Ford disputes insurance agency claims that aluminum F-150 costs more to repair

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) issued a report Thursday suggesting Ford’s all-new F-150 aluminum models costs more to repair than prior generations made from steel. The agency simulated low-speed “accidents” between the two models and ultimately concluded repair expenses soared 26 percent for aluminum F-150s.

Ford disputed the reparability costs and findings by IIHS, citing real-world accident repair data and called IIHS’s simulations “stunts.”

[ click to enlarge + ]As an example, IIHS said a corner-rear crash at 10 miles per hour caused more than $4,700 in damage to the aluminum model, nearly 45 percent higher than steel models with similar damage. IIHS noted added time to repair the damage caused much of the difference, while parts costs also played a role.

Ford, citing Assured Performance – an independent body shop certification company that works with leading automakers – says real-world repair costs on the new 2015 Ford F-150 actually average $869 less than last year’s F-150 model.

According to data published by Assured Performance, only 337 repairs have been performed this year at 121 different Assured Performance member shops on 2015 F-150s. While 2014 average has a much larger sample size (1,238 F-150 pickups during the calendar year), the 2015 repairs to-date still come in at nearly $900 less on the newer model trucks. The average repair for a 2014 Ford F-150 was $2,345.97, while the cost of a 2015 F-150 has averaged $1,476.93 so far this year.

Two of the country’s largest insurance companies also agree with the new F-150’s lower repair costs. Both Allstate and State Farm say insurance costs for the new F-150 are comparable with 2014 models.