Franco-Italian Stellantis Group is revising a U.S. advertising campaign that emphasized its Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles as “built in America,” following regulatory pressure over potentially misleading claims.
The automaker plans to roll out revised ads later this week that describe its models as “assembled” in the U.S. to ensure compliance with Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which set a high bar for “Made in America” assertions — requiring that products be “all or virtually all” domestically produced.
“Stellantis has every right to boast about its domestic assembly plants that create American jobs and strengthen the U.S. economy,” TINA.org Executive Director Bonnie Patten said on Thursday. “But what it can’t do is deceive consumers about the amount of manufacturing that takes place here.”
The Group builds 57% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. domestically, with 39% produced in Canada and Mexico and 4% elsewhere. The report said it’s unclear what share of the tariff costs the company would cover.
Stellantis has already taken down versions of the ads from platforms such as YouTube, though some continued to air on major television networks including ESPN during the transition, the spokeswoman told WSJ.
Shares of the carmaker are plunging 12% as of the time of writing also due to the White House’s confirmation that the 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts were not included in the 90-day pause announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The campaign, titled “American Born,” launched last weekend with patriotic imagery and messaging tied to the brands’ heritage and U.S. roots. One Jeep spot referenced the brand’s role in World War II and highlighted production in Ohio and Michigan. A Dodge ad declared its muscle cars are “built in Detroit,” while Ram touted its trucks as “built from the ground up in America.”
Vehicle production at its Italian facilities fell sharply in the first quarter, with output dropping 35.5% year-on-year to roughly 110,000 units, according to union data from FIM Cisl reported by Reuters. Production at the Cassino plant — where some Alfa Romeo models sold in the U.S. are made — declined by 45.5%.
Stellantis has been reassessing its luxury brands, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, amid ongoing struggles and has brought in external consultants to evaluate strategic options as it retools its global lineup.
Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Stellantis started offering to help its suppliers cover U.S. tariff costs to ease the initial impact. The automaker has proposed a program under which suppliers can apply for financial assistance to make monthly tariff payments to the U.S. government.