Waving the stars and stripes might sell cars, but Stellantis is learning the hard way that patriotic marketing doesn’t fly if the facts don’t back it up. But a recent investigation reveals that not all is as it seems. Stellantis—the parent company of Dodge, Jeep, and Ram—is under fire for a trio of ad campaigns that have drawn serious criticism from consumer watchdog group Truth in Advertising (TINA.org). The issue? Claims of being “American made” that stretch the truth beyond what federal standards allow.
As first reported by CarScoops and highlighted in a detailed exposé by Truth in Advertising, the controversial ads from Dodge, Jeep, and Ram used patriotic imagery and bold slogans that implied their vehicles are manufactured entirely within the United States. However, under Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, those claims appear to be misleading at best.
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Each brand within the Stellantis portfolio had its own spin on national pride. Dodge aired an ad featuring the Durango SUV alongside the tagline “American born. American made.” Jeep continued its long-running association with Americana by calling itself “America’s most patriotic brand,” with visuals centered on the Wrangler. Ram went even further with a campaign stating the Ram 1500 pickup is built “from the ground up in America.” These ads have since been pulled from official Stellantis platforms, but can still be viewed via social media remnants and Instagram posts.
The real issue, according to TINA.org, is that these claims fail to meet the FTC’s legal definition of “Made in USA.” To legally use that phrase—or similar terms like “built in America”—a product must be “all or virtually all” made in the United States, meaning negligible foreign content is allowed.
That’s a high bar—and one Stellantis models simply don’t clear.
Truth in Advertising broke down the actual U.S. parts content in each of the vehicles featured in the misleading ads:
Jeep Wrangler – 68% U.S. content
Dodge Durango – 73% U.S. content
Ram 1500 Pickup – 55% U.S. content
While those numbers aren’t insignificant, they fall short of the FTC’s threshold. More importantly, the remaining parts—including engines, transmissions, and motors—are sourced from a wide range of countries, including Mexico, Italy, and Japan. That international sourcing undermines the premise of “from the ground up in America,” particularly when key components come from abroad.
As of now, it’s unclear whether Stellantis plans to continue airing these campaigns on television, though they’ve been scrubbed from most online platforms. TINA.org has formally urged the automaker to cease all versions of these misleading ads and clarify their messaging going forward.
With Stellantis headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and long branding itself as a steward of American automotive heritage, this controversy comes at a time when consumer expectations are especially sensitive to claims of domestic production. In the era of economic nationalism and new tariffs on imported goods, transparency in advertising isn’t just good practice—it’s a regulatory requirement.
This isn’t the first time an automaker has stretched patriotic branding, but the timing of this misstep—amid rising scrutiny of American-made claims—makes it particularly potent. Consumers deserve accurate information when making purchasing decisions, especially when a product is being marketed as a symbol of national identity.
As watchdogs and media outlets like CarScoops
