1 Detroit Half-Ton Truck May Be Made in the US, Canada, or Mexico
General Motors sells a ton of half-ton trucks. Combined Silverado and Sierra sales are higher than even Ford’s F Series. So it’s no surprise that GM needs multiple factories. If you buy a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 it might come from the Fort Wayne plant in Roanoke, Indiana, the Oshawa plant in Canada, or the GM Silao plant in Mexico. The Silverado’s multi-national identity makes it unique. But it is far from the only pickup truck assembled abroad.
Every half-ton Ram 1500 is assembled in Sterling Heights, Michigan. But its famous Hemi V8 is built at Ram’s plant in Saltillo, Mexico. What’s more, every heavy-duty Ram truck and every ProMaster van are also assembled in Saltillo.
Ford’s half-ton F-150 is assembled in either Dearborn, Michigan, or Ford’s plant outside Kansas City. Every full-size Ford truck made after 2016 is assembled in the U.S., at Ford plants in Kentucky or Ohio. The Ford Ranger is produced in Wayne, Michigan. But the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is made across the river from Detroit, in Windsor, Canada. And Ford’s compact Maverick is made in Mexico.
General Motors has one of the most “American-made” pickup trucks. Its midsize Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are built in Wentzville, Missouri. What’s more, 71% of the parts that go into them come from either the U.S. or Canada. General Motors also has a plant in Flint, Michigan which makes its heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra trucks.
Automakers must print certain assembly information on the window sticker of every truck that’s a half-ton or lighter. This includes the location of final assembly, the engine’s country of origin, the transmission’s country of origin, and the percentage of parts from the U.S. and/or Canada. Cars.com uses this information, along with the percentage of each automaker’s workforce in manufacturing in the U.S., to rank the most “American-made” trucks that are half-ton and lighter. Here are the models that made the 2024 list:
| Make | Model | Location of Manufacture |
|---|---|---|
| Honda | Ridgeline | Lincoln, Alabama |
| Jeep | Gladiator | Toledo, Ohio |
| Ram | 1500 Classic | Warren, Michigan |
| Toyota | Tundra | San Antonio, Texas |
| Chevrolet | Colorado | Wentzville, Missouri |
| GMC | Canyon | Wentzville, Missouri |
| Hyundai | Santa Cruz | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Ram | 1500 | Sterling Heights, Michigan |
| Ford | F-150 Lightning | Dearborn, Michigan |
| Ford | F-150 | Dearborn, Michigan & Claycomo, Missouri |
| Nissan | Frontier | Canton, Mississippi |
| Ford | F-150 Hybrid | Dearborn, Michigan |
| Chevrolet | Silverado 1500 | Roanoke, Indiana |
| GMC | Sierra 1500 | Roanoke, Indiana |
Curious about where your pickup truck was assembled? Just take a look at your VIN. If the numbers starts with 1, 4, or 5, it was assembled in the U.S. If it starts with 2, your truck comes from Canada. And 3 means Mexico.
Next, read about why none of these full-size trucks ranked among the most American-made vehicles, or find out how American your vehicle actually is in the video below:
