2026 American-Made Index: Tesla Leads, Honda Makes History, Jeep Surges

For 21 years Cars.com has scrutinized the American Automobile Labeling Act data, blending it with several other information sources—including window-sticker audits of cars on dealer lots (of which there were 176,000-plus this year)—to generate its American Made Index. For much of that time, MotorTrend didn’t pay close attention to the list, but with tariffs reshaping supply chains, customer interest has become quite keen of late. This year, 379 vehicles were evaluated before arriving at a list of 86 entries, of which three are new to the list (17 having dropped off the list either due to cancellation or annual sales volumes having fallen below Cars.com’s minimum threshold).

The list ranks, in order, every car and light truck model that gets some of its assembly performed within U.S. borders, ranked by content from most to least American Made*, based on a 100-point scale. Note that the top finishers are typically separated by fractions of a point, and that in the decades Cars.com has been conducting the study, no car has ever scored a perfect 100. This year’s ever-evolving tariff landscape has amped up the pertinence of the American Made Index. As things continue to evolve, simply know that models ranked higher on this list will be impacted less than those lower on (or missing from) the list.

*Per the AALA, a part made in Canada counts the same as one made in the USA.

Tesla Still on Top

As it has since 2021, Tesla tops the list, with the Model 3 and Model Y ranking first and second. Models S and X depart the list this year as they’ve been discontinued. A change in battery sourcing put the Model 3 on top last year (up from 21st place in 2024) and Tesla’s primacy looks fairly secure for the moment.

Honda/Acura Hold 5 Top 10 Spots

Honda’s commitment to U.S. production pays off this year with its brands accounting for half of the 2026 Top 10 list (No. 5: Ridgeline, No. 6: Odyssey, No. 8 Accord ICE, No. 9 Acura MDX, No. 10 Passport). What’s more, those five bump Honda into first place as the list’s historically “most American” manufacturer, having placed 57 cars on the top-10 list over 21 years. Among the Detroit Three, GM has had 53, Ford 31, and Stellantis incarnations just 18. Toyota beats Ford with 40, and Tesla beats Stellantis with 18.

Jeep Is the Biggest Mover

The Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L make the biggest advances, jumping 66 spaces from No. 70 to No. 4, largely thanks to a 14 percent bump in U.S./Canadian content. Meanwhile, Toledo’s finest, the Jeep Gladiator maintains its spot as best non-Tesla, rising from No. 5 to No. 3, thanks to the departure of the Models S and Y. Interestingly, its Wrangler cousin slips from No. 13 to No. 23. An honorable mention goes to the Lexus TX, which jumped 27 spots thanks to sourcing its powertrain in North America.

Kia Sportage Drops Farthest

For 2026, a portion of Sportage production was imported rather than domestically built. This phenomenon caused several drops on the list for various models, but none was as great as the 40-position drop the Sportage experienced, plunging from No. 17 to No. 57.

Top Ford Advances 10 Spots

Last year the electric Ford F-150 Lightning was the brand’s highest-ranking model at No. 22, and the year before, its best was the Mustang at No. 31. This year the Lincoln Navigator/L ranks No. 12 followed by the Ford Expedition/Max in 13th, the Lincoln Aviator in 14th, and the Ford Explorer in 15th.

Highest GM Vehicle Ranked No. 25

The GMC Canyon pickup truck lands at No. 25, six spots down from last year’s Chevy Colorado in 19th place, though that’s well up from the Canyon’s No. 42 showing last year (the Colorado drops to No. 30 this year). That said, GM places more cars on the list this year, with 13 total, versus Ford’s nine and the Stellantis brands at six. Overall the domestic brands accounted for 35 percent of the list.

Where Are Rivian & Lucid?

Look for Rivian to debut on the list next year, when the mainstream R2 model can finally be counted. The R1S and R1T models—like the Tesla Cybertruck—have gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) above 8,500 pounds, and hence are exempt from the American Automobile Labeling Act data the index relies on. Lucid just barely missed the total sales/inventory volume threshold for consideration this year but will likely join the list next year with Gravity sales included (its GVWR qualifies it for inclusion in the AALA).

What This List Still Can’t Tell You

This list is all about the people assembling the parts and the geographic source of the components themselves—it says nothing about where the profits from these sales end up. It also doesn’t give any credit for foreign-assembled cars with high U.S.-Canadian parts content (like, perhaps, the Mexican-made Ford Maverick, Bronco Sport, or Mach-E).

Here’s the Full List

Stay tuned this time next year, when several popular models return to the list, to see what sort of continued churn there might be as manufacturers seeking tariff relief attempt to onshore their production and parts sourcing.