F-150 Just Misses Top Spot in Cars.com's American-Made Index
Just missing the top spot in Cars.com's annual American Made Index, the Ford F-150 (built in both Dearborn, Mich., and Claycomo, Mo.) finished just behind the four-time-winning Toyota Camry.
To qualify for the list, a vehicle must have at least 75 percent domestic parts content and be assembled in the United States. The AMI uses two separate pieces of information to determine parts content, with total sales used as a weighting factor — the first is the percentage of domestic parts by cost on each car (and by congressional mandate, "domestic" includes parts from Canada as well, reflecting the long-standing parts industry along our shared border); the other requirement lists the vehicle's final assembly point.
As noted, the more sales, the higher a particular qualifier can move up the rankings. Why do they do this? Cars.com says the more units of a certain car that are sold, the more suppliers and autoworkers are employed to build, sell and service that car. In the end, the idea is that any car that has a vast majority of domestic parts, assembled by hands in the U.S. and embraced by hundreds of thousands of American consumers is an American-made product, regardless of the brand name.
According to the story, the F-150 missed the top spot by just two days of sales. The F-150 was once a common AMI leader, topping the index from 2006 to 2008, but lower domestic parts content had dropped the best-selling pickup off the list for several years. With its domestic parts content back to 75 percent — up from 60 percent in 2011 — the F-150 returns to the AMI for 2012. Additionally, Cars.com calculates that the F-Series is the best-selling vehicle exclusively built in the U.S.
The only other pickup truck making the list, at No. 7 for 2012, is the Toyota Tundra, which is built in San Antonio. (It finished ninth last year.) To find out exactly where certain vehicles are made and how the number of auto plants in the U.S. have migrated throughout the country over the last30 years, click here.
Comments
Suppliers employ a lot of folks feeding the auto industry. This is great news including the fact Toyota utilizes as much domestic suppliers as they do. We need those American jobs.
Bravo to Ford and Toyota!
Not to take away from the commendable ammount of American/Canadian parts purchased to build the F150, but...The F-series is not assembled exclusively in the US. The F150 is, but it's misleadings to say the F Series is.
You're mistaken. Super Duty is assembled in the US in Kentucky. F-150 is assembled in Kansas and Michigan. http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/01/plant-tour-special-fords-kentucky-truck-plant.html
I think its funny that i sent an email about this 2 years ago to mike levine asking why it wasnt "Truck News" that the ONLY truck on the list at the time was the Tundra.........................
All of a sudden now that its a Ford it makes news................. kinda sad
Still pays to buy AMERICAN big three Not TOYOTA.
Read this=THE BIG THREE HAVE THE LEAD IN DIRECT U.S.
EMPLOYMENT. http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2012/07/american-made-index-which-automakers-affect-the-most-us-workers.html
I'm on my second F-150 & absolutely luv em! Its the only truck I will ever drive period!
@HEMI V8
Do you know which place Ram came in? I am not seeing it.
@Frank, It did not make the top ten this year. "TOTAL SALES
USED AS A WEIGHTING FACTOR."
@HEMI V8-Interesting article. I have done my part I own a Ford, Chevy, and 08 Isuzu which at the time GM still owned. The only thing is that I keep my vehicles over 10 years. Toyota employs a lot of workers around KY in Geogetown where they make Camrys, Toyota NA parts distribution center near me in Hebron, KY, and Toyota NA offices in Erlanger, KY also near me and around the Greater Cincinnati and Northern KY International Airport.
@Ron-That Ford plant you mentioned in Louisville, KY and Ford made their large commercial trucks there as well until they sold that division to Sterling. That plant is huge. GM has a plant in Bowling Green, KY where the Corvettes are assembled.
@ hemi v8
Dodge didnt make the list because its not as american. the sales totals would HELP dodge. by your idea the tundra should NEVER make the list right? but its number 6
@HEMI V8
Fail!
