In order to help to increase fuel mileage, automakers have begun to build vehicles with aluminum rather than steel. As with most things, there are pros and cons to this decision. Vehicle owners of these new aluminum vehicles are now beginning to find out the cost of repairing an aluminum vehicle can be higher than repairs of a vehicle made of steel.

1. Will The Ford F-150 Built With Aluminum Be More
Costly To Repair

2. In order to help to increase fuel mileage,
automakers have begun to build vehicles
with aluminum rather than steel.

3. As with most things, there are pros and cons
to this decision.

4. Vehicle owners of these new aluminum
vehicles are now beginning to find out the
cost of repairing an aluminum vehicle can be
higher than repairs of a vehicle made of
steel.

5. The Ford F-150 pickup truck seems to be the
vehicle that has gotten the most notice for
this change from steel to aluminum
construction.

6. It has been Ford's best
selling truck for over
three decades.

7. When Ford announced the change in
construction from steel to aluminum for the
F-150, the first question was whether or not
the vehicle would be as safe in a crash.

8. The answer to this question, at least by the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is
"yes.

9. " The Institute ran five separate types of
tests on the aluminum F-150 and the vehicle
passed all five of the safety tests with the
Institutes highest rating of "good.

10. " That of course is very good news.

11. Is The F-150 Going To Cost Me More To
Repair

12. The next question asked was whether or not
the aluminum vehicle would be more
susceptible to damage and more expensive
to repair.

13. Ford and the Insurance Institute do not
agree on the answer to this question.

14. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
conducted tests to determine estimated repair
costs for the aluminum F-150 versus the steel F-
150 and determined that repair costs for the
aluminum F-150 would be approximately 25%
higher for the aluminum version.

15. If you are the owner of a
new Ford F-150 that is
made of aluminum you are
happy that you are getting
better gas mileage.

16. Everybody likes to get the best gas mileage
possible.

17. But the smile on the face of these owners
may turn into a frown the first time that they
need to take it in for repairs after suffering
damage in a collision.

18. Not so fast says Ford.

19. Ford Motor Company says that the repair
costs will be approximately the same for
both types of vehicles.

20. It Will Take Time To Know The Cost To Repair
The Aluminum Version Of The F-150

21. The truth may in fact lay somewhere in the
middle.

22. Vehicles can suffer damage in many different
ways as the result of a collision.

23. The new F-150's made with aluminum are
going to have to be involved in thousands of
different types of crashes over a period of
time in order for repair data to be able to
begin to show the whole picture.

24. In the meantime, if you are the proud owner
of a new F-150 made with aluminum, enjoy
the improved gas mileage that you are
getting and try to avoid getting into a
collision altogether.