Ford to subsidize aluminum F-150 repair costs

Ford has announced that it will subsidize some repair work on its all-new, aluminum-bodied F-150 in order to keep repair and insurance costs as low as possible

Ford’s decision to construct large portions of its 2015 F-150 out of weight-saving aluminum promises several benefits – chiefly improvements in fuel economy and payload capacity – but the move will also test the nation’s repair shops. Just 10 percent of collision centers are equipped to work with aluminum body panels, which threatens higher repair bills that could lead to steeper insurance costs.

In order to prevent that from happening, Ford announced on Monday that it will foot the bill for 20 percent of repair costs, up to $10,000, to fix its 2015 F-150. The deal cover’s Ford U.S. dealerships only.

Mike Levine, a Ford spokesman, told Edmunds that the program will ensure “insurance costs and repair costs to consumers will be competitive with the current trucks.”

Levine also noted that the 2015 F-150 features a modular design so some body parts can simply be swapped out for new ones in the event of a crash.

“What this means for car buyers is that in the event of an accident with the (2015) F-150, we’ve made it so it’s designed for easy repair,” he said. “It’s easier to repair due to the modular body panels on some parts of the truck. This could save hours of labor time versus the previous truck.”

Ford is also planning to reimburse dealers for technician training classes covering aluminum.

Unveiled at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, the 2015 Ford F-150 is scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms by the end of this year.

Photo by Mark Elias.

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