It's too early to settle aluminum vs steel repair-cost debate

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It appears as though everybody in the automotive industry needs to learn whether the aluminium-bodied 2015 Ford F150 is more costly to fix as opposed to steel-bodied pickup it changed.

Here's the reply: We do not understand -- and we will not understand for for a long period.
Ford claims the fix costs will be exactly the same. Do not feel that.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states the aluminum truck is 26% higher priced. Do not think that, both.
Before this yr Edmunds smashed a truck using a sledge-hammer and then took it into a dealer for repairs. Edmunds reasoned that it cost a lot more to repair compared to steel truck. Blow Off that, also.
Here's why we will not actually be competent to reply the issue of aluminum vs. metal fix prices for for a long period:
• There are also many different types of vehicle injuries. The F150 will need to be crashed a large number of occasions in every possible manner before we'll actually find out regarding the real expense of fixing. In all probability, some fixes will probably be less and some will be more.

• There are a lot of insurers with various levels of coverage. One bodyshop operator lately told me many insurers do not differentiate between metal and aluminum repairs. He explained it takes more to fix aluminium and sometimes who owns the vehicle must pay the difference involving the repair price as well as the insurance pay-out.
• Body stores bill distinct work rates.
• The expense required in resources and services to correct aluminium is large, more than $100,000 in several instances as body stores have to purchase the the equipment, educate the specialists and construct a different space to mend the aluminium-bodied trucks. So, someone stores might be charging reduced to repair the truck and spend off their investing.
To Ford's credit, the corporation has produced repairs as simple as you can by producing hundreds of little repair panels which can be stitched into the F150's physique. And these components are sent together with the repair directions. That saves time.

In many situations, repairing an aluminum panel is more complicated than mending the same steel panel. The 2015 truck's physique is held together with rivets and adhesive, which often takes additional time to fix when compared to a steel component.
Here's the bottom line: In case it turns out there's an important difference in repair charges for for the newest truck, Ford will probably do anything it will take to keep the F150 aggressive. The stakes are just too full of the exceptionally rewarding, hyper-aggressive U.S. truck marketplace.
Despite sledge-hammer stunts, the evaluation of a hundred or so repairs as well as the IIHS's fixing of 2014 and 2015 trucks, we do not actually do not have enough information to definitively say the new f 150 is pretty much pricey to fix.
It's possible for you to reach Richard Truett at [email protected].

Labels:

Service
Ford

F150
Steel
Aluminum

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31.07.2015
ID:2586

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