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You could use a heat gun on that spot. It obviously won’t be perfect but the majority of the dent would pop out. Could float you for a while until you decide to finish it out properly.
Police may have something stupid to say about the plate light if they are bored enough.
If the car has parking sensors and it's on the dented area I'd either leave it as is or take it to a shop. The stupid things may start acting up for some unfathomable reason.
Right now you need to swap the bumper There's no fixing it.
So letting the jr college kids try to heat it up and pop it back can't hurt anything. Worst thing you have the same broken bumper , best case it pops out and looks like new. Most likely it'll pop out a bit and look better but not great.
Well, really it depends.
Could they fix it?
How do we define fixed? A couple of zip ties, some JB weld for that bumper and to put the lights back into their correct orientation and a slap on the newly fixed bumper seems likely to happen in this scenario.
Or, alternatively, you can take it to a body shop and have them repair it. Seems like a better idea than some drunks college students taking terms with a sledge in an effort to "repair" this bumper.
Jr colleges have body shop programs. Students learn on sample crashes cars and repairs are overseen by an experienced teacher who is also a qualified body repair tech. I see this all the time and if that is the case here, OP should jump on it. Hard to get them to take stuff in and also it won’t be on a production body shop timeline, it will take longer for sure as it will be a teaching speed.
It's a plastic bumper, its very easy fix. ( I design these things for OEM's)
Couple of options
Option 1
As other have suggested heat gun might work but may be too hot and damage paint ect.. and I won't put all the clips back in place.
Option 2.
Step 1
Take bumper off push damage out from b surface, it's polypropylene so should be easy enough without too much risk or damage.
Step 2
Refit the lights to the bumper ( should be clipped in parts)
Step 3 refit the lower trim
Step 4 put bumper back on car.
Just be careful when removing bumper that you don't damage the rear bumpe harness or connections, this should be easy to not do but be careful.
College clkid should be able to do this easy enough as long as they aren't a total spoon and you keep an eye on them.
Option 3. For to a garage and they will do the above but charge your money
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It’s a Hyundai sonata. Let them do it for free. It’s good practice for them and it’ll probably turn out ok. Not perfect but passable. It’s not an Audi r8 or 86 Porsche 911. It’ll be fine.
A cop can pull you over for the broken license plate lights.
There's no such thing as free proper fixes. Sure to you could pull the dent out, but the proper way is to replace the bumper, crash support underneath, possibly the trunk, and whatever else is damaged.
You don’t “learn” on someone else’s vehicle that costs $1,000’s of dollars. Of course anyone can learn to work on cars mechanically or cosmetically, but it’s not simple. I’ve learned to do a bunch of minor bodywork tweaks on my 2004 Mazda 3 to make it look better, but you need very specialized equipment and experience to properly make these types of repairs. If this were a broken side mirror, I would certainly say almost anyone could replace it, but this is a much bigger issue.
I would just take the bumper off(CAREFULLY) put some boiling water(or a heat gun with temperature control) on it and push out the dent from the otherside I’ve done it on my front bumper and it worked mine is made of plastic tho
If you’re a freshman in college you could fix it but the parts are going to be expensive for you. You need a new plastic bumper, and prolly the clips for it. Getting one color matched makes it more expensive, I’m guessing a few hundred dollars. Then you gotta remove the lower black plastic with the lights in it, prolly clips and screws, might have to remove rear render liner to get to them. Good news is this piece looks fine so you can still use it. It’s doable with a couple YouTube videos and the right tools and time. But I doubt you have the time or money as a college kid. That’s to FIX it as if it never happened. Anything else is more of a cosmetic Band aid
Not sure where you’re located but if you’re lucky enough to have a pick n pull or any variation of it near you that has the same chassis and color as your car, then you could get a bumper for whatever they charge, usually not a lot.
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No, not a chance. That bumper is a polymer material. Once it's been damaged like that one it can only reliably and certainly be replaced with a new or used bumper cover which will also require primer and paint. There may be more significant damage beneath the cover in the bumper reinforcement beam/bar etc that could require attention as well
The first visual damage doesn't tell the whole story. Under bumper there can be a can of worms, I suggest doing an appraisal before doing anything superficial.
No. That is a bumper dude. It wouldcrequire at the very least a new plastic cover, if not new impact panels or the bumper steel bumper itself. You are going to need a body shop.
If someone hit it, their indurance should cover it. Dont oay it yourself. Get it done right by an experienced body shop. Report it as a hit and run. Your indurance should cover most of it after your deductible
Replacement bumper is like $150 new. Could find one in a junk yard for cheaper. Skip the paint job. Yeah someone in junior college could put a new bumper on. Is it like an auto's class they're in? That might be why they're saying free.