@HEMI V8 - The Tundra made the list and sells considerably less trucks than Ram. Therefore using "weighted" sales cannot be used to rationalize Ram's lack of inclusion on the list. It changes every year. Ford F150 wasn't on the list last year and Ram was. It is all based on where a company can get the parts it wants for the best price.
The point of all this is to determine "DOMESTIC PRODUCTION". I bolded that point beecause the definition of "domestic production" is based upon the soil that the factory sits upon, not the soil that the Multinational head office sits upon.
Gross Domestic Product is defined by all of the products, associated costs etc spent in a country. If it is made on USA soil it contributes positively to GDP and therefore a country's well being.
Profits leaving the country argument are valid but profits only constitute a small portion of the retail cost of a pickup truck. Factories cost billions, and so do wages, benefits, and parts.
Who owns a country or company's debt probably drains more money out of a country than profits going elsewhere. Shareholders can be anyone or any business in the world. A USA company publically traded on the stock market could in theory have all of those shares owned by foreign interests. Profits would leave with them.
We have unfortunately fallen into the habit of labeling every foreign brand as an "import" and automatically call the "Big 3" Domestic.
I am not picking on Chrysler/Ram but they are a prime example of a "domestic" labeled company that is foreign owned and actually imports HD's from Mexico.
Toyota is foreign owned and builds their trucks in the USA.
Not trying to start a fight - just pointing out the obvious.
@ Lou, can you tell me if the parts for the Ram H.D. are made in america and the trucks are assembled in mexico?
Are TOYOTA parts made in japan and the tundra assembled in america?
What Lou is saying is that the lines between made in American and American and foreign owned corporations are more blurred. Toyota is a Japanese corporation with stockholders all over the World that includes the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Toyota invests billions in manufacturing plants in NA along with its parts suppliers who furnish Toyota with parts. All of this creates jobs in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. What we refer to as the Big Three are US based corporations with vast holdings all over the World. Where a corporation is based is less important than where the manufacturing jobs are. When I was having my wife's Taurus services at the Ford dealership I started to looking at the stickers on the new vehicles to see where all the parts are made. A left over 4 wheel drive Ranger with a V6 was assembled with parts all over the World. Auto transmission made in France, motor made in Germany, mirrors made in Israel, and the list goes on. Look at any of what we refer to as the Big Three and you would be surprised where the content of the parts are made. This is the World we live in.
@Ron- Ford also builds SD's in Mexico, namely Cab&Chassis trucks.
@HEMI V8- The employment factor is interesting- I'd like to further see adjusted per vehicle employment- I don't need any paperwork to know More people work to build F150s than Tundras. But how many jobs are associated to each vehicle sold?
Mexico assembled RAMs contain both American and Mexican parts.
More good news from Ford:http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/ford-add-12-000-workers-american-comeback-story-121822365.html;_ylt=AqXgK3EolAh1UQXa4OEyCVOiuYdG;_ylu=X3oDMTQ0YWtwYmprBG1pdANGUCBUaGUgRGFpbHkgVGlja2VyBHBrZwNhYzIzNzU1Mi0zMWM1LTNkODgtOTE1OC02NjkyZGY0NWRkMjUEcG9zAzEEc2VjA01lZGlhU2VjdGlvbkxpc3QEdmVyAzY4YmFiZTIwLWM0NDItMTFlMS05ZmQ1LWVjNzJkZWYyOTQ2YQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3
This I just found and to a certain extent, shows one of the "Big 3" can have NO US Parts.
Historic late 1970's photo from New Zealand of a "Ford Truck" being a rebadged Hino! Yes it is Ford Tough as well LOL.
Not something you would see today.
http://www.commercialmotor.com/Media/Default/BlogPost/Thumbnail/05-1.jpg
@ Hemi v8
The Tundra parts content is 80% US / north american content. ONLY the alloy wheels are north american, and the rest of the components of that 80% are US soil MADE parts. Also the Tundra is ONLY assembled in San Antonio Texas. Thats why its on the list and the dodge ISNT.
