Body Damage - Plastic Bumpers
Fig 7. The plastic bumper on this car is bent out of shape, this is unacceptable. Although it may be possible to heat this bumper and bend it back into shape, it may need replacing.
Advice
The bumpers on almost all modern cars are made of plastic, the majority of these will be painted to match the bodywork of the car. Plastic is easily damaged and replacing and repainting the whole lot can be very costly. Fortunately, most can be repaired using SMART repair techniques. We have the ability to plastic-weld some cracks, fill holes and repaint the damaged areas of most bumpers including unpainted plastic as shown in Figure 8. In the case of unpainted bumpers, it is possible to fill scrapes and gouges and then to use a black textured paint which replicates the original finish.
Fig 8. The damage on this unpainted plastic bumper is superficial, but it can be filled, retextured and repainted to an invisable repair.
Smart repair techniques are the perfect solution to scrapes and scuffs and other minor damage. But if your vehicle has received damage which requires replacement and repainting of the whole bumper, it is often cheaper to have the work done yourself than to incur the devaluation recharges from the lease company.
If you have scuffs scratches or damage to your bumpers and you are wondering if it can be repaired, and how much it will cost, upload a photo to Ask the Experts and we'll advise you - no obligation.
De-Fleet ServicesOur End-of-Lease Services provide quality repair for excessive wear and tear, and is acceptable and appropriate for Contract Hire, Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), Private Lease, Contract Purchase and Lease Purchase. Fleet managers wishing to efficiently prepare off-lease vehicles can contact us or send their drivers directly to our Q&A. Our advisors are trianed by Manheim to work to the BVRLA guidelines.
