Aluminum Mainstreaming May Mean More Dent & Ding Policies
Planning to buy a new 2015 Ford F-150 soon? You might be purchasing a dent-and-ding policy for your ride, too.
Automotive News reports the aluminum pickup has created an opportunity for F&I departments to sell dent-and-ding polices, playing on the notion that the metal isn’t as tough as steel when it comes to such things. Ford begs to differ, as the F-150’s “high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body is more dent and ding resistant” than the outgoing steel-paneled model, per representative Mike Levine.
However, the increased use of aluminum would mean those polices would cost a pretty penny. EFG Cos. executive vice president Cliff Eller says repairing the panels with paintless dent removal would be more labor-intensive and time-consuming than doing the same for steel panels, with the aforementioned increase likely to push the cost of an average claim upward.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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I'm sure the brainiacs at Ford dealerships see a great opportunity to sell the suckers a "dent and ding' policy probably due to the perceived view by the public that aluminum is less dent resistant than steel body panels. This obviously flies in the face of logic with all the effort Ford is putting into demonstrating the capabilities of their new F150. when I bought my 2008 Honda Odyssey the buying experience was fairly painless until the clown started trying to sell me an extended warranty..after an extended rather acrimonious discussion I made it plain I wasn't going to buy his stupid policy...he finally understood my point and gave up.
My Citroen C5 has an aluminium bonnet. (Hood). The car was caught in a severe hail storm last year near Port Macquarrie and the dents in the bonnet look exactly the same as those in the roof and boot. (trunk). I have not bothered to check on the comparable cost or effort in fixing them.
The aluminum door panels on the last Prius I had seemed to hold up pretty well, until I sideswiped a deer one night. Not sure steel would have held up much better though.
Thanks to the other posters, I have learned a considerable amount from this discussion (and others on this site). The collective knowledge (and wit) of the TTAC crowd never ceases to amaze.