3 GM cars/crossovers in the top ten Good Job GM!
@Mr Knowitall - Except for F-650s and F-750s, Mexico only builds F-Series for their own consumption. F-Series sold in the US are built in the US. The Heritage F-150 was the last Mexico F-Series.
Rams are built in Mexico because it's their biggest market.
*F-650s and F-750 aren't considered "F-Series" for this or any other study/comparison of full-size trucks.
Mr. Knowitall, Correct but F-650 and F-750 are not part of F-series so your complaint is not valid. They are Heavy Trucks built in a joint venture with Navistar International and Blue Diamond Truck Company LLC. They are built in a Navistar factory with an International truck frame, using Ford cabs and non-International engines (Caterpillar and Cummins diesels; Ford gasoline).
Honda Ridgeline is tied with F-150 for % domestic content and it is omitted from the list.
Left off due to low sales.
List is misleading and skewed to sales.
DenerMike, Correct. All F-series trucks here are built in the US.
@HEMI V8 - I'd have to look at the window stickers but I get the impression that USA window stickers contain way more information on them then the Canadian ones.
The American Made index should tell you what you need to know.
NAFTA and the proximity to the USA border of the Mexican Ram factory allow Ram to import the Ram HD's without the chicken tax or an import designation.
@Mrknowitall -
As far as guys saying that Toyota employs less employees in the USA is in itself self explanatory but it keeps getting pointed out for the wrong reasons. They make less vehicles and sell less vehicles so therefore need less employees. They also import but then again so does Chrysler, Ford, and GMC.
@Mark Williams - I believe that the Canada/USA Auto Pact agreement of 1965 is where Canadian made auto's and parts were first considered USA content or USA made.
I suspect that NAFTA has further reinforced those rules and allow for Mexican made cars and especially trucks to enter the USA chicken tax exempt.
The turdra is an out dated POS made with over capacity of cheap US parts.
Toyota is wanting suppliers to cut thier prices more and more just like detriot used to do pre-bankruptcy.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-07/toyota-said-to-ask-parts-makers-to-cut-prices-or-be-replaced.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/10/toyota-urges-suppliers-to-slash-prices-or-be-left-behind/
So much for the "Heartbeat Of America"... See the USA in your Chevrolet!... Full of foreign parts (Nice Chinese Rims) and Made in Mexico. LOL!!! One again, Ford is the Real Deal.
@x007--Interesting article. That is one reason Toyota has been using more hard plastics in their interiors. Anytime a currency rises too high it effects the competitiveness of a country's industries. If you have notice very few Japanese electronic fims are making their products in Japan unless it is the more expensive higher end stuff. Sony has been going through this as well although critics blame it mainly on a lack of new innovative products cost also is a main contributor to their problems as well. Toyota is doing what the Big 3 have done and seek competitive bids from suppliers. This is smart business and so is NA manufacturing plants as well as Chinese plants.
BlueOvalEmpire--You must not have read any window stickers at the Ford dealership recently. The Ranger I saw had a French made auto tranny, German motor, Israel mirrors, and the sticker read like a list of UN countries. Get real BlueOval this is just about any company that manufacturers including American computer companies and Japanese electronics. I know you hate Chevys but Fords and Chryslers are pretty much the same and they all have common parts suppliers. This called seeking the lowest cost supplier as Toyota is now deciding to do and what Nissan has been doing as well. Get use to the international market for better or worse.
RAM--taking the lead in foreign manufacturing and outsourcing jobs in 2013!!
wow big news....youpidoo...
Wow , a nice picture of the loser , not the winner.
Very strange logic.
Enjoy that last ford golf tournament ?
I have to agree with hemi lol.
@x007 - that is the cost of business. Exchange rates affect profitability. Living in a resource based community that used to be heavily dependant on lumber exports to the USA, every time the value of the USA dollar rose, profitability of Canadian lumber compnies dropped. Companies working on a global scale are affected by those same factors.
Here is a list of assembly plants and countries. The big 3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ford_factories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_General_Motors_factories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chrysler_factories
BlueOvalEmpire--You must not have read any window stickers at the Ford dealership recently.
