American-Made Cars (2026): Which Models Are Actually Built in the USA

Updated 2026-06-28 · Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere

Quick answer

“American-made” describes where a car is assembled, not the brand on the badge. Many Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru, and Tesla models are built in the United States, while some Ford and Chevrolet models are built in Mexico or Canada. The one definitive way to know where your car was built is its VIN — the first character is the country of assembly.

Popular models built in the USA

Model (US-market)	Assembly plant
Toyota Camry	Georgetown, Kentucky
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid	Georgetown, Kentucky
Honda Accord	Marysville, Ohio / Greensburg, Indiana
Honda CR-V	East Liberty, Ohio / Greensburg, Indiana
Honda Pilot	Lincoln, Alabama
Ford F-150	Dearborn, Michigan / Kansas City, Missouri
Ford Mustang	Flat Rock, Michigan
Chevrolet Corvette	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban	Arlington, Texas
BMW X3, X5, X6, X7	Spartanburg, South Carolina
Mercedes-Benz GLE / GLS	Vance / Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tesla Model Y, 3, X, S	Fremont, California / Austin, Texas
Nissan Rogue / Pathfinder	Smyrna, Tennessee
Nissan Frontier	Canton, Mississippi
Kia Telluride / Sorento	West Point, Georgia
Hyundai Tucson / Santa Fe	Montgomery, Alabama
Subaru Outback / Forester*	Lafayette, Indiana (varies by model year)

*Subaru and some others shift assembly between US and overseas plants by model year — confirm with the VIN. Assembly locations from automaker plant/press sources, verified June 2026.

“American” brands that are often built abroad

The badge doesn't settle it — several familiar models from US-headquartered brands are assembled in Mexico or Canada:

Model	Assembly
Chevrolet Equinox (gas)	San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Chevrolet Silverado (some)	Silao, Mexico / Oshawa, Canada
Ford Maverick / Bronco Sport	Hermosillo, Mexico
BMW 3 Series / 2 Series (US)	San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Toyota 4Runner	Tahara, Japan
Hyundai Palisade	Ulsan, South Korea
Mercedes-Benz C-Class / E-Class	Germany

How to tell where your car was built

Read the first character of the 17-character VIN — it's the country of final assembly:

First VIN character	Built in
1, 4, or 5	United States
2	Canada
3	Mexico
J	Japan
K	South Korea
W	Germany
S	United Kingdom

Want the exact assembly plant, not just the country? Decode any VIN free — the CarWhere report shows the plant, full factory build, and open recalls.

Decode a VIN free

For an authoritative ranking of how “American” a model is — weighing parts content, engine and transmission origin, and assembly — see the annual Cars.com American-Made Index and the Kogod Made in America Auto Index. This page focuses on the simpler, verifiable question most buyers ask: where the car is assembled.

FAQ

What makes a car "American-made"?

There are two senses. The everyday one is where the car is assembled — its final-assembly plant. The stricter one, used by indexes like the Cars.com American-Made Index and the Kogod Made in America Auto Index, also weighs US/Canada parts content, engine and transmission origin, and where the automaker is based. By assembly alone, many Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, and Tesla models are built in the United States, while some Ford and Chevrolet models are built in Mexico or Canada.

Which car brands build cars in the USA?

US assembly plants run by both domestic and foreign-headquartered automakers include: GM (Bowling Green KY, Arlington TX, Fort Wayne IN), Ford (Dearborn MI, Kansas City MO, Louisville KY, Flat Rock MI), Toyota (Georgetown KY, San Antonio TX), Honda (Marysville/East Liberty OH, Greensburg IN, Lincoln AL), Nissan (Smyrna TN, Canton MS), BMW (Spartanburg SC), Mercedes-Benz (Vance/Tuscaloosa AL), Subaru (Lafayette IN), Kia (West Point GA), Hyundai (Montgomery AL), and Tesla (Fremont CA, Austin TX).

How do I find out where my specific car was built?

The VIN tells you. The first character is the country of final assembly: 1, 4, and 5 are the United States; 2 is Canada; 3 is Mexico; J is Japan; K is South Korea; W is Germany. Because the same model can be built in different countries by trim or model year, the VIN is the only definitive answer for your exact vehicle — decode it free on CarWhere and the report shows the assembly plant.

Is a Toyota built in Kentucky an "American-made" car?

By assembly, yes — a US-built Toyota Camry is assembled in Georgetown, Kentucky by American workers. Whether it ranks as "most American" also depends on parts content and where the engine and transmission are made, which is why ranking indexes sometimes place US-built Hondas and Toyotas above some Detroit-brand models that are assembled abroad.