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Why Edmunds took a sledgehammer to its 2015 Ford F-150

The discussion around repair bills for the aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 pickup continued from the beginning of last year to the end, and haven't abated; as an aside, some Tesla Model S owners have been shocked at disquieting repair estimates for minor damage to their aluminum wunder-sedans. Edmunds decided to inject some fact into the fray: it bought a $52,000 long-term 2015 F-150 and clouted it with an eight-pound sledgehammer. Twice. The rear of the bedside took the impacts since it couldn't be replaced, it would have to be repaired. To the pickup's credit, the only reason associate editor Travis Langness hit it twice was that the first sledgehammer blow didn't do as much damage as Edmunds wanted. After the second, the visible damage included the two direct impacts, a few creases, and a cracked taillight, so they drove the pickup to Santa Monica Ford to get an estimate, complete with a fictitious story about how the damage occurred and the mercy plea that Langness was paying for the repair out-of-pocket. In Part 2 Langness hits on some of the details with getting the truck fixed, such as the massively expensive taillight and the list of tools Ford recommends dealers have to work on aluminum. But he was promised he'd have his truck back in seven days, and Santa Monica Ford got it back to him in seven days. In Part 3 we get the bill. It's not small, but it's quite a bit less than it could have been if the service manager had charged Edmunds the official labor rate for aluminum. We're not going to spoil it here, so check out the videos above and below for the beginning and the end, and head over to Edmunds for the complete story about how it all happened and some riffing on the repair numbers. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video:

Detroit Three autoworkers could get huge bonuses

For a long time, being a line worker for one of the Detroit Three has meant living with an uncertain future. With the health of American automakers on the rise, though, things are also starting to look up for the men and women building the cars. The latest sign that things aren't bad? Big profit-sharing checks.
According to The Detroit News, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler could end up paying over $800 million to 130,000 workers as part of a profit-sharing plan. According to The News, the economic impact of these profits in Michigan alone could exceed $400 million, besting the NFL's Super Bowl, MLB's All-Star Game and the NHL's Winter Classic for their economic impact.
This is the third straight year the Detroit Three have issued profit-sharing checks to UAW employees, and for many workers, the checks are as close as they'll get to a raise, due to the most recent contract between the union and the manufacturers. On average, employees at GM and Ford receive $1 for every $1 million in North American (not just the US) pre-tax profits. Chrysler, meanwhile, gets a similar deal, although the Auburn Hills-based company calculates profit sharing using 85 percent of the brand's global profits.

Ford recalls EcoBoost-powered F-150 and SUVs for brake fluid leak

Ford is recalling approximately 280,000 trucks and SUVs equipped with its 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine to address a potential brake fluid leak. The recall covers the 2016-2017 Ford F-150, 2016-2017 Ford Expedition and the 2016-2017 Lincoln Navigator.  According to Ford's defect report, the issue stems from contamination in the brake fluid causing degradation or damage to the seals in the brake master cylinder, allowing fluid to escape. Ford says that braking performance is not immediately impacted by the leak, and owners may not realize there's a problem until a brake malfunction indicator appears in the cluster, accompanied by a chime.  "If the brake fluid in the reservoir is depleted to a predetermined level, the driver will receive an audible chime, message center alert, and red brake warning indicator in the instrument cluster," Ford said in its defect report to NHTSA. "If the driver continues to operate the vehicle, the drive may begin to experience a change in brake pedal travel and feel, and increased pedal effort." "If a loss of brake fluid is substantial enough to reduce brake function to the front wheels, full braking function would remain in the rear wheel circuit. However, reduced brake function in the front wheels can extend stopping distance, increasing the risk of a crash," Ford said.  The issue can be addressed with a replacement brake master cylinder, which Ford will install free of charge. Ford has already begun notifying dealers and will send notices to customers starting in April.  Recalls Ford Lincoln Ownership Safety Truck SUV