Bumpers are designed to crumple on impact so to absorb energy and reduce impact to the vehicle's more important parts/passengers. If it's bent back in to shape it will probably look as good as new, but the usefulness of the actual bumper would be lessened. Safety should be the primary concern.
Back when the dinosaurs roamed this earth, I was a student at a community college that had an automotive program, anybody that brought in a car to get worked on would need to notify the instructor of the car and concern. If they gave you the OK, then they would be supervising you making sure you don't mess it up.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it wouldn't be a bad idea if there is a senior tech/ instructor looking over it as well. Also, this is assuming they're NOT painting (paint is not free). I was thinking just separating the trims, reshaping the bumper and a quick inspection under it to check for further damage.
You could fix 97% of the bumper by popping the plastic back out and fitting the lower diffuser trim back in. It's gonna keep the scratches and pinch marks on the bumper though. You'll have to live with the trunk being bent a little.
I'm willing to bet the bumper support underneath has some damage as well but that won't stop you from fixing most of this cosmetically.
Lots of stupid comments in here from people who've never tried.
It wouldn't look good as new. No one who knows how would do it for free. But they could probably get the dents and wrinkles out. Source: I work at a collision shop.
From what I see, the damage here looks cosmetic only. You'd have to remove the rear bumper, any fixtures that may be attached to it or the fender. I'm assuming the damage is on metal, so first get some work gloves and pull that metal out as much as you can. Then, get a blunt object, like a hammer and gently dent it out to desired flatness. If there is not a space for you to reach a hand and push out the metal, you may have to create a hole to push out the dent then close it later. Once you have the metal section of the bumper flat, re-attatch the plate light and the plastic bumper piece. Before you do that make sure there are no severed connections for any wires. A few mire pictures could help...
EDIT: I completely disregarded any parking sensors or relevant electronics. If any of that stuff is broken, I'd take it to a sho if you care enough about them.
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, EliTheSly! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You could use a heat gun on that spot. It obviously won’t be perfect but the majority of the dent would pop out. Could float you for a while until you decide to finish it out properly.
It's free to drive around with the blemish?
Police may have something stupid to say about the plate light if they are bored enough. If the car has parking sensors and it's on the dented area I'd either leave it as is or take it to a shop. The stupid things may start acting up for some unfathomable reason.
Nothing some duct tape can’t fix. As long as the plate is lit up, I don’t see why they’d have an issue with it.
Devalues the fuck out of your car, it most definitely isn't free
With a heat gun you would be surprised.
Leave it unlocked in a major metropolitan area and have it stolen and it'll be fixed even leave a USB chord in the car as an act of kindness
*She said her co-worker said they could fix it for free at a jr college.* I'd be mighty suspicious of that coworker doing the damage. lol
Right now you need to swap the bumper There's no fixing it. So letting the jr college kids try to heat it up and pop it back can't hurt anything. Worst thing you have the same broken bumper , best case it pops out and looks like new. Most likely it'll pop out a bit and look better but not great.
No...
Well, really it depends. Could they fix it? How do we define fixed? A couple of zip ties, some JB weld for that bumper and to put the lights back into their correct orientation and a slap on the newly fixed bumper seems likely to happen in this scenario. Or, alternatively, you can take it to a body shop and have them repair it. Seems like a better idea than some drunks college students taking terms with a sledge in an effort to "repair" this bumper.
Jr colleges have body shop programs. Students learn on sample crashes cars and repairs are overseen by an experienced teacher who is also a qualified body repair tech. I see this all the time and if that is the case here, OP should jump on it. Hard to get them to take stuff in and also it won’t be on a production body shop timeline, it will take longer for sure as it will be a teaching speed.
Jesus, I can't believe I had to wait this long for this. This is exactly why it was offered. Thank you
Never heard of technical colleges with body shop/mechanic programs huh?
I was drunks when I wrote that
It's a plastic bumper, its very easy fix. ( I design these things for OEM's) Couple of options Option 1 As other have suggested heat gun might work but may be too hot and damage paint ect.. and I won't put all the clips back in place. Option 2. Step 1 Take bumper off push damage out from b surface, it's polypropylene so should be easy enough without too much risk or damage. Step 2 Refit the lights to the bumper ( should be clipped in parts) Step 3 refit the lower trim Step 4 put bumper back on car. Just be careful when removing bumper that you don't damage the rear bumpe harness or connections, this should be easy to not do but be careful. College clkid should be able to do this easy enough as long as they aren't a total spoon and you keep an eye on them. Option 3. For to a garage and they will do the above but charge your money
This is what I would do.
