2015 F150 body tooling quality is very poor.

[donnyj08]

I went looking at new Trucks tonight after the dealers were closed. Looking down the sides of the new 2015 crew cab F150's i was disgusted. How could i pay $50k for something that looks like it has been wrecked and repaired, poorly repaired at that.

The doors and bedsides of these trucks are wavy and have a ton of impressions. Most may never notice, however growing up around a body shop i would be ashamed to drive one of these trucks. The stamping and rolling of the metal is poor.

In Comparison the Ram trucks i looked at where very straight and true, with only minor impressions around the handles. And they are 10-15k cheaper than the Fords.

I should have snapped a picture down the sides of the 10 trucks on the lots. You guys here that are body men would be astounded at how wavy and poor the bodies looked.

I'm not hating on Fords, i've owned several as personal vehicles, and i have 3 as company trucks right now. I was considering a new ecoboost truck in the future, but not anymore. They can keep em.

 

[daves87rs]

Never noticed that...

 

[charlesb2003]

I wonder if it has something to do with them being made out of aluminum now.

 

[splinter]

Quality is job one? Built Ford tough? Ford has a better idea?

Perhaps the UAW hasn't come to grips with stamping "high-tech" material like aluminum?

Actually smooth (distortion-free) body panels and orange peel-free paint aren't standard equipment on many marques these days.
Across the lane from a $100,000+ S63 AMG yesterday I was appalled at the poor tin work and paint.

Conversely, some 'value priced' vehicles look pretty darn good.
I, too, eyeball paint and body work on vehicles alongside. Never on dealer lots after closing, though!

 

[DoubleWasp]

If you want to see pathetic body work and paint, check out the 2005 era F430's. Terrible.

I'm still not understanding the whole aluminum body thing. I guess years from now, we won't see a lot of rusted out fender wells on Ford trucks. I'm not going to pick one up. I'd have to do away with all of my magnetic signs, lights, antennae, etc.

I will say that I loved the body/frame survivability of my old A8 in the NY winters. Road salt never got to that thing.

 

[BobsArmory]

Originally Posted By: splinter
Quality is job one? Built Ford tough? Ford has a better idea?

Perhaps the UAW hasn't come to grips with stamping "high-tech" material like aluminum?

Actually smooth (distortion-free) body panels and orange peel-free paint aren't standard equipment on many marques these days.
Across the lane from a $100,000+ S63 AMG yesterday I was appalled at the poor tin work and paint.

Conversely, some 'value priced' vehicles look pretty darn good.
I, too, eyeball paint and body work on vehicles alongside. Never on dealer lots after closing, though!


Don't put the blame on the UAW. The workers can only do so much with the tooling and materials that management gives them!

 

[demarpaint]

I noticed exactly what the OP is talking about. I just don't think aluminum is all its cracked up to me. I was a big FMC fan, I'm losing the love though. If I was in the market for a PU I'd probably buy a Hemi Ram.

 

[JetStar]

I grew up in a body shop as well. I look down the sides of vehicles as habit. I have noticed the same looking down the flat sides of late model GM trucks. Pretty friendly sheet metal (wavy). Probably OK for the price point and mass market, after all you're not buying a Lexus or something. I can appreciate laser straight sheet metal and what it takes to get the stamping dies tweaked to produce it. With the new ford trucks, I'd probably be more concerned about corrosion over the long term (i.e. aluminum Mustang hoods bubbling). I was on a ford lot last week, but I was looking at the new mustangs.

 

[Cujet]

My 2009 F150 looks exactly the same. All 4 doors have "waves" that form under the door handles. It was there since new. The side of the truck is absolutely huge and flaws really show up.

It's a 4x4, I don't really care all that much. Otherwise, the truck is amazingly comfortable and 100% reliable. While I'd love body perfection, I don't expect it in a hard working truck.

And, I agree, the new ones do have less than perfect surface quality.

Interestingly, my friend just had his 2015 F150 slide off his lift and into the lift's structure. It pushed in the side of the front fender just aft of the wheel.

It popped right back out and looks undamaged. Hmmm.

 

[cptbarkey]

I took a close look at the a truck bed of a 2015 f150 too, it was very interesting with the fasteners they used, I fully expect they will be very ugly looking trucks in the next 5-10 years when the corrosion starts.

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I noticed exactly what the OP is talking about. I just don't think aluminum is all its cracked up to me. I was a big FMC fan, I'm losing the love though. If I was in the market for a PU I'd probably buy a Hemi Ram.


Out of the big 3 the RAM certainly has the highest quality body panels. They aren't perfect, but they are pretty good. They only had slight imperfections around the handles. This is forgivable as they are 10-15K cheaper than a similarly equipped F150.

I agree with you. The RAM is still the best bargain/quality right now. IMO

 

[Panzerman]

I have one of the new Ford F150s. I ve only had it two weeks. I don't think they are going to go over as big as Ford thinks. I can tell you, I hardly ever needed 4x4 with the 2011 and I need it all the time with the 2015. It's really too light. I imagine up north going in the snow being light isn't going to be a good thing either. I haven't noticed the bad body waves, but I am curious to if heat is going to warp the metal or if the slightest tap is going to bend the hot light aluminum. We will see.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I have one of the new Ford F150s. I ve only had it two weeks. I don't think they are going to go over as big as Ford thinks. I can tell you, I hardly ever needed 4x4 with the 2011 and I need it all the time with the 2015. It's really too light. I imagine up north going in the snow being light isn't going to be a good thing either. I haven't noticed the bad body waves, but I am curious to if heat is going to warp the metal or if the slightest tap is going to bend the hot light aluminum. We will see.


Never was an issue on their aluminum hoods. However paint adhesion was another issue all together

 

[AirgunSavant]

Aluminum is nothing new to Ford
I had a Lincoln LS V8 in 2006 and the aluminum work was perfection. Nothing new.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Every Ram forum I was on they all moaned and complained about poor paint and body panel fit. That was the biggest issue with the trucks.

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Every Ram forum I was on they all moaned and complained about poor paint and body panel fit. That was the biggest issue with the trucks.



They should go look down the sides of a 15 F150. They will be proud they bought a RAM. I've owned all three, and I like them all, However the tooling on the ford is pretty sad. It looks like vehicles I used to see in Central America when I lived there.

The paint was decent on the F150's, but the panels were absolutely depressing.

 

[splinter]

Originally Posted By: BobsArmory
Don't put the blame on the UAW. The workers can only do so much with the tooling and materials that management gives them!


That's the spirit! QC isn't my problem and the POS rolling down the line is going sell to some fool regardless. I gots mine.

Telling how I insisted upon a Sierra with a Fort Wayne UAW sticker affixed to its door jamb, no "blame" mouth breathers throughout the ranks notwithstanding.

 

[hattaresguy]

Meh, doesn't affect how much money the trucks make.

The problem is people are paying $40k+ for what is basically a $20k vehicle in WT trim. Throw on a transfer case and a few power accessories and some cheap leather maybe, tack $20k and that about sums up the average truck. Its still a $20k vehicle though.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Did 1991 Acura NSX has aluminum body and many suspension parts ?

As far as I know nobody complaint about shoddy body work and paint of 1991 NSX.

Honda could do it a quarter century ago why Ford is having problem now ?

 

[ls1mike]

Either way, I would like something newer than my 02 as the new 3/4 ton gas offerings have 6 speed transmissions. But with only 42,000 miles I can't justify the price they are asking for any truck! It hurts my brain.