Fender Bender - Repair or replace?

AZ_Path · Postby **AZ_Path** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 4:50 pm

My wife was in a fender bender this morning that scuffed up our front bumper cover. I haven't been home yet to look at it, but from the pic I can't tell if a new cover will be needed or if this can be repaired. Excuse the bugs, we just got back from a cross country road trip and I haven't had time to wash them off.

The other piece to determine is fault. It happened in a parking lot intersection where there are no stop signs and judging from the satellite view it's hard to say who should have right of way. I called my insurance agent (MetLife), but she said she can't give any advice and I have to call the claims department. Once I call them they start a claim which my agent says I can cancel if I choose to.

eieio · Postby **eieio** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 5:02 pm

estimate time! bummer!
you'll need an estimate from a reputable shop for the cost of replacement/painting (new bumper covers are not painted), vs the cost to repair the one you have (if it's possible)
To me, it looks repairable since there does not appear to be excessive damage to the plastic
I've found in the past that it pays to ask your insurance company if they have "preferred" shops to deal with
There can be advantages in that if you have to put in a claim with your insurance company for the repairs

SETI20 · Postby **SETI20** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 8:05 pm

I can't see any deformations or cracks, so that seems totally fixable.
The deep scratches can be smoothed out. Repaint, done.

A brand new bumper would need to be painted as wel and runs in at about $150 and then include labor and parts (new clips and a bolt or two) to unmount and re-mount.
A decent shop shouldn't take that long to fix the scratches without taking anything off, so if you have to pay out of pocket, that would be my choice.

skinny2 · Postby **skinny2** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 3:24 pm

I had to have mine replaced and it was around $600. That was an aftermarket bumper cover and paint. Might not be worth it to bother fixing if it needs any real repairs because the labor will be more than a new bumper. I think the cover was only $250.

Fender Bender - Repair or replace?

Fender Bender - Repair or replace?

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