spend to buy a truck from them goes overseas to fund their research and development or business teams. Here is Kogodā€™s ranking:

  1. Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (gasoline)
  2. Ford F-150 (with 2.7, 3.3, or 5.0-liter engine)
  3. Honda Ridgeline
  4. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (6.2-liter V8)
  5. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (diesel)
  6. Ford F-150 (with 3.5-liter EcoBoost)
  7. Ram 1500 Classic (U.S.A. assembled versions)
  8. Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (diesel)
  9. Toyota Tundra
  10. Ram 1500
  11. Nissan Titan
  12. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (5.3-liter V8)
  13. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (Mexico assembled version)
  14. Nissan Frontier
  15. Ram 1500 Classic (Mexico assembled version)

You can see precisely where more pickup trucks are assembled in the table below:

Truck NameAssembly Plant
Honda RidgelineLincoln, Alabama
Ford MaverickHermosillo, Mexico
Ford F-150Dearborn, Michigan/Kansas City, Missouri
Ford Super DutyAvon Lake, Ohio/Louisville, Kentucky
Chevrolet Colorado/GMC CanyonWentzville, Missouri
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500Fort Wayne, Indiana/Silao, Mexico
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra HDFlint, Michigan
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra Medium DutySpringfield, Ohio
Ram 1500Sterling Heights, Michigan
Ram 1500 ClassicWarren, Michigan/Saltillo, Mexico
Ram heavy-dutySaltillo, Mexico
Jeep GladiatorToledo, Ohio
Toyota TacomaSan Antonio, Texas/Baja California, Mexico
Toyota TundraSan Antonio, Texas
Nissan Frontier & TitanCanton, Mississippi

Next, find out which classic V8 is built in Canada, or find out just how American-made your car or truck is in the video below: