We doubt anyone would be surprised to find out that many foreign automobiles roll out of plants right here in the U.S., nor that some Big Three models have to cross back into the country after being manufactured in Canada or Mexico. (For a clear-cut breakdown of which makes and models are produced in the country, check out this handy interactive feature.) What is interesting, though, as this article from The New York Times illustrates, are some of the details of what makes something foreign or domestic.

Window stickers on vehicles list the country of origin of certain systems, such as the engine or transmission. But take the Acura RDX: Its engine comes from Anna, Ohio, where Acura owner Honda has an entire engine plant. So the country of origin for the engine is the U.S., right? No -- in fact, it's Japan, because the engine's turbocharger comes from that country (though it's assembled in Ohio). Confused? Read on. 

Also confusing in the "domestic content" arena are the complications that arise because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); because of that pact, some parts or labor from Canada may still be considered domestic. Some other interesting points:

• Though the margin was slim, last year Toyota built more cars in the U.S. than Chrysler.
• Although Toyota is the biggest, Honda was the first Japanese carmaker to make vehicles in the U.S., with the 1982 Honda Accord built in Marysville, Ohio.
• 8.5 million cars were built in the U.S. last year; of that number, 5 million were built by the Big Three and the remaining were built by foreign brands.

It seems that "Made in the U.S.A." encompasses a lot more than it used to.