Made in America has been a traditional slogan for decades. It was easy at the beginning because for the most part, almost everything was made here. From your clothes to hand tools, to kitchen appliances. Even your cars and trucks...And we’re glad to see Jeep at the top of the list.
Made in America has been a traditional slogan for decades. It was easy at the beginning because for the most part, almost everything was made here. From your clothes to hand tools, to kitchen appliances. Even your cars and trucks.
Today things are made all over the world, and then imported. Some call it a globalization, but that’s just a catch phrase to disguise what’s really going on. Many countries don’t have unions, OSHA, clean air, water, or workspaces. And of course, the workers are paid significantly lower than American workers.
Products made in America are good products, and keep our economy rolling from the ground up. From the assembly lines, welders, fabricators, to the office employees and shipping clerks. Making a product in America touches lives everywhere.
In recent decades, automotive organizations and the U.S. government have kept track of just what an American vehicle is. Meaning, it must be made here in the States, but a certain percentage of the parts must be made here as well. This is usually stated as a percentage number. For instance, let’s say, 75% of your brand-x pickup truck was made from Made in America parts. The other 25% were outsourced, basically imported.
Included in the measurement is whether the engine and transmission is made in the U.S., and the manufacturer’s employment (related to its vehicle sales). The amount of domestic-made parts content is known from the American Automobile Labeling Act (106 STAT 1520, HR 5518, October 6, 1992). That is a strict measurement using Federal standards.
For 2017, the index measurement was changed by Cars.com, a private business that specializes in selling classifieds for automobiles. The Cars.com format is called the “American-Made Index.” It was probably tweaked to make the numbers more buyer-friendly for consumers who do pay attention to the percentages which are marked on every vehicle’s window sticker at a dealership (per Federal law).
If the 2016 rules were applied to the 2017 applicants, only 3 vehicles would have made the grade to pass as a “Made in America.” Changing the index allows for more vehicles to show up on the index now (not that it's science, it's used for marketing).
For 2017, there are 10 top vehicles that have the highest points for “Made in America”:
- Jeep Wrangler (75%)
- Jeep Cherokee (70%)
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Ridgeline
- Acura RDX
- Ford F150
- Ford Expedition
- GMC Acadia
- Honda Odyssey
- Honda Pilot
Some vehicles are exempt or disqualified from the format. Discontinued cars, even ones in their last year of production, are often not allowed to participate. Some, like fleet vehicles, or vehicles that failed to sell more the 25,000 units, can be skipped as well.
As a matter of interest, a survey at Cars.com showed that around 25% of car buyers would only “Buy American.” According to Automotive News, about a third of the vehicles sold in the States are from Ford and GM (though not all of the vehicles are necessarily made here).
As Americans, we love our cars and trucks. It’s a 500-billion dollar business that affects everyone’s life in one way or another. From the truck drivers who move the parts to the auto parts store clerks around the corner to the detail guy who comes by in his van to make your car look like new. The car industry employs about 7.25 million private sector jobs. That’s a lot of U.S jobs.
We’re glad to see Jeep at the top of the list. But it’s not really a surprise to us. Toledo has been popping out those Wranglers for Jeepers worldwide and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon. It’s no wonder the Jeep is still one of the most popular vehicles made right here in America.
Want to keep your Jeep as All-American as you can? Check out our Made in America section for manufacturers and parts made right here in the States.
