How Much Does It Cost To Repair A Car Bumper

Few automotive components are as underappreciated as the humble bumper. Not only is it designed to complement the look of your car, only it also serves a very crucial part in keeping you safe. After all, accidents are just that… Accidents. Unavoidable, and terribly costly when information technology does happen. A bumper absorbs as much of the damage every bit possible, both to your actual person and the auto. Surprisingly, that sliver of bodywork can be fairly expensive to mend. And then, how much does it cost to supplant a bumper?

Y'all'd probably exist shocked if we told y'all that it might cost hundreds, or upwards of a thousand dollars. It's no doubt very eye-opening to come across only how much of a automobile is intertwined with the bumpers. This includes its core structure, and a lot of the tech and gizmos that your automobile relies on. No wonder then that even a slight bump can exist heavy on the wallet. In our guide here, we'll requite you a more than in-depth rundown of all the things y'all need to know about how much does it cost to replace a bumper.

Bumper Construction
Types Of Damage
Repair vs. Supersede
Replacement Cost
Insurance – Yeah or No?
Conclusion

What Do Yous Demand To Know Nearly A Bumper'south Construction

There are a few things nosotros demand to get out of the way before we answer the question of how much does it cost to replace a bumper. Among the well-nigh pertinent would be doing an autopsy of what bumpers are made from, and how they're built. This would requite us a better understanding of what goes into fixing or replacing them subsequently. We demand to exist enlightened that the bumpers' main job is energy absorption and dissipation. This is in regards to kinetic energy, which is felt after a standoff.

For this reason, a lot of bumpers that we're at present more familiar with are made from some grade of plastic or blended. These materials are able to absorb impact very effectively, simply without deforming. In today's times, however, the full general design of bumpers has gotten far more than complex. Along its exterior, bumpers in modern day cars are made from a mixture of ii unlike materials. These are polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), combined as PC/ABS.

The PC/ABS is the exterior shell of the bumper. Inside of it, the key rigid structure within the bumper is then mounted onto the frame of the car. This inner material, designed as a reinforced bar, needs to be tough. As such, it's often made from steel, aluminum, a fiberglass composite, or merely plastic. These bars and supports hold the bumper in place, while in that location are several more absorbers and other key components ensuring maximum structural integrity.

A Lot Of Smaller Attachments To Consider

The main reason why replacing or repairing bumpers can exist costly and time-consuming are the extra $.25 and pieces of the machine at that place, mounted on the bumper. As we can encounter a lot more often at present in modern cars, the bumpers are no longer seen as a tack-on panel. They're now integral to how a car looks and functions. Owing to this, the process of replacing or fixing the bumper is complicated by all the other parts that demand to be moved out of the way beginning.

Even more so, these components might besides suffer damage owing to a collision experienced by the bumpers. Lights are a common one. The fog lights and plough signals can be placed downwards low in some cars. Meanwhile, other vehicles might have bumpers large plenty to cover or reach the headlights. When this is the example, the electrics and wiring that connect them together need to be detached. With today's cars, in that location's a lot of sensors and cameras that'll need checking, too.

It could be parking sensors, 360-degree cameras, or important driving aids. The latter might be forms of assistance like lane keeping help, adaptive radar-based cruise control, or collision warning. Your motorcar might accept some low level of autonomy, or something every bit mutual equally airbag sensors. And, permit's not forget the aesthetic parts of your car. These could be decorative accouterments such as a body kit, with its many dive planes, channels, vents, and splitters.

Bumpers vs. Bumper Covers

Merely another little note earlier we motion on, we should look a bit closer at a common mistake that we brand too ofttimes. Is it called the bumper, or bumper encompass? Or, are they i and the aforementioned? The uncomplicated truth is that they're both very different parts altogether. Now, look back at our explanation of how the bumper as a whole is designed. Y'all take the outer vanquish, where it's made more often than not of plastic, composite, or perhaps a mixture of fiberglass. Then, we have the structural parts within of it.

