Ford Dealers To Invest Up To $50,000 In Order To Repair New 2015 F-150

Ford will financially assist dealers and body shops with the replacement and repair of damaged aluminium body panels on its 2015 F-150 pickup truck, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Ford’s head of global sales, marketing and service, Jim Farley, told dealers the automaker would offer up to $10,000 in subsidies for training and equipment needed to repair the new trucks aluminium body panels. The cost of training, tooling and certification for the repairs of the new F-150 is expected to be between $30,000 and $50,000 for dealers starting from scratch. The subsidies are aimed at keeping repair costs low and insurance premiums in line with the competitions predominantly steel trucks.

Dealers from all over the country are in New Orleans for the National Automobile Dealers Association’s annual convention this week. Ford told dealers at the convention that 20 percent of Ford dealers with their own body shop must be certified to repair the new truck, while 80 percent of independent body shops hoping to work on the truck must be certified. Ford’s vice president of US sales, marketing and service, John Felice, said all shops will be certified and ready to work on the trucks when they go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year.

Employees looking to be certified to repair the 2015 F-150 will spend two full days in a classroom and complete an online course. Ford also has a large booth set up at the NADA convention for the sole purpose of educating dealers on the trucks repair. Ford will be at three other trade shows throughout the year for the same purpose.

Additional effort went into making sure the truck was easy and affordable to repair, Farley said. For example, the front structure which holds the fender in place snaps off for easy repair, saving the dealer up to seven hours in repair time.

Ford worked with a dealer committee to identify and resolve clear repair issues before the trucks on sale date. Farley said the measures taken should help with insurance rates, though insurance companies will ultimately set the pricing.