Buying American? Toyota Camry more American made than Ford F-150

[Statistical]

Why the widespread change? The difficult sales environment and changes in cars' domestic-parts content — both major factors in AMI rankings — play a large part. This year's index comes amid an industry-wide sales collapse that's fast reordering the landscape of which cars sell well and which ones don't. Take the F-150: The redesigned 2009 F-150 has taken a larger chunk — about 5 percent more — of overall F-Series sales in 2009, Ford sales analyst George Pipas said. But overall F-Series sales have tumbled nearly 40 percent year-to-date, and the F-150 has seen a steady drop in its U.S.- and Canadian-made parts over the past few model years. The Camry, meanwhile, has seen sales fall, too, but not nearly as badly, and its domestic parts content is on the upswing. Those developments led the Camry to edge out the F-150 by a small but decisive margin.

Another GM mainstay, the Ohio-built Chevrolet Cobalt, dropped significantly in its parts content, which ended its three-year run on the list. But The General still takes three slots, with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups posting strong content ratings. The popular Chevy Malibu ranked third, in part thanks to its 80 percent domestic content and steady sales.

The Alabama-built Honda Odyssey is up slightly in domestic parts content, up to 80 percent this year. Longtime AMI contender Toyota, meanwhile, has four models on the list this year — the largest AMI presence it's ever had. The Tundra and recently introduced Venza, both developed in the U.S., rank seventh and 10th, respectively, while the Indiana-built Sienna clinched sixth place. Its current generation was developed here, and the 2009 model has an 85 percent domestic content rating. That's the best showing among import vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0709

So buying American depends more on the particular model then it does on the country the corporate charter belongs to.

In the top 10:
4 vehicles by Toyota
3 Vehicles by GM
2 vehicles by Ford
1 vehicle by Honda

[AndyA]

1. I consider where the profits ultimately go.

Do they stay here in America, or go to a company overseas?

It really is more difficult to buy American these days, but ultimately the profits from the sale of an item eventually wind up somewhere. I just try to make sure it's an American company.

Perhaps this has little or no impact on anyone, but I feel better, and I hope I'm helping fellow American workers keep their jobs.

[Statistical]

2. Profits go to shareholders. Period.

China, Middle East, Europe are all heavy investors in American companies.

Honda ADR heavily traded on the NY stock exchange (indicating a substantial American ownership).

Since stock ownership is not publicly available unless you own 10% of the company or are an insider there is no clear metric to know where the money goes.

One thing is clear profits go to the shareholders. Period.

[madrchsod]

3. the profits go back to japan..

[Statistical]

4. No they don't. They go to shareholders. Buy stock in Toyota and the profits go to you.

[SCantiGOP]

6. I agree with you, statistical

I've argued this point with people over the years. What is more "American," a Chevrolet made in Mexico or a Toyota made in Kentucky. BMW manufactures in South Carolina, and the estimate is close to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs because of that. They export a majority of what they make back to Germany for sale because it is so much cheaper to manufacture here.

[MercutioATC]

5. So giving money to a company that offshores jobs helps American workers?

If you buy a Ford product made in Mexico, you're helping Mexican workers.

If you buy a Honda made in the U.S., you're helping American workers.


Period.

[Hawkowl]

11. Why?

Why do care if the profits go to a handful of rich businessman in Japan or to a handful of rich businessman in the US?

Maybe you mean that you care where the companies re-invest their earnings? (which are different than profits which simply are skimmed off the top).

For example would you rather buy a Toyota because Toyota is building more plants in America, or buy a GM which has taken taxpayer money to build no plants in the US but will build more in China?

See that is the whole point of domestic content percentage. It means that the company with the most domestic content probably employs the most American workers.

[Loge23]

13. The American "worker" - that's the key

If a vehicle is made in the U.S. - regardless of the brand - then you are supporting the American worker.
As far as profits are concerned: as previously pointed out, public companies are required to distribute profits to shareholders.
BUT! Before we get to profits, we have salaries to deal with. American CEO's are the highest paid in the world.
So the questions are:
Do you want to support the AMerican worker? If yes, purchase a car primarily made in America.
Are you concerned about the pay rate of the AMerican CEO's vs. their workforce? If yes, consider purchasing a vehicle made in America from a company based overseas.

[FarCenter]

16. Actually, both Toyota and Ford are making losses, not profits

[madrchsod]

7. my daughter works a company that makes sub assembles ..

two parts come from india
one part from china,
one part from mexico
two parts from the usa

another part she assemblies

two parts from india
one part from spain
two parts made in plant
one part from the usa

these parts qualifiy as being "made in america" but most of the parts come from mexico or overseas

[NNN0LHI]

8. What percent of that Toyota was mad by union employees?

Ø

Don

[Statistical]

10. Well that is another issue.

Saying Buy Union buy Ford is at least factually honest.
Saying Buy American buy Ford is not.

