Cars.com’s 2026 American-Made Index ranks models by how much of each vehicle is built, sourced and staffed inside the United States. The results cut across brand lines, with trucks, sedans and large SUVs from both domestic and foreign-owned automakers landing on the list. Ten of those ranked models appear below, starting with the one at the very top.
Stay ahead on AI: Join 600,000+ professionals who read The Deep View, the daily newsletter that keeps you up to date with artificial intelligence.
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
1. Tesla Model 3: Fremont Takes the Top Spot
Number one on the Cars.com American-Made Index for 2026 belongs to the Tesla Model 3, which is built in Fremont, California. Cars.com published the index in June 2026 and ranks models by US parts content, assembly and US workforce, with the Model 3 finishing first and the Model Y second.
Per-model percentages were not published, so the size of the lead over the rest of the field cannot be measured. Shoppers weighing a purchase on domestic content alone should treat the result as a ranking rather than a score. What the ranking does establish is order: a Fremont-built electric sedan sits above every other vehicle on the list.
2. Jeep Gladiator: Toledo-Built Pickup
The Jeep Gladiator takes third place on the index, assembled in Toledo, Ohio. That puts the midsize pickup on the podium behind the two Tesla models and ahead of the other vehicles the index ranked.
A top-three finish matters because the index weighs where a vehicle is made and where its parts originate, not just the badge on the grille. Cars.com did not publish the underlying percentages for individual models. The placement is best read as a position in the order, not a measure of how far ahead of the next vehicle the pickup stands.
3. Honda Ridgeline: Alabama Workhorse
The Honda Ridgeline lands at number five on the index and is built in Lincoln, Alabama. A Japanese-brand pickup placing that high shows how domestic assembly and sourcing can outweigh a manufacturer’s country of origin.
The ranking measures content and labor in the United States, so a nameplate from an overseas parent can still score well. Only the order was released, which leaves the exact parts share for the Ridgeline unknown. The finish still gives the truck a clear claim to being among the most American-made vehicles on sale.
4. Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid: Hybrid Crossover Lower Down
Further down the list, the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid takes number 20 on the index. The compact crossover is the lowest-ranked of the ten vehicles in this gallery, though it still appears among the ranked models.
A placing in the twenties is a reminder that the index is a long ranking rather than a short podium. Cars.com did not release per-model percentages, so the gap between this hybrid and the leaders cannot be put into numbers. Even so, appearing on the ranked list at all signals meaningful US content and assembly for the model.
5. Lincoln Navigator: Louisville Flagship
The Lincoln Navigator sits at number 12 on the index and is built in Louisville, Kentucky. The full-size luxury SUV falls just after the Toyota Camry at 11 in the published rundown of ranks.
Its position shows that a large premium SUV can score well on domestic parts, assembly and workforce combined. The index did not break out the Navigator’s individual percentages, so only its rank is on the record. Kentucky assembly is the one concrete production detail attached to the placing.
6. Jeep Grand Cherokee: Domestic Content Climbs
The Jeep Grand Cherokee ranks number four on the index, moving up after its domestic content rose 14%. Only the two Tesla models and the Jeep Gladiator stand above it in the Cars.com ranking.
A rise of that size shows the index moves as automakers change where they source parts, not just where they assemble. The announcement came ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary, which framed the list as a patriotic purchasing guide. Cars.com framed the index around parts, assembly and workforce rather than the nationality of the brand.
7. Honda Accord: Ohio Midsize Sedan
The Honda Accord holds number eight on the index and is built in Marysville, Ohio. The midsize sedan shows that a passenger car, not only a truck or large SUV, can place well on the list.
Marysville assembly supports the placing, though the index also weighs parts content and workforce. Cars.com did not publish the Accord’s percentages, so how it compares with the seven models ahead of it stays unspecified. The result still places a family sedan firmly among the most American-made vehicles Cars.com ranked.
8. Acura MDX: East Liberty Luxury
Acura’s three-row SUV earns number nine on the index, with the MDX built in East Liberty, Ohio. It follows the Honda Accord at eight, giving Honda’s two brands adjacent spots in the order.
Both models come from Ohio plants, which fits an index that rewards US assembly and workforce. No per-model figures accompanied the rankings, so the narrow gap between the two cannot be measured. The pairing shows how one Japanese parent can place two Ohio-built models side by side in the order.
9. Lincoln Aviator: Kentucky Three-Row
The Lincoln Aviator takes number 14 on the index, two places behind the Navigator at 12. The two Lincoln SUVs bracket the Toyota Camry at 11 and sit just ahead of the Ford Explorer at 15.
Two Lincoln models in the teens suggest the brand’s SUV lineup scores consistently on the index’s measures. Cars.com did not release the percentages behind either rank, so the comparison rests on order alone. The Aviator trails its larger sibling by two spots, a gap the published data cannot explain.
10. Ford Explorer: Chicago Family Hauler
The Ford Explorer closes this gallery at number 15 on the index and is built in Chicago, Illinois. The three-row SUV sits directly behind the Lincoln Aviator at 14 in the published order.
A Chicago-assembled Ford landing in the middle of the ranked field shows that US assembly alone does not guarantee a top finish. Parts content and workforce also count, and the per-model percentages were not published. The Explorer therefore stands as a mid-table result rather than a standout in either direction.
Stay ahead on AI: Subscribe to The Deep View →
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
More from Morning Overview
