Edmunds damages 2015 F150 on purpose

If you haven't seen this yet, Edmunds took a sledge to a new F150 to find out how much it would cost to repair the new aluminum body.

Part 1: http://youtu.be/oDQZu8K51ZY

Part 2: http://youtu.be/Um7UpIA4X0s

They mentioned having to replace the taillight due to crack. $800!! because it had the optional LED upgrade. "standard" light was $150 or so.

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

They mentioned it was not just an LED upgrade, but a proximity sensor housed in the light.

There was a huge disparity between the billable rates for aluminum repair and steel repair. Any sense why?

B. Choate wrote: There was a huge disparity between the billable rates for aluminum repair and steel repair. Any sense why?

Probably because of the huge disparity in skill level and equipment required to repair aluminum vs steel

Does much "repair" work happen nowadays vs. replacement?

Wow it's tough. I got damage similar to that first hit when a car kicked up a golf-ball-sized rock into my C-pillar. Not even at really high speed.

So this trucks costs $52k!?!?!? I didn't realize low-end pickups were suffering from the student-loan-like price inflation the big diesels were...

And why did they get a discount for not using insurance? How the hell does that work?

GameboyRMH wrote: And why did they get a discount for not using insurance? How the hell does that work?

I've seen that happen. Some call it a good deal to pay in cash, others may call it fraud to the insurance agencies.

Yeah I'm leaning towards the latter...

Datsun1500 wrote: How is a discount for cash fraud? Cash means I get my money now vs waiting for the insurance company to process everything and mail a check, that can take 60 days. One price for pay me now and one price for pay me later seems reasonable to me.

I could buy that if the difference weren't so great. 60 days later shouldn't mean literally doubling the labor cost.

Datsun1500 wrote: How is a discount for cash fraud? Cash means I get my money now vs waiting for the insurance company to process everything and mail a check, that can take 60 days. One price for pay me now and one price for pay me later seems reasonable to me.

Discount for self payment isn't fraud. Overcharging to insurance company to do the exact same thing is fraud.

Most shops that "cover your deductible" are inflating their estimate to the ins co. to cover the amount. Sounds like the same kind of deal.

alfadriver wrote:

Datsun1500 wrote: How is a discount for cash fraud? Cash means I get my money now vs waiting for the insurance company to process everything and mail a check, that can take 60 days. One price for pay me now and one price for pay me later seems reasonable to me.

Discount for self payment isn't fraud. Overcharging to insurance company to do the exact same thing is fraud.

Bingo.

moparman76_69 wrote: Most shops that "cover your deductible" are inflating their estimate to the ins co. to cover the amount. Sounds like the same kind of deal.

Still, they are inflating the cost to the insurance company for the same work. Does not seem that good.

If your neighbor got a job done for $100, and your company paid $200 to the same people to do the same work, is that ok?

(but that's a different thread tanget)

Someone asked about straight up panel replacement- the Edmuds people mentioned using that particular panel to damage to prevent straight up replacement.

alfadriver wrote:

Datsun1500 wrote: How is a discount for cash fraud? Cash means I get my money now vs waiting for the insurance company to process everything and mail a check, that can take 60 days. One price for pay me now and one price for pay me later seems reasonable to me.

Discount for self payment isn't fraud. Overcharging to insurance company to do the exact same thing is fraud.

We have nothing but the shop's word on the numbers involved here. My take is: "This (number we made up) is what we would charge the insurance company (but they would never pay) but since you're paying out of pocket we'll offer you a 'discount' to (some amount more than the insurance company would ACTUALLY pay)."

It's pretty hard to believe notoriously tight insurance companies make a habit of systematically overpaying bodyshops. The local one has insurance company stickered cars parked in front all the time. They don't just take the shop's word for things.

calteg wrote:

B. Choate wrote: There was a huge disparity between the billable rates for aluminum repair and steel repair. Any sense why?

Probably because of the huge disparity in skill level and equipment required to repair aluminum vs steel

like what? It's not like we're talking about a bent Elise frame here. Perhaps I'm missing something, but since when does Aluminum become such a big deal to fix? The material isn't much more expensive. If anything, I really appreciate that when I put in patch panels I don't have to worry about them rusting out from the backside.

I'll bet there's a significant overhead in time in paperwork to simply deal with the insurance company. Someone's gotta pay for that.

My impression from reading several other articles about the repair was the crazy expensive tail light was nearly 20% of the cost and that the cost was inflated because the dealership was not actually one of the ones that was certified to do the repair according to Ford.

Plus factor in all the new tools to do the repair work on aluminum and yea it's going to be expensive. Just a matter of time until the costs come down. Seemed a bit sensationalist to me.

I'm more offended by an $800 tail light than I am by someone hitting a new truck with a sledgehammer. That's retarded.

moparman76_69 wrote: Most shops that "cover your deductible" are inflating their estimate to the ins co. to cover the amount. Sounds like the same kind of deal.

Yep, I experienced this first hand yesterday.

Last week, a wind storm caused big chunks of my neighbor’s dead tree to come crashing down on my roof breaking eleven tiles.

I’ve got a $1,000 deductible and the bid from roof repair guy #1 was $380. Roof repair guy #2 shows up and sez’ “I’ll invoice for $1,800 so your insurance company will go after your neighbor’s insurance company so you won’t have to pay anything”.

Oh, OK, I’ll just commit insurance fraud and exaggerate the claim by a factor of 474% to avoid paying 380 bucks (assuming my neighbor refuses to take responsibility)…are you high?

Additionally, what becomes of the $1,420 windfall from this deception…do we split it 50/50 knowing that we’re now locked in the throes of mutually ensured destruction should one party rat out the other.

I know I’m a giant Bob Costa’s, but I’m going to pass on this fantastic opportunity to get in bed with a petty contract scammer over eleven tiles.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, back to F-150 goodness.

In reply to Datsun1500:

You imply that the company is ok taking a loss with the customers cash to make the "proper" money with the insurance company. Sorry, don't buy that idea at all.

I know it happens, and I know there are costs associated with filing paperwork.

But in the end, the people who pay insurance are the ones who pay for it in the end.

Change the insurance company with the government- that would be fraud, and people would be up in arms due to their wasted tax money.

If you are ok with that, that's fine. But it is questionable.

DILYSI Dave wrote: I'm more offended by an $800 tail light than I am by someone hitting a new truck with a sledgehammer. That's retarded.

But remember, it's not just a tail light.

Not that $800 is ok, but it's more than a simple bulb in a plastic frame.

I do not understand the twice cost of repairing an aluminum body (I am not wading into the insurance issues) it's not like aluminum bodies are new.. my 2003 disco has one. I wonder if they couldn't have found a shop that could do it for cheaper?

Keith Tanner wrote: I'll bet there's a significant overhead in time in paperwork to simply deal with the insurance company. Someone's gotta pay for that.

^This would be my hunch, too. Some doctors give discounts for cash/immediate payment for the same reason. My dentist does that, for example, as he doesn't have to wait a couple of months to get paid.

GameboyRMH wrote: Wow it's tough. I got damage similar to that first hit when a car kicked up a golf-ball-sized rock into my C-pillar. Not even at really high speed. So this trucks costs $52k!?!?!? I didn't realize low-end pickups were suffering from the student-loan-like price inflation the big diesels were...

Ford website says they start at $25,420. $52k is for a loaded top trim one.