Bumper damage fix?

My T4R is barely two months old, and I backed into a pole and opened up a crack in the bumper. To protect the area, should I sand and bondo? Or leave it alone? EDIT, the crack has created a sharp ridge that may not be safe for the hr kids if they climb back there.

I'd welcome any advice at all.

 

It is plastic. If it bothers you....replace...if not there is nothing to worry about.

 

It's kind of hard to see from that angle. Is the plastic cracked or just the paint? Remember it's just plastic, so it won't get worse. A heat gun and some careful massaging might get it back to shape pretty well. There are some great touch up paints out there like SprayMax 2K, or you could go with a flat, satin or textured black as an "accent" if you did it on both sides.

 

Hey thanks for chiming in. It's creased and cracked that bit of the plastic, not just the paint. Would I have to take off the whole bumper to do the heat gun trick? EDIT, the crack has created a sharp ridge that may not be safe for the kids if they climb back there.

I also noticed a dent in the metal door just above, though it isn't very noticeable. In any case, I need a touch up pen or something.

 

You’re gonna need a full steel bumper with swingouts to fix that.

 

That is what I was going to suggest. $4k and your problem is solved. That price includes enough for stiffer springs for the back.

 

That’s what I like about this place, everyone is so helpful and honest…see, you even included the true cost with the need for springs.

It’s an expensive mistake for the OP, but thankfully the resolution results in a 100% increase in your 4runner’s badass levels

 

Ha. I knew this was coming. Dunno why but I really like stock. Maybe more time in the bush will teach me otherwise.

 

I can’t get a good idea of exactly where this is by looking at the photo. But if you don’t want to spend a lot of money replacing it consider a repair. You could try using a heat gun to soften and pry apart and massage the cracked pieces together. Or just use a razor blade or small plane to shave down and flatten those sharp edges. Then use a plastic adhesive of some sort to seal the gap. It may not be pretty but it should get you by until you decide on a permanent fix.

 

Heat gun + super glue.

Best to keep those 2 things separate though...

Otherwise stop by a small auto body shop and get their opinion. They don't need to involve your insurance company.

 

CARID (plus many others I'm sure) offers a replacement rear bumper cover for around $300. For another $100 or so, you can buy high quality paint in spray cans (respirator required). It will give you a "10 foot finish" if you have average skills. I just did a whole replacement front bumper on my daughter's Mazda 3 and it turned out good enough for a 5 year old car. Body shop estimates were $1200-$2000. You have to weigh how picky you are vs. cost.

 

Right, so, I decided to go through my insurance and have the bumper cover replaced. Turns out there is a dent in the rear hatch too to deal with. The deductible isn't so bad. I just hope they colour match the new bumper exactly. The body shop assures me they use a paint code, and I will leave it to them to do their magic. I can report back later.

 

I hope it doesn’t make your rates go up so they can get that money back out of you. Looking forward to hearing the results.

 

I just had mine replaced, and the shop cut a piece out of the old bumper to color match. It was $1200.00. Water base paint sucks, just sayin.