Accidents are bound to happen, and it remains to be seen if repair centers across the United States will be prepared to fix the aluminum-bodied F-150. According to Darrell Amberson, chairman of the Automotive Service Association, just 10 percent of the country’s 30,000 independent repair shops are certified to work with aluminum.
“Aluminum has a very poor memory and it resists straightening attempts,” Jeff Poole, a coordinator for I-CAR, a collision-repair industry training organization, told Bloomberg. “Experience really pays dividends here, and this is where we’ve got a learning curve ahead of us.”
In addition to a skilled hand, aluminum also requires its own set of tools for repairs. Most cars on the road today are made of steel, so most repair shops lack a full compliment of aluminum tools.
However, Ford doesn’t think the aluminum versus steel debate will be a big issue for shops by the time the F-150 hits dealer showrooms later this year.
“We’ve just been waiting for the reveal to unveil a certification process for dealer-owned body shops and the independent channel,” Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager, said.
Some analysts are skeptical that repair shops will be able to gear up that fast. Moreover, the added costs of aluminum repairs and the potential shortage of qualified collision centers could result in higher insurance rates for F-150 owners.
“The automakers can force their certified body shops to be able to work with aluminum, but that still could narrow down the choice and the scope of shops that consumers and insurance companies will have,” said Larry Dominique, president of forecasting firm ALG. “This will work itself out, but it could take 10 years.”
Automakers like Audi and Jaguar have dabbled in aluminum construction for years, but not in the same volumes that the F-150 typically sells. A gamble for sure, it will be interesting to see how the aluminum F-150 performs once it hits the market.
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