Top 10 American Cars Not Actually Made in America
All of the Detroit Big Three manufacture vehicles outside the U.S. borders, some of which are America’s best-selling vehicles.
Some of the vehicles that have been outsourced to other countries to manufacture might surprise you. They really blur the line as to what truly is an American car and what might not be.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 best selling cars manufactured by American automakers that aren’t actually built in the U.S.
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 may be on its last legs, but it is still available for sale. The model is actually manufactured in Canada and shipped to the U.S., which originally caused a stir when Chrysler launched its “Imported from Detroit” campaign.
Chrysler Pacifica
Chrysler has a long history of manufacturing minivans at its Windsor Assembly Plant just across the river from Detroit, and the Pacifica continues this tradition. It has proven that there still is a market for minivans in North America, so don’t expect the Pacifica to go away anytime soon.
ALSO SEE: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus ReviewDodge Challenger
We swear, this entire list isn’t just Mopar vehicles. But next on the list is the Dodge Challenger. The American sports car competes with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, but is actually built in Canada, at the same plant as the Chrysler 300 in Brampton, Ont.
Dodge Charger
Like the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Challenger, the Charger is manufactured in Canada at the Brampton Assembly Plant outside of Toronto. It’s a bit ironic that the Hellcat Charger is viewed as one of the most American cars currently for sale, and it’s actually assembled north of the border.
Jeep Renegade
Leaving Canada, Jeep’s compact crossover, the Renegade is built in Melfi, Italy. As a byproduct of the merger with Fiat, the Renegade shares its platform, and thus assembly plant, with the Fiat 500X. Stellantis have done a good job in making the Renegade and 500X look completely different from each other.
ALSO SEE: Top 10 Non-American Cars Made in AmericaFord Edge
Ford manufactures several of its models in Canada and the Edge crossover is one of them. Built at the company’s Canadian factory in Oakville, Ont., the Ford Edge will be making way for an electric vehicle at the plant in the near future. For now though, it continues to be its home.
Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox is manufactured in, you guessed it, Canada. It is assembled at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, where it used to share a home with its corporate sibling, the GMC Terrain. But in 2017 the Equinox became the sole proprietor of the CAMI plant.
GMC Terrain
When the second generation GMC Terrain debut, it was moved out of Canada and south of the border. It is currently assembled at the San Luis Potosí Assembly plant in Mexico alongside export models of the Chevrolet Onix and Equinox.
ALSO SEE: Which Cars Are Made In Mexico?Ram 1500
Not all Ram pickup trucks are built outside the U.S., but demand is so strong that the Ram 1500 Regular Cab is also built at the Saltillo Truck Assembly plant in Mexico. Many of the Ram 1500 Crew Cab models are also built there as well.
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra
Even though it’s of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S., not all Chevrolet Silverados are actually built in the U.S. Like Ram, General Motors uses several plants to assemble their pickup trucks with the popular Crew Cab models manufactured in Mexico. The Silverado and Sierra Regular and Double Cabs are, however, built in America.
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Recent Updates:
December 14, 2021 – Improved the introduction of accuracy. Changed format for titles. Replaced all images. Updated text in Chrysler 300, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Jeep Renegade, Ford Edge, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado. Removed Ford Fusion. Updated Footer for accuracy.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Those big trucks ( polluting ) will become obsolete soon because of electric trucks and cars....
No matter what any body says.....american cars are not what they used to be. They have simply lost thier glory.....gone. Nowadays, anybody who kmows anything about cars buys german or asian cars.....they last, sip gas and are awesom..