Or more correctly it depends on the model.
The Toyota Camry is very "American made" the Toyota Prius IIRC is made only in Japan by Japanese with Japanese parts. American content ~0%.

[AwakeAtLast]

12. The parts coming into the Big Three plants to be assembled aren't made by unions, either

They are outsourcing parts suppliers like crazy and have been for years.

[ContinentalOp]

22. The models made in Japan are made by union workers.

;)

How would you rank:
- A car made by an American corporation in Mexico with nonunion employees
- A car made by a Japanese corporation in America with nonunion employees
- A car made by a Japanese corporation in Japan with union employees

Obviously a car made in the US by UAW employees is the best of all worlds, but that's not necessarily any car with a Chevy or Ford badge on it.

[Statistical]

24. Very good question. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

9. when Toyota's U.S. parts content is more than Ford's across the enitre product line

then maybe i'll raise an eyebrow...

in the meantime, i'll continue to buy union-made....(hypothetical, of course, since i'm nowhere near affording a car in this market...)

[Hannah Bell]

14. this is why consumer politics is crap. the idea that 99.9% of consumers will research the ins &

outs of where the dollars go = crap.

& if capital wanted them to, they'd make the info transparent.

they don't, so they make it convoluted.

fact: no matter what you buy from big corps, your money will be used against your interests.

[imdjh]

15. Tacoma vs Ranger - how badly do you want to buy an American badge?

In my book, it's no contest: Tacoma.

[blue_onyx]

17. The Camry isn't even in the top 10

if you consider American content.


Ford Taurus: 90 percent (Chicago)
Lincoln MKS: 85 percent (Chicago)
Toyota Sienna: 85 percent (Princeton, Ind.)
GMC Savana 1500: 82 percent (Wentzville, Mo.)
Chevrolet Express 1500: 82 percent (Wentzville, Mo.)
Buick Lucerne: 81 percent (Detroit)
Chevrolet Malibu: 80 percent (Kansas City, Kan.)
Honda Odyssey: 80 percent (Lincoln, Ala.)
Toyota Avalon: 80 percent (Georgetown, Ky.)
Toyota Tundra: 80 percent (San Antonio)
Toyota Venza: 80 percent (Georgetown, Ky.)

[Statistical]

18. True. The ranking considers sales & content because determines how many jobs

So the Camry is 75% which is 6% less than Lucerne but it vastly outsells it so the Carolla produces more American jobs than the Lucerne does.

It is interesting how much Toyota's models vary, also all Scion and Lexus (except one model) are exclusively made overseas with little US content (1%-10%).

Content Assembly
Toyota Sienna 85% Domestic
Toyota Avalon 80% Domestic
Toyota Tundra 80% Domestic
Toyota Venza 80% Domestic
Toyota Camry 75% Both/Mixed
Toyota Sequoia 75% Domestic
Toyota Matrix 65% Domestic
Toyota Corolla 50% Both/Mixed
Toyota Tacoma 50% Both/Mixed
Toyota Camry HV 45% Both/Mixed
Toyota RAV4 25% Both/Mixed
Toyota FJ Cruiser 5% Overseas
Toyota Highlander 5% Overseas
Toyota Highlander HV 5% Both/Mixed
Toyota Land Cruiser 5% Overseas
Toyota 4Runner 0% Overseas
Toyota Prius 0% Overseas
Toyota Yaris H/B 0% Overseas
Toyota Yaris S/D 0% Overseas

The raw data is avilable here:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.e649cd1b2b018c71d8eca01046108a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_viewID=detail_view&itemID=539ed5c474a5a110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&viewType=standard&detailViewURL=/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.e649cd1b2b018c71d8eca01046108a0c/!1052108516!1312700801?javax.portlet.tpst=4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_ws_MX

[blue_onyx]

19. I don't understand why sales should be factored in

I understand that they figure the more vehicles sold, the more jobs we have but when talking about the actual vehicles, I don't think it should matter. It doesn't make sense that a car that has 70% US content would be more "American" because it sells five times as much as the 95% US content vehicle.

By that same standard, would Walmart be the most "American" company since they employ the most Americans?

[Statistical]

20. I agree it is not the clearest metric however I think....

the reason they do that is so companies can't take a low volume product make it 100% and then take something like the F-150 and move it to Mexico w/ Central American parts.

Still if you look at just content Toyota had 4 vehicles w/ 80%+ which is better than most people would assume.

First it was buy Big 3 because they are made here so the transplants opened plants here.
Then it was the foreign brands build the car here but they use foreign parts.

Now we can see that isn't always true.

Still it is interesting that every single hybrid vehicle is made overseas w 0% American content. Guess Toyota is keeping those cards close to its chest.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. Do union workers make the Camry? If not, it's not American. n/t

[ContinentalOp]

23. Union workers made my Prius.

They just don't happen to live in America. ;)

[ColbertWatcher]

25. As long as they're union, it's all cool.

We need to encourage unions everywhere.