Ford Kuga

 Service Manual

Body Repairs - General Information » Diagnosis and Damage Evaluation
Noticeable damage to the bodywork structure

Positive accidental damage assessment can only be achieved if the service technician is able to reconstruct the effect of an impact on the body structure.

For example: If the impact occurs on the front left-hand side member, the right-hand side member will usually also have been damaged. Often the length of this side member will not have changed, but because of the rigid body design, it may have become deformed. This damage can be detected through the size of the gap between the door and fender or by measuring the vehicle.

In the case of more severe impacts, in which the front part of the vehicle cannot absorb all of the impact energy, the passenger cell is also used to absorb the energy. Here, the energy is transferred via the A pillar and distributed there. This results in deformations in the roof and the door sill.

NOTE: Because of existing damage to the bodywork structure, damage diagnosis on a vehicle lift may give extra incorrect diagnosis results.

NOTE: Training courses are offered on this subject.

For an overview, please refer to the Ford Service Organisation's training course brochure.

If for instance the Ford Focus Coupe/Cabriolet is raised on a vehicle lift, the dead weight of the vehicle will cause the front end to drop by approx.

2 to 3 mm.

The altered door position is clearly recognizable by stiffness of the lock; the door moves upwards.

This causes the lock pin to contact the guide element of the door lock.

It is possible to draw conclusions about the extent of the damage through a visual inspection of the external damage. In general, the following areas are to be checked during the visual inspection:

• Outer panel including seam seals for cracks or flakes in the paint caused by the accident.
• Size of the gap on doors and hoods for evenness
• Freedom of movement of door and hood/tailgate locks.
• The vehicle roof forfolds (gap measurement on vehicles with sunroof)
• Dotted flange in door section for deformation and cracked weld spots.
• The side members and crash components for crumpling and folding.
• Trunk floor and floor pan from above and below for crumpling.

Noticeable damage to the bodywork structure

No noticeable damage to the bodywork structure

Non-monocoque bodywork