Well, that outer shell is known as the 'bumper cover'. Information technology's generally aesthetic or for aerodynamics, likewise arresting some of the more than infinitesimal blows. Deep within information technology is the bodily 'bumper'. This is the bodily barrier that stands between your car and whatever information technology is y'all're going to hitting. With some trucks or heavy-duty vehicles, the bumpers themselves are left exposed. It's important to larn the departure betwixt the two, as information technology can help you determine what to do side by side – repair or replace.

What Sort Of Harm Can You Expect With A Bumper (Cover)

To improve get some context over how much does it toll to replace a bumper, we should appraise the blazon of damage yous're unfortunately experiencing. Non all impairment is the same, mind yous. Some are more serious than others. While today'south subject might be related to "replacement", know that certain lighter damages against your bumpers tin can exist fixed, instead. These will surely save a big penny over a complete replacement, if the latter isn't necessary.

And then, let'south have a await through some of the lighter or less serious types of damages on your car's bumpers. Or more specifically, your automobile'due south bumper covers. The types of fixable damage we're going to discuss here could only effectively resolve exterior damages. While we're here, we may as well discuss a bit more than on how much these repairs volition toll…

1. Paintless Dent Repair, PDR

A paintless dent repair is a special method used for removing dents without having affecting the paintwork. As a upshot, you can shine out dents, and non need to touch up or repaint information technology over afterward. Information technology tin can save you a lot of coin as far every bit paint goes. While PDR may work on a variety of different surfaces and materials, they're only limited to minor dents. Information technology ordinarily takes around 1 to 2 hours for a PDR process to complete. This is by far the cheapest prepare, costing betwixt $150 to $250.

2. Traditional Dent Repair

This is a stark contrast to PDR, which uses heat and carefully nudging the paring to smoothen out. With a traditional dent repair, the dent will be pulled out with more force. This will almost certainly crusade the paintwork to scuff, so information technology'll crave repainting subsequently on. The appurtenances news is that, unlike PDR, this more traditional method tin piece of work on moderate to larger dents. Information technology'll take around 3 to 4 hours for this process to complete. Cost is a fleck higher than PDR, averaging around $250 to $350.

3. Scraping

Not all collisions would cause dents. Some might just scrape the bodywork, and leave an cruddy mark where the paint used to be. With scrapes and scuffs, the process will revolve mostly around smoothening the bodywork. This might crave some filler, earlier the technicians would later sand it downwardly to maintain an fifty-fifty surface area. After that, the repainting process begins. It'due south a scrap faster than a traditional dent repair, taking around two to 3 hours. Costs are the same though – $250 to $350.

4. Cracks

Not bad along the bumper is a lot more serious. This tin can include anywhere from small fractures, or huge splits forth the length or width of the bumper. Naturally then, information technology takes a lot more elbow grease to fix this 1. Cracks tin can exist filled in with plastic filler, and and then sanded down to keep a shine surface. When that's ready, they tin become ahead and paint information technology. It takes effectually 2 to three hours for this to complete. Notwithstanding, the repair bill goes up another notch, averaging at $325 to $425.

5. Holes Or Punctures

Only as serious of an issue as cracks, holes, or punctures could announced on your bumper in the event of a big shunt. The process is a flake lengthier, taking effectually three to 4 hours on boilerplate. A proper fix involves endmost up the hole or puncture with stiff adhesives. Afterward that, any gaps will be filled in with filler cloth equally with cracks. Technicians will smoothen out the surface and so repaint it. The general quote for this repair job is similar to that with cracks, somewhere around $325 to $425.

How Should Yous Know If Y'all Need To Repair Or Replace Your Bumper?