-I Only care about American Made trucks. The Backbone of this country! The soul of America. Little cars or whatever else you'd like to comment on mean nada to me. The Ranger/Mazda truck isn't a Real truck anyway. I care about F-150's and Super Duty's. Those trucks are Ford's true American heart and soul. The day they sell that out is the day I'll stop buying from them. And I don't hate Chevy's. Old Chevy's rule. Cars and trucks both. It's the new one's that blow. I do however think GM sucks. They're UnAmerican, UnPatriotic and UnGrateful. That's no fault of Chevrolet's. It's who Government Motors is at the core.
And calling the Silverado "America's Truck" all while rolling on Chinese wheels, loaded with mostly foreign parts and built south of the border is not only pathetic, it's downright blasphemous to Old Chevrolet's legacy. It's also a flat out lie. Ford doesn't claim the Fusion for example is "America's Car". I'd rip them on it if they did because it's likewise Made in Mexico. GM just needs to be honest with their marketing and I'd leave them alone. Something like "Chevy Trucks, No longer American and only a shell of what they used to Be" should suffice.
@blue oval empire,I agree. If I was in the market for an H.D. truck I would want it made here to support my union brothers and sisters. I am in a different union ,but I don't know how the unions let the labor to go to mexico is be on me. W>T>F??
@southern IL man, The jobs at ford is very good. Makes me feel good to know there will be some union jobs expanding. 12,000
is a huge number. Hope it only gets better. With the recent TOYOTA 14 million recall will boost american union jobs.
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.!
I do find it interesting that many hate foreign companies and blame them for the problems currently in the USA. In reality, it was big USA business, big USA banks, and big USA government that sold the USA middle class out for the name of profit. Why pay a UAW worker 80 dollars an hour (when you factor in benefits) when you can pay a Mexican 5 dollars an hour or some poor sod in China a dollar an hour?
Who created and implemented NAFTA?
In some respects the unions are also to blame. 10 years ago or maybe more, I had read that the USA auto industry would be killed by union wages and benefits. The financial expert had refered to the big 3 as "Retirement Trusts Masquerading as Car Companies". 2 out of 3 requiring bailouts, UAW getting stock concessions in both GMC and Chrysler as well as renegotiated wage and benefit packages proves that expert was correct in his analysis.
I have nothing against trade unions but when they kill the host that feeds them, that is another story.
Given the choice most companies would do business here in the U.S. It is the taxes that prevents them. The US has the highest corporate taxes in the entire world.
@Lou, Where did you get 80$ hour from? Are the employees supposed to work till they can't bend over to tie their shoes and get nothing after making the employer billions? I buy Dodge,
ford to support U.S. union jobs. My money goes to support my neighbor. The japanese don't have unions and there trucks are
more expensive. Your money goes to cheap labor. No benefits.
I vote with my hard earned money. It's a spit in the face of americans to drive imports and then cry about american jobs and the economy. You have got to stand for something or you'll
fall for anything. Support america buy american.Not Toyota.
Trust me I know japanese support japanese. Americans should support america. They killed 2,000 americans one quiet sunday morning. My wife's grandfather died in world war 2.
@Lou, Ram would have made the list but they have too much techonology and the computer chips are all made in Japan. Mexico is part of northAMERICA last time I checked.
GUTS GLORY RAM
@Hemi V8 Good points for a change. God bless the U.S.A
@Hemi V8 - if you factor in wages, benefits and retirement plan it is pretty close. That figure also includes legacy costs.I'm refering to paying the benefit and retirement package for some guy who retired 10 years ago. I do believe that number is probably less post bailout. The point I was trying to make was that companies, banks, and government basically sold the middle class down the river for cheep foreign jobs. The UAW shares some of the blame for allowing unskilled labour to get inflated high wages. Remember the American Axle strike? American Axle demanded huge wage consessions or they would close up shop in the USA and open factories in Mexico and other locations.
