Many Americans take pride in buying products made in their country and by their fellow citizens in hopes that it would stimulate an already troubled economy, where ordinary Americans are having trouble making ends meet. So it’s no surprise that many drivers prefer purchasing American-made vehicles.

The auto industry employs an average of 4.4 million people or about 1.7% of the U.S. workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But you may be shocked to know that some of the most American automakers in the world aren’t actually based in America.

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• Many Americans prefer buying American-made cars to support their country and the economy.
• A study unveiled the top 100 most American-made cars and some of their manufacturers may surprise you.
• Some automakers pay dividends to their stockholders, which could boost your portfolio. To learn more about dividend investing, check out our free report: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold forever.

Methodology

For this list, we took a look at the 2024 American-Made Index published by Cars.com. The study ranks 100 individual vehicles based on assembly location as well as the origins of their parts, engines, transmission, and U.S. manufacturing workforce.

We took a look to see which companies stood out.

Honda

Honda is a Japanese company that can trace its roots back to 1946 when it developed engine-powered bicycles. By the end of that decade, it was rolling out cars.

Honda built the Honda Passport SUV, which ranked No. 2 on the 2024 American-Made Index. The Honda Odyssey minivan and the Honda Ridgeline pick-up truck also made the top 10 list.

Volkswagen

The Volkswagen can trace its roots back to Nazi Germany in 1937 when the government established it to manufacture an affordable “People’s Car.”

Its Volkswagen ID.4 SUV ranked No. 3 on the American-Made Index by Cars.com.

Toyota

Very active on American roads, Toyotas came from Japan. The company stands as the largest automaker in the world. It was established in 1933, but didn’t start marketing its models in the U.S. until 1957.

Toyota’s Camry Sedan ranked as No.7 on the Cars.com American-Made Index.

Lexus

Toyota launched its luxury brand Lexus in 1989 as Honda and Nissan were also rolling out their high-end projects. Lexus runs plants in Kentucky and Indiana.

Its TX SUV made No. 10 on the Cars.com American-Made Index.

Acura

Acura is the luxury-and-performance brand of Honda. It was established in 1986 after visionary Honda engineers who even held secret night meetings launched the company. Today, Acura operates five plants in the U.S.

Its RDX SUV made the top 15 list on the American-Made Index.

Kia

Kia rolled into the scene in 1944 and still stands as South Korea’s largest auto manufacturer. The automaker produces more than 1.4 million vehicles each year in eight countries including the U.S.

Through its luxury brand Sportage, Kia made an SUV that came in at No. 22 on the American-Made Index.

Tesla

What car list wouldn’t be complete without Tesla? The EV powerhouse dominated the Cars.com American-Made Index at No.1 with its Model Y SUV. In fact, this is the third consecutive year the Model Y has topped the list.

In total, three Teslas made the top 10. So all in all, South Africa-born Elon Musk runs the most American automaker in the world.

Why we covered this

Many drivers prefer American-made cars to support the economy and fuel domestic jobs. We analyzed a study about the most American cars in 2024 and found something interesting about their manufacturers. So we created this list to share some fun facts.

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