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Aluminum Body Repairs Part 2 - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited January 2015 in Ford
imageAluminum Body Repairs Part 2 - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

After taking a sledgehammer to the side of our long-term 2015 Ford F-150, we needed someone to repair the aluminum body panels. This is what the process looks like.

Read the full story here


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    s197gts197gt Member Posts: 486
    "This might seem like a complicated list, but many body shops have had this stuff for years. Aluminum body panels on cars aren't really new."

    my 2003 ford explorer had an aluminum hood. had to get it repainted under warranty when the paint started to bubble on the front lip of the hood. they said it was a very common problem and i started noticing it on other explorers (and expeditions) in parking lots over the years.
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    darthbimmerdarthbimmer Member Posts: 606
    I'll echo the comments from the previous blog that to properly test the idea that the aluminum truck takes more time and expense to repair than a steel paneled one, you need to strike a steel truck with a similar amount of force. It's not just to quote a service writer saying, "This damage would take half the time to repair." The same two whacks with a hammer may cause more or less denting on a steel panel.
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    okbeartoyokbeartoy Member Posts: 34
    Next go out and hit the Ram and Colorado and compare the damage and repair costs..
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    corollamikecorollamike Member Posts: 29
    You guys are bonkers crazy. Ummm, think no one has alerted the shop to your ruse by now? I dunno (I haven't. Really. No, really.).
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think that's why they waited until yesterday to post parts 1 and 2.
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    thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,747
    It never ceases to amaze me how a consumer can expect to get a good outcome from any transaction when the base information provided to the shop isn't truthful. Since the body shop cut you a break based on a deception would it actually be fair for them to now re-calculate and adjust the bill accordingly? Did you ever consider that the technician who actually did the work is compensated differently depending on the labor rate used and from that perspective has been shorted, ripped-off for his/her efforts? When these kinds of things happen enough times it drives that talented person out of the trade and into a different career. When the workforce is treated like that it shouldn't be a wonder why it's hard to find talented technicians, one really should be wondering why you ever find any in the first place.
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    mackamitsumackamitsu Member Posts: 1
    you can weld plastic too. A friend of mine at a local body shop does the expensive tail and marker light housings on the side for 50 bucks. Yes there is a small seam but hey, it wasn't like the lense was shattered into small pieces
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,323
    Some comparison shopping could have improved the story. Since they didn't make an insurance claim, I wonder if it will show up in the history?
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Probably depends on the shop whether they report it to Auto Check or Carfax or the others. I've heard that some shops have agreements with their data suppliers to report this kind of stuff.
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    jmel1jmel1 Member Posts: 1
    Next do a BMW i3. If you think this was expensive - wait until you repair the CFRP on one of those! I think the
    public needs to know what they are getting into as only authorized BMW dealers with expensive proprietary
    equipment ( jigs, etc ) can do the work. BMW tells the IIHS insurance institute and SAE that the cost to fix the
    bodywork of an i3 is about the same as fixing a steel 1 Series. I beg to differ. I challenge Edmunds to do this
    same type of experiment on a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic i3.
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    jeepkillerjeepkiller Member Posts: 2
    It would have been interesting to try to re-create the same damage / impact on a 2015 and a similar 2014 and see the difference of cost and time it took for repairs. Could have been done with a weighted pendulum raised to and dropped from a set height.
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