Next up in our guide every bit to how much does it cost to supercede a bumper, we try to answer an age old question. Should you repair your bumper, or replace information technology? Understandably, most people would marshal with the onetime. Repairs are naturally a lot cheaper, and could work well as stop-gap measures rather than coughing up for a full replacement. However, a proper replacement might prove safer. This is since it can be hard to tell what kind of unseen damage is washed to the auto.

For bumpers, it tin can be a chip complicated. If you're noticing any of the amercement that we mentioned to a higher place, so you're likely okay to go ahead with a simple repair instead. Either dents or cracks, this impairment is limited – by and large speaking – to the bumper covers. It can exist fixed and repaired. Or, it might be more than cost constructive for you lot to repair them instead of having to supersede them altogether. For example, you might accept a rare or classic car, where sourcing parts for it might exist difficult.

In this case, despite a more severe internal impairment, it might exist most cost-effective to try a repair. Maybe it'south a luxury or specialty motorcar, with lots of different sensors and electronics that are embedded into the bumpers. Replacing these as a set will assuredly be expensive. Again, a repair might prove significantly more cost effective. Nevertheless, y'all must know when to consult the experts. If they say that the damage is far too critical to simply patch up, a replacement is the all-time fashion to go.

What If You Don't Want To Replace Your Bumpers?

Let's say the mechanics uncover that there is pregnant damage that requires a full replacement, still yous pass up. What happens so? What if you'd rather not accept to replace your bumpers? Well, this isn't a wise idea to consider. For starters, if the bumpers are badly compromised, information technology's a major take chances to your safety. Remember that the chassis of the automobile forms a bond with the bumpers. Any accident may create flaws in the frame, and weaken it over time.

If you get into another accident, this now weakened chassis will provide less protection for y'all. But even if your safety isn't paramount, the resale value of the car will take a large hit. If it's been known that your auto has a damaged frame, you lot'll find it hard to sell or exchange your car for a reasonable price. In that case, you'll just take to swallow the bitter pill and sell it as-is, or recall about scrapping information technology for spare parts.

You might even exist thinking about driving around without any bumpers at all on your car. That's not to say that you can't do this. The car volition work but fine without any bumpers on it. However, yous may not be legally allowed to drive effectually bumper-less in some states. Only should you be trying to skirt the police force anyways, driving effectually without a bumper is far more mortiferous than driving around with damaged ones. The automobile will have fewer barriers to absorb whatever impact in the issue of an accident.

How Much Does It Price To Replace A Bumper On Your Car?

Right, finally we become to the 1000000 dollar question… How much does information technology cost to replace a bumper? As we hinted at the get-go of this guide, replacing your car's bumpers tin can exist surprisingly expensive. Indeed, the estimates we've establish online show disheartening. Accounting for labor and parts, the full bill will set y'all back between $500 to $2,000. This is quite a big range to work with, and it all depends on what machine you have. Equally we noted earlier, complexity means added toll.

It all depends on the make and model of your particular vehicle. It's best that y'all give a call to your local trunk shop or dealer to ask for a more precise quote. Alternatively, there are plenty of online sites that help you lot to inquire around thousands of workshops to find the most competitive repair quote for yous. Some examples of these sites include YourMechanic, AAA, RepairPal, Kelley Bluish Volume (KBB), OpenBay, Wrench, and then on.

Toll Breakdown

Merely to make things a fleck easier to follow, we've scoured across much of the net to find the costs associated with replacing a bumper. Although we might non able to discover the exact make and model of vehicle to friction match yours, this is a good round-up of all the most popular cars on the marketplace. It should hopefully requite y'all a meliorate idea equally to how much does it toll to replace a bumper, based on these boilerplate estimations…

Ford F-Series – $800 – $1,400 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $300 – $700)
Chevrolet Silverado – $900 – $1,600 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $400 – $900)
Ford Fusion – $800 – $1,400 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $300 – $700)
Ford Focus – $800 – $one,400 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $300 – $700)
Honda CR-V – $900 – $1,600 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $400 – $900)
Honda Borough – $900 – $1,600 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $400 – $900)
Nissan Altima – $800 – $ane,200 ((Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $300 – $500)
Honda Accordance – $900 – $1,600 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $400 – $900)
Toyota Camry – $900 – $i,700 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $400 – $1,000)
Toyota Corolla – $900 – $1,700 (Labour: $500 – $700 / Parts: $400 – $1,000)

Should You Try To Claim Insurance To Replace Your Bumper?

