Reports indicate that Ford vehicles are affordable to repair, allowing for cheaper insurance rates.
Many of the Ford Vehicles cost much less to repair after a collision. This is according to a new U.S. Government report based in insurance claims database.
This is great news for current and future owners of a Ford vehicle, since insurance companies decide premium costs as specific as vehicle models.
According to NHTSA, Ford’s 10 segment-leading 2009 model year vehicles include:
- Ford Focus – Small Cars (four-door)
- Ford Taurus – Large Cars (four-door)
- Ford F-150 – Large Pickups (two-door)
- Ford F-150 Super Cab 4WD – Large Pickups (two-door-plus)
- Ford F-250 4WD – Very Large Pickups (two-door)
- Ford F-250 Super Cab – Very Large Pickups (two-door-plus)
- Ford E-350 Econoline wagon – Cargo/Passenger Vans (tied with Chevrolet Express 3500)
- Mercury Grand Marquis – Very Large Cars (four-door)
- Mercury Mariner 4WD – Small SUV
- Lincoln Town Car – Very Large Luxury Cars
About 78% of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models rated at or better than the industry average – nearly double Toyota’s 40 percent (including Scion and Lexus).
Designing to reduce damage
In 2009, Ford opened a Paint and Body Technology Center to leverage the combined expertise of Ford’s repair and safety experts, auto repair technicians and insurance companies to identify design solutions and repair procedures that will lower repair costs.
“If your vehicle costs less to repair, it generally costs less to insure,” said Gerry Bonanni, Ford damageability collision repair senior engineer. “We’re working harder to help reduce insurers’ repair costs by developing more affordable repairs earlier in a vehicle’s development.”
“It’s great that Ford gets insurance industry insight about how to improve repairability of its vehicle designs,” said Mark Woirol, project manager with Allstate Insurance Company’s Tech-Cor Applied Research Center, which works with automakers, insurers and repairers to make cars more damage-resistant and repair methods more cost-efficient. “We’ve never been as involved in an automaker’s product development process as we have since Ford invited us to participate.”
For example, Ford Focus maintained its hold on the top spot in the four-door small car segment thanks in part to a bumper design improvements.
“Ford’s repair-ability experts and safety engineers made the Focus’s bumper bigger and stronger to better protect adjacent components,” said Larry Coan, Ford damageability engineer. “The new technology center will help us build on these leading efforts.”
Higher resale values, fewer warranty repairs
In another key area of vehicle affordability, Ford’s resale values outpaced the industry by rising 23 percent according to the latest National Automobile Dealers Association auction data. The gains resulted from stronger demand for Ford’s new vehicles and improved quality and durability ratings.
“Rising resale values means more money in customers’ pockets when it is time to sell or trade in for a new vehicle,” Toney said. “Combine these savings with lower repair and maintenance costs and better fuel economy, and the cost to own a Ford product drops dramatically over the life of the vehicle.”
