Does Ford have a steel frame?

Yes. Ford’s traditional body-on-frame trucks and large SUVs rely on steel frames, while many passenger cars and crossovers use unibody construction. Even when Ford uses aluminum body panels on some models to cut weight, the frame often remains steel.

Ford’s steel-frame lineup: trucks and large SUVs

This section highlights the models that continue to rely on a separate, load-bearing steel frame, a hallmark of body-on-frame design that supports towing, off-road capability, and rugged durability.

• Ford F-Series trucks (F-150, F-250, F-350, and other heavy‑duty variants) — built on a steel ladder/boxed frame with high-strength steel reinforcement; the body may be aluminum in some generations, but the frame is steel.


• Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport — body-on-frame SUVs with steel frames designed for off-road capability and durability.


• Ford Expedition — a full-size SUV built on a body-on-frame platform using a steel frame.


• Ford Super Duty trucks — heavy-duty versions (F-250/350/450) on reinforced steel frames engineered for high towing and payload needs.

These examples illustrate Ford’s continued use of steel frames for strength, rigidity, and durability in demanding applications, even as some body panels and materials shift toward lighter metals.

Key design features of Ford steel frames

Ford’s steel frames employ modern techniques such as hydroforming, boxed sections, and strategically placed high-strength steels to optimize stiffness, crash performance, and load-bearing capacity while supporting heavier transmissions and equipment found in work trucks and off-road vehicles.

Where Ford uses unibody construction

Most of Ford’s cars and many crossovers use unibody architecture, where the body and frame are integrated into a single shell. In these vehicles, the term “frame” refers to integrated rails and subframes, and the primary structural materials are steel or aluminum, depending on model and generation.

• Ford Escape — a unibody crossover built on a dedicated platform, typically using steel with aluminum components in certain regions or trims to reduce weight.


• Ford Explorer — a mid-size SUV that uses a unibody structure with advanced high-strength steels and selective aluminum parts to improve efficiency and rigidity.


• Ford Edge — a unibody crossover whose structure relies on steel (with weight-saving alloy use in some components).


• Ford Mustang — a sports car with a unibody chassis, featuring high-strength steel and, in various trims, aluminum body panels to balance strength and performance.

In these cases, Ford emphasizes integrated structural design to maximize interior space, safety, and efficiency, rather than maintaining a separate ladder frame beneath the body.

Electric vehicles and frame choices

Ford’s BEV and electrified platforms largely follow unibody principles, using dedicated skateboard architectures for battery placement and rigidity. For example, the Mustang Mach-E is built on a unibody platform with steel and aluminum usage designed to optimize range and performance. Ford’s heavy‑duty trucks and some commercial models continue to rely on steel frames to preserve payload and towing capabilities, underscoring a mixed, model-specific approach across the lineup.

Bottom line

Ford does have steel frames, principally in its body-on-frame trucks and large SUVs such as the F-Series and Bronco family, as well as in several HD configurations. At the same time, most cars and crossovers in its lineup use unibody construction, with their structural frames formed as integrated components of the body, and with varying use of steel or aluminum depending on the model and generation.

Summary

In short, Ford employs steel frames for its traditional body-on-frame vehicles—most notably the F-Series trucks, Super Duty models, Bronco, and Expedition—while leveraging unibody construction for most passenger cars and crossovers. Aluminum body panels may appear on some models (notably the F-150) to reduce weight, but the frame itself remains steel in those vehicles.

What year did Ford go to aluminum frame?

2015
Since 2015, Ford has made their popular F-150 truck out of aluminum. Then, in 2017, they also started creating their F-Series Super-Duty trucks out of aluminum as well.

Which cars have a steel frame?

Most modern cars are built with unibody construction where the frame and body are a single, integrated structure, often using a high percentage of steel. For vehicles with a separate, traditional steel frame (body-on-frame construction), examples include most modern SUVs and pickup trucks, like the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Land Cruiser, according to Quora users and Wikipedia.
 
Body-on-frame vehicles

• SUVs: Most modern body-on-frame SUVs use steel frames. 
  • Ford Expedition 
  • Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban 
  • Cadillac Escalade 
  • Jeep Wrangler 
  • Toyota Land Cruiser 
  • Mercedes-Benz G-Class 
  • Lexus GX 
  • Toyota 4Runner 
• Pickup Trucks: Almost all modern pickup trucks are built on a steel frame. 
  • Ford F-150 (and other Ford trucks) 
  • Chevrolet Silverado (and other Chevy trucks) 
  • Toyota Tacoma, Tundra 

Cars with steel components

• Modern unibody cars: While not having a separate frame, modern unibody cars incorporate steel into their construction for strength and safety. 
  • Examples include:
    • Jeep Cherokee 
    • Subaru Forester 
    • Kia Forte 
    • Toyota Corolla 
    • Volvo XC90 
• Older steel-framed cars: Some older vehicles were built with a full steel frame that was separate from the body, such as the Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Chevrolet Caprice. 

Are Ford truck frames aluminum or steel?

While Ford aluminum dominates the body panels, steel remains key for the truck's frame and chassis.

Why did Ford switch to an aluminum body?

Ford switched to an aluminum body primarily for weight savings, which led to improved fuel efficiency, increased payload capacity, and enhanced performance without sacrificing strength. This change was driven by a need to meet stricter fuel economy standards and was made possible by the development of stronger, military-grade aluminum alloys. 
Primary reasons for the switch

• Fuel efficiency: A lighter vehicle requires less energy to move, improving gas mileage and helping automakers meet tough fuel economy regulations. 
• Increased capability: Shedding hundreds of pounds of weight allows the truck to have a higher payload and towing capacity without compromising its gross vehicle weight ratings. 
• Performance: Reduced weight improves acceleration, braking, and handling. 
• Corrosion resistance: Unlike steel, aluminum does not rust, which increases the truck's lifespan and reduces maintenance costs, especially in harsh climates. 

Other benefits

• Durability: Ford uses military-grade, high-strength aluminum alloys, which are strong and durable, and the frames are made of high-strength steel. 
• Safety: The weight reduction and the use of strong materials have contributed to high safety ratings for models like the F-150. 
• Environmental impact: Aluminum is highly recyclable, which reduces the carbon footprint over the vehicle's lifetime. 
• Repairability: While initial repairs for aluminum can be more complex, some reports suggest that parts prices have been kept in check, and repair methods have been developed to make repairs quicker on average. 

Potential downsides

• Repair costs: Initial concerns and some reports have pointed to potential challenges and costs associated with repairing aluminum body damage. 
• Perception: The switch was a risky move because some traditional truck buyers are loyal to steel and may have concerns about the strength of aluminum.