One great question people as the well-nigh is whether or not they should endeavour to claim insurance for a replacement of their bumpers… Or if they should do information technology out of pocket on their ain expenses? The first thing you lot need to retrieve is your insurance premium, every bit it is based on risk. If your insurance amanuensis or company thinks you're going to file claims more often, your premium will likely increase. This same principle applies to your bumper too, especially if you're known to exist at mistake every bit the cause.

According to information that we've establish, the commencement at-fault accident will have a chance of seeing your insurance premium rise by 10% to twoscore%. If y'all get involved in a second at-fault accident, information technology may continue rising between 40% to 150%. It's worth bearing in mind that when your premium goes up, your deductible may decrease. The latter is the upfront payment y'all brand out of pocket before the insurance visitor pays up. Therefore, whether or non y'all'd like to make a claim is upwardly to you.

The Pick To File For A Merits Is Up To Y'all

By and large speaking, it's recommended that you lot pay with your own money for slight damages. All the same, some people won't mind having to pay higher premiums, then long as they can become lower deductibles. On that notation, if the toll of the harm is higher than your deductible, nosotros'd recommend that you get alee and make a claim. Let'southward say the total cost of the replacement, accounting for labor and parts total is at $1,500. If your deductible is $500, you lot will pay that $500 out of pocket.

The remaining $1,000 will be paid by the insurance visitor. This is a great fashion to leverage your insurance parcel at its most. However, the conclusion volition rest entirely with yous, and how your fiscal state of affairs is at present. Another peachy insurance-related tip is accidents that are far beyond your control. For a mock scenario, let's say someone drove into your parked car while you're out shopping. Instead of filing for an accidental claim, you can make a comprehensive claim instead.

Comprehensive claims include a wide variety of different situations in which you often have lilliputian to no influence on how it happened. This can include cases like burn, theft, vandalism, natural disasters, water impairment, falling objects, or impairment acquired by an animal. When you lot file for east comprehensive claim, your premium may still go up, but less and then than the typical x% to twoscore% we mentioned earlier. And so, be sure to have a chat with your insurance amanuensis to empathise a bit more than well-nigh your coverage.

Determination

How much does it cost to replace a bumper?

Past at present, we should be well acquainted whenever the question of how much does information technology cost to replace a bumper should appear. It tin can be surprising how expensive bumpers are to replace, or even to repair with minor impairment. The reason for this can be summarised in three words – safety, function, and blueprint. The bumpers are your car's first line of defense when you lot run out of skill and barrel towards a tree. Information technology's able to absorb a lot of impact from whatever collision, sparing you and the rest of the auto.

They are an integral piece to ensure the structural integrity of any vehicle, both front end and rear. Other than that, your car'southward bumpers have a lot of function other than cushioning blows. As modern cars get techier by the day, those many sensors and cameras have to hide somewhere. With the design, let's not forget the bumper and lower fascia are cardinal facial distinctions for your vehicle'southward appearance. Plus, there are existent-world benefits, such every bit beingness able to better control aerodynamics or cooling.

With all of this in mind, information technology shouldn't exist all also shocking knowing how a "unproblematic" bumper may toll y'all upwards of $1,000 only to supercede. Expect this number to multiply more depending on what motorcar you have. In all, this highly underappreciated part of your auto has been around for a long time for expert reason. Thankfully, there are some ways in which you can make this lofty cost tag at least a chip more palatable. Repairs cost peanuts by comparison, while claiming your insurance is ever an option.