Unions aren't entirely to blame. Everyone got too greedy and in the end the middle class is paying for it. China for example has gotten filthy rich because our companies went there to avoid moral obligations. Those obligations are: 1. fair wages, 2. safe work conditions, 3. sound environmental practices, 4. sustainable growth. One could add other issues to that list.
It is unfortunate that your wife's grandfather died in WW2. Governments start wars and their citizens fight and die in them. Italy and Germany were USA enemies at that same time. Do you boycott products from those countries too? It is unfortunate that 2,000 soldiers died at Pearl Harbour. Don't you think that Hiroshima and Nagasaki more than make up for it? Those people weren't soldiers after all.
@Lou, You are not picking on Ram but obviously you are very very JEALOUS of Ram and all of your main facts are wrong. Since we are talking half tons here ALL Ram half ton trucks are made in America except for regular cabs THAT NOBODY BUYS. I haven't seen any SECOND, for 2012 Ram has unsurpassed V8 fuel economy and will have CLASS LEADING v6 fuel economy for 2013. This is nothing to be jealous about. In fact, the code of the west there is an unspoken code....NEVER COVET ANOTHER MAN'S RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GUTS GLORY RAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zArqaKmxxs
Cars.com disqualifies all vehicles with parts content below 75%... yet the F-150 makes number 2 on the list with only 75% parts content. Factors also include sales??? What the heck does sales have to do with where the vehicle was made. This whole 'American Made Index' is a major fail for Cars.com
Its great to see that the F-150 is using a large component of US parts. All Ford needs to do is export them.
@Blue Oval Empire - You know, somehow I don't think you really do. Those Ranger/Mazda trucks actually bring money to Dearborn. This is what globalisation is. You might not like them but don't make remarks that really aren't qualified to make. These Ranger/Mazda trucks like mine have MT82 Getrags in them, the same box that is in your Boss 'Stangs and they are made in China. Come over to Australia and see how these trucks are.
@Hempi V8 - You obviously work for a wage. Do you know what overheads are? Just because you make $X dollars an hour doesn't mean that is all you are costing your boss. 401k, medical insurance etc. Even having the coffee pot and microwave in your smoko room cost money to run and maintain.
Lou is correct it's not just the unions its also poor managers, impact studies for evironmentalist, politicans etc, they all add to cost. And the chicken tax is costing you money by reducing effective competition and limiting choice.
@Hemi V8
Just glancing at your factory links suggests to me that Chrysler hasn't faired to well in the world of business. It shows poor foresight by Chrysler management to create a business model for survival in global trade.
1. Look at the history of Chryler to see how it had failed. It started going backwards right after the first fuel crisis in the early 70s. Even in Australia.
2. Chrysler had Valiant in Australia which switched hands to Mitsubishi, which it had links too and also failed.
3. It also had ties to Simca in Europe a market it could never get a foothold in until Fiat offered Chrysler and avenue to move its product their.
4. Fiat will make very good NA Rams with great euro diesels eventually.
Chrysler when it was Chrysler starting back in the 90s were exporting low quality cheap vehicles around to whatever market would take them. The biggest problem was the quality from their NA factories was sub standard, much worse than Korean cars back then. Chrysler recieved a bad reputation.
In the end you wouldn't have your Rams without Fiat, and they have spurred on Chrysler to produce a better product that can be sold in Europe now.
Guys-I live in N KY accross the river from Cincinnati. There use to be a Camaro/Firebird assembly plant in Norwood, OH (suburban Cincinnati) that plant had been around since the 1920s. It closed in 1987 after the quality got so bad that GM gave up. Workers were smaahing mirrors and breaking things on the cars to get overtime to fix the cars. I worked with a former supervisor who said it was so bad that they set up hidden cameras to record what was happening. GM had just spent millions updating the plant with new paint booths. When the plant closed half the equipment went to Mexico and half went to California. I am not saying all union workers are like this but finally GM gave up and closed the plant. GM also closed a old Frigidare plant outside of Dayton, OH that was assembling Trailblazers (prior to that S-10s). I am not trying to blame all UAW workers @Blue Oval but they had their part as well. When management of GM and other companies went more and more overseas to avoid these problems and to save costs after the Japanese were beating them badly in the market place they got a little too greedy. @Lou you are correct there is enough blame to share and that blame is shared by big business, government, unions, and competition from emerging countries and cheap labor. To blame just GM is shortsighted and easy since they are one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the World. It is easy to make a scapegoat out of the biggest. Look at the USA the number 1 power in the World and how a lot of countries hate us. Now China is emerging and they are feeling the hatred as well (at least they are sharing the hate).
