Are Ford F-150 still aluminum?
What the body is made of today
The principal aluminum components in the F-150 today are the exterior body panels and cargo bed. The following breakdown highlights the main aluminum parts in the current models.
Aluminum body panels
Before listing the parts, note that the majority of the exterior shell is aluminum. The following items are commonly aluminum on most current F-150 configurations:
- Hood
- Fenders
- Doors
- Roof
- Bed sides and bed floor (the cargo area)
- Tailgate
In summary, these major exterior components are aluminum, contributing to weight savings and improved efficiency, while the understructure remains steel to preserve rigidity and crash safety.
What remains steel
While the skin and bed are aluminum, Ford retains a steel backbone for strength and durability. The steel-related components include:
- Frame and main structural members
- Front and rear subframes
- Most suspension crossmembers and brackets
- Engine cradle and several mounting structures
Engineering the F-150 with a steel chassis and aluminum skin aims to balance payload capacity, towing ability, safety, and efficiency. The approach has proven resilient across multiple model years and configurations.
Why Ford uses aluminum
Ford has spoken repeatedly about the trade-offs and benefits of using aluminum. The design aims to reduce vehicle weight, which can improve payload, acceleration, and fuel efficiency (or range in electrified variants). Ford’s aluminum is an alloy designed for strength and dent resistance, while the steel frame provides essential rigidity and crash safety. Here are the key considerations people weigh when evaluating the aluminum strategy.
Here’s what to know about the advantages and trade-offs of aluminum in the F-150:
- Weight reduction: Aluminum body panels shave weight relative to a steel-only body, contributing to better payload efficiency and performance. The difference varies by configuration but has historically been several hundred pounds overall.
- Payload and efficiency benefits: Lighter bodies can translate to higher payload ratings and improved miles-per-gallon (or miles-per-gallon-equivalent in hybrids and electric variants) compared with a heavier steel alternative.
- Repair considerations: Aluminum can require different repair techniques and tools, sometimes leading to different repair costs and timelines. Ford and its network emphasize aluminum-trained technicians and tooling.
- Durability and dent resistance: Aluminum panels can dent and crease differently than steel, which affects repair strategies and resale perception in some markets.
Overall, the aluminum approach remains a cornerstone of the F-150’s design philosophy, paired with a robust steel frame to maintain strength, safety, and durability across a diverse lineup, including the all-electric F-150 Lightning.
Looking ahead and real-world implications
In practice, buyers today will encounter an F-150 that largely uses aluminum for skin, doors, roof, and bed components, with a steel frame underpinning the vehicle. This combination has persisted through successive model years and remains true for the latest generations, including hybrids and electric variants.
Summary
Yes—the Ford F-150 is still built with an aluminum body on its exterior panels and cargo bed, while its frame and major structural components remain steel. This material strategy continues to shape the truck’s weight, payload, efficiency, and repair considerations across the current lineup, reaffirmed by ongoing updates and the incorporation of electric variants like the F-150 Lightning.
What metal is the Ford F-150 panel made of?
While Ford aluminum dominates the body panels, steel remains key for the truck's frame and chassis.
Are F150s still aluminum?
Yes, Ford F-150s are still made with an aluminum alloy body, a change Ford made starting with the 2015 model year. The cab and bed use this high-strength aluminum alloy, while the frame remains made of high-strength steel, a combination that saves weight and improves capability and fuel economy.
- Body construction: The F-150's cab and bed are constructed from high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy.
- Frame: The underlying frame of the F-150 is still made of high-strength steel.
- Weight savings: The switch to an aluminum body, starting in 2015, resulted in a significant weight reduction of approximately 700 pounds.
- Benefits: This weight reduction leads to better fuel economy, increased performance, and higher towing and payload capacities.
- Durability: Despite initial concerns, the aluminum body is engineered to be tough and resistant to corrosion.
Is the 2016 F-150 all aluminum?
2016 Ford F150
The first and only truck in its class with body and bed made from high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloys.
What Ford trucks are made out of aluminum?
Ford trucks with aluminum bodies include the F-150 and the F-Series Super Duty, starting with the 2015 model year for the F-150 and the 2017 model year for the Super Duty. This includes the all-electric F-150 Lightning, which also utilizes a high-strength aluminum alloy body. These trucks feature aluminum body panels but use a high-strength steel frame for structural integrity.
- Ford F-150: Switched to an aluminum-alloy body in 2015.
- Ford F-Series Super Duty: Gained aluminum bodies starting in 2017.
- F-150 Lightning: The all-electric model uses a high-strength aluminum alloy body and structural components.
