The $17,000 Repair of a New Aluminum F-150

[Community Alumni]

This is a very interesting article about a repair of a 2015 aluminum F-150 that ended up costing $17,000 and took a month to complete. A guy goes through an automatic car wash when a piece of equipment falls on the roof. As with all rational human beings, this guy decides the best thing to do is floor it out of the tunnel. This ends up causing some pretty severe damage to the roof and upper sections of the cab.

The dealership was definitely capable of the repair. They've invested over $100K in retooling and training and the body shop manager has over 40 years of experience. Seems more like growing pains more than anything. I'd imagine the next truck that came through with the same damage would go more smoothly and probably cost much less.

How A Ford F-150 Aluminum Repair Cost $17,000

[womps]

I went from a 2012 F150 to an 2015 F150 and my insurance increase was less than $100. more per year. As far as fixing body damage goes I will find out soon. Truck was parked in a severe hail storm Tuesday night. Roof, hood, and right side all with heavy damage. Windshield was smashed. Insurance company already okayed a windshield which isn't cheap because there are no after market ones yet. Other vehicles in the area suffered as much damage or more than the 2015 Ford so the aluminium is no different in that regards. Sad part was I had room for my truck in the garage but it was muddy and dripping mud so I left it outside cause I didn't want my garage floor to get dirty! Insurance adjusters inspected our home yesterday. Needs a new roof, 2 broken windows and the west side needs new siding (vinyl)as well as new facia and eaves troughs.

[Golden_HVAC]

Has nobody heard of the Aluminum body Range Rover? They where built in the 60's and are still in use in Africa! That body lasts for a century or more! We will not know until they actually are 100 years old how long they will last.

Fred.

[spud1957]

bguy wrote:
You Ford guys are gonna end up paying through the nose for insurance. Not just because of this expensive repair, but the fact that all of the body fixes cost so much more. Trickle down.

Might want to Google Ram going to aluminum. CEO is talking. So if you are planning on buying another Ram by 2017, you might be getting an aluminum body as well.

[Lessmore]

bguy wrote:
You Ford guys are gonna end up paying through the nose for insurance. Not just because of this expensive repair, but the fact that all of the body fixes cost so much more. Trickle down.

I believe we all will pay through the nose for insurance, whether we have aluminum bodies vehicles or not. Insurance companies generally spread the risk and the cost over everybody.

I have issue with this. Why pay for someone else...but that's how it generally works.

[bguy]

You Ford guys are gonna end up paying through the nose for insurance. Not just because of this expensive repair, but the fact that all of the body fixes cost so much more. Trickle down.

[bobsallyh]

Just watch your insurance bill if more manufactures go to aluminum bodies and of course the dealerships are the few with the financing for the new equipment. Object of the mission, put Old Jake's Body Shop out of business.

[Hannibal]

Holy smoke! That's slightly more than a fuel system for a new diesel destroyed by a drop of water!

[bob_nestor]

ib516 wrote:
This does have an effect in the "real world". The oilfield companies in Northern Alberta have reduced, or eliminated buying F150s. They are too costly to insure.

Interesting. A friend of mine who did a lot of work on the North Slope told me the opposite story about buying pickups for use there. But then again he's a Ford guy and he takes every opportunity to needle me about that bow tie on the front of my RV.

He did buy a new F150 but not one with EcoBoost or Aluminum (except for the hood). He found out that he dodged a bullet on repairs when he smacked a moose crossing the road one day though.

[Wrace]

I read the article and make the following observations:

- there is going to be a pretty large learning curve to any new technology and it sounds like the shop did pretty well, considering.

- 4 weeks for major autobody repair is not out of the ordinary in my experience.

- if a large piece of heavy equipment falls from the roof onto my vehicle while in the wash tunnel you can bet I'm going to try and get out of there pronto, and not on foot if at all possible.

- appraised at $70,000 for a F150? King Ranch?? For $70,000 does it come with 50 acres and 20 head of cattle?

[ib516]

This does have an effect in the "real world". The oilfield companies in Northern Alberta have reduced, or eliminated buying F150s. They are too costly to insure.

[jfkmk]

ShinerBock wrote:
Question. How many people here had to pay a body shop repair out of their own pocket on a new truck because their insurance did not pick it up?

.....crickets chirping......

Maybe .01% of you? So what does it matter what the bill is if you will never pay it and your insurance will go up the same amount regardless of the bill?

I think the concern would be more that if the repairs are significantly more for a particular model, the cost to insure it would be significantly more.

Now, if you'll excuse me, your user name is making me very thirsty! It's beer:30 somewhere!:D

[jerem0621]

I remember a lot of talk around the cost to repair that new fangled EFI back in the 80's ... Then I heard how a car was "always going to be totaled" if those new fangled airbags blew back in the late 80's early 90's...

The industry WILL adjust...

Never mind that this repair is an extensive repair regardless of the cab construction materials.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[gbopp]

n7bsn wrote:

3oaks wrote:
So what's the problem, the cost of the repairs or the damage to the truck?

Who knows if steel would have held up any better. The owner severely added to the damage by choosing to floor the truck through the carwash tunnel.

If i had been the adjuster, I might have had a talk with the truck owner about "negligence" in his actions....

What would you say to the truck owner? Next time don't try to get out of harms way? Just sit there and see what happens. 🙂

I know what I would tell the adjuster.

[BB_TX]

Anything radically different is going to have a significant learning curve. And that translates to dollars charged to someone. Nothing new about that. But I would bet the car wash's insurance is on the hook for the cost.

In my working days we were using some new computerized control systems with new software. Glitch after glitch. I had two of that company's engineer's personal phone numbers I could call anytime night or day and weekends for about 6 weeks until they, and their support team, helped me, and my support team, get thru the testing. It costs us some time and dollars. But no telling what it cost that company since they were simultaneously having to do the same to other of their customers.