I do not hate Ford but they are doing their fair share of outsourcing too. Transit Connect is a case in point made in Turkey. If you are that concerned @Blue Oval then you should read the window sticker or content label of whst you decide to buy and buy the item with the most American content and that is your right as a consumer. But don't blindly think that Ford as any multinational corporation owes total allegiance to the USA or the American worker. Ford like other corporations owes its allegiance to the bottom line. Bottom line is lowest cost and increased profit margins. That is the same with Home Depot who sells Chinese ceiling fans and now Chinese power lawn equipment. I am not saying this because I favor what is happening but I will not go around seeing things as Black & White or US against Them. Things are a lot more complicated than that and to just blame GM and the government is too easy and will not change what is happening. @Lou I would like your comments as well.
@Lou, Reed it and weep!
The Ram pickup truck, Chrysler Group’s volume leader, continued on its sales roll with a 12 percent increase in June compared with the same month a year ago. It was the pickup truck’s 26th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and its best June since 2007. The Ram 1500 pickup led the way with an 18 percent increase.
Of the Ram 1500 sales, the regular cab pickups posted the largest percentage sales increase in June, while the quad cab trucks led in volume. The highly-versatile Ram Cargo Van, designed for small businesses and commercial fleets, posted a 272 percent increase in June compared with sales in the previous month of May. The Ram Truck brand posted its best June sales since 2007.
http://media.chrysler.com/newsrelease.do?id=12692&mid=2
GUTS GLORY RAM!
@Dave, Ram pickup truck sales up 12 percent; best June sales since 2007!!!!!!!
2007!!!!!!
@Big Al from Oz-I remember Simca as well. I believe for a few short years in the 60s Chrysler dealerships in the US sold them but they were unsuccessful. Chrysler's attempt to get into the European market to compete with Adam Opel GM and Ford England and Ford Germany. We in the US have been so use to being Number 1 for so long and having products that are just specific to us that we take the rest of the World forgranted. You in Australia have had your own unique products from the Utes to your Holdens and Fords. The World is much more connected now and yes overhead as you say is more critically analyzed. Controlling overhead is a make or break for most companies. The Walmarts and other corporate entities have change the game for better or worse. There are many commentors on this sight that would like to turn back the clock. I understand that but that is not going to happen. You either adapt or you become irrelevant.
@Blue Oval Empire - You know, somehow I don't think you really do. Those Ranger/Mazda trucks actually bring money to Dearborn. This is what globalisation is.
@BigAl, I fully understand globalization. I'm also sick and tired of this country selling out our soul for a buck. What is it my kids and grandkids will have 30-40 years from now to call home? America will be a shell of what it once was. It's already becoming that way. As an American citizen, I just want 1 thing that I can call my own. As a truck guy who firmly believes trucks built this country, I want a full red blooded American Truck. Those little Rangers never counted for anything in my book. I also think the Mustang fiasco is pathetic. I don't care if it's a Ford or not. I'm an American first and foremost. They're dumping all over it's American ponycar legacy too as far as I'm concerned. Next in line after full size trucks for being 'Pure American' should be our hotrods. That was Our heritage. Ford can globalize all they want and I Want them to! I want my truck however to be Built here with as high of American parts content as humanly possible. Ford is doing the right thing by me when it comes to their trucks and that's what counts most. It's sad that Toyota of all companies is next in line.
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