How Much Of A Ford F-150 Is Made In America?
What vehicle is more American than the Ford F-150? Ford Motor Company as a whole is known for changing the way Americans bought and drove cars with its groundbreaking moving assembly line. Ford's most popular vehicles have since defined American car culture, including the powerful Mustang sports car and the capable F-150 truck, which has topped truck sales in America for around 40 years running. Ford truck enthusiasts may be surprised to hear, however, that the majority of the F-150 is not made in America anymore.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), just 32% of the Ford F-150 is made in America. This put the popular American pickup at 58th on the 2024 American Made Index, according to a study by Cars.com. Perhaps surprisingly, the Ford F-150 was ranked near the bottom a few years prior. What exactly has put the Ford F-150 so low on this list, even being over-American'd by Honda, Volkswagen, and Toyota?
Why isn't the Ford F-150 more American?
Fans of American made pickups may be concerned with the news that the Ford F-150 isn't totally American. What exactly does that mean? According to Patrick Masterson, lead researcher for Cars' American-Made Index: "Pundits champion homegrown corporations as the key to investments in local and state economies. However, when it comes to the global automotive industry, the badge on the hood doesn't always reveal a vehicle's economic contributions."
Well, the U.S. is definitely not where the majority of the Ford F-150 is built. The Ford F-150 is manufactured at two plants in America; one in Michigan, and one in Missouri. While Ford was made in America, however, that doesn't mean all the parts were manufactured here. Ford has never outright stated which parts are not made in America, even when asked by the media. Ford has a total of 65 manufacturing plants worldwide, however, so it can likely be assumed that some of the components are being shipped in from those countries — or even somewhere providing cheaper parts since American auto part manufacturers often can't keep up with demand.