One of the on-camera spokesmen said this issue was brought to light by industry trainer Toby Chess at Collision Industry Conference meetings in November 2009 and January 2010. Chess was set to do a third demonstration at the April CIC meeting LKQ threatened him with a lawsuit if he proceeded. The demonstration was canceled and the meeting ended early, much to the chagrin of many collision repairers.
Ford did its own presentation at the CIC meeting in July, and this video picks up where that demonstration left off. In the You Tube video, Ford takes to task several aftermarket parts, including a plastic radiator support for a Ford F150, which has an OE version made of cast magnesium.
The company also replicated Chess's Sawzall demonstration in which they cut through a 2008 Ford Focus bumper beam in 16 seconds. When the test was repeated on the OE part, the part dulled the blade and could not be cut.
The video was posted Oct. 7 under the headline Ford Crash Parts. As of Oct. 14, the video had been viewed 976 times.