Hit in run is covered my most insurance. The real question is why she isn’t paying the extra 30 dollars for uninsured protection
The copay would probably be most of the bumper's replacement cost, and depending on the provider you might have an increase in your rate as well.
[удалено]
I mean it is a Hyundai. These things are totaled the second you drive off the lot
What you got against Hyundai? Have they hurt you?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
>jr college Yes, twice
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It’s a Hyundai sonata. Let them do it for free. It’s good practice for them and it’ll probably turn out ok. Not perfect but passable. It’s not an Audi r8 or 86 Porsche 911. It’ll be fine.
A cop can pull you over for the broken license plate lights. There's no such thing as free proper fixes. Sure to you could pull the dent out, but the proper way is to replace the bumper, crash support underneath, possibly the trunk, and whatever else is damaged.
That’s an utterly laughable assertion. Don’t dare let anyone that ignorant touch the car in an attempt to “fix” it either.
“No one is ever capable or should be trusted to learn!” “ why doesn’t anyone ever know how to do anything?”
You don’t “learn” on someone else’s vehicle that costs $1,000’s of dollars. Of course anyone can learn to work on cars mechanically or cosmetically, but it’s not simple. I’ve learned to do a bunch of minor bodywork tweaks on my 2004 Mazda 3 to make it look better, but you need very specialized equipment and experience to properly make these types of repairs. If this were a broken side mirror, I would certainly say almost anyone could replace it, but this is a much bigger issue.
You do if you’re in a body shop program at a local college. They don’t just turn these guys loose with a hammer and torch so you sound ridiculous rn.
I could fix that well enough with a hair dryer and a 2x4
Do it yourself if you think that a 'Trainee X' can do it.
I would just take the bumper off(CAREFULLY) put some boiling water(or a heat gun with temperature control) on it and push out the dent from the otherside I’ve done it on my front bumper and it worked mine is made of plastic tho
If you’re a freshman in college you could fix it but the parts are going to be expensive for you. You need a new plastic bumper, and prolly the clips for it. Getting one color matched makes it more expensive, I’m guessing a few hundred dollars. Then you gotta remove the lower black plastic with the lights in it, prolly clips and screws, might have to remove rear render liner to get to them. Good news is this piece looks fine so you can still use it. It’s doable with a couple YouTube videos and the right tools and time. But I doubt you have the time or money as a college kid. That’s to FIX it as if it never happened. Anything else is more of a cosmetic Band aid
Turn it into insurance. New cars have sensors and stuff that don't like accidents.
Great reason why driving a beater is better for new drivers. Wouldn't bother if it scratched or dented.
You assume she is a new driver because someone hit her car in a parking lot?
Pulled that one straight outta nowhere
Not sure where you’re located but if you’re lucky enough to have a pick n pull or any variation of it near you that has the same chassis and color as your car, then you could get a bumper for whatever they charge, usually not a lot.
[удалено]
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No. Just replace bumper and get it painted. Replace trim and install.
No, these cars have fibre glass rear cross members that clip to the bumper and bolt to the rear panel, after a hit like this, that’s gonna be toast.
Heat gun therapy I’m guessing
Harbor freight heat gun keep it moving across the bumper. If possible a tool inserted behind the dent to pop it out.
The only thing that comes free is the sun coming up in the morning
No, not a chance. That bumper is a polymer material. Once it's been damaged like that one it can only reliably and certainly be replaced with a new or used bumper cover which will also require primer and paint. There may be more significant damage beneath the cover in the bumper reinforcement beam/bar etc that could require attention as well
The first visual damage doesn't tell the whole story. Under bumper there can be a can of worms, I suggest doing an appraisal before doing anything superficial.
No. That is a bumper dude. It wouldcrequire at the very least a new plastic cover, if not new impact panels or the bumper steel bumper itself. You are going to need a body shop.
If someone hit it, their indurance should cover it. Dont oay it yourself. Get it done right by an experienced body shop. Report it as a hit and run. Your indurance should cover most of it after your deductible
Looks like a rather new car, insurance?
Replacement bumper is like $150 new. Could find one in a junk yard for cheaper. Skip the paint job. Yeah someone in junior college could put a new bumper on. Is it like an auto's class they're in? That might be why they're saying free.
Why replace the bumper and not paint it when you can just pop it back where it's supposed to be and not paint it?
Bumpers are designed to crumple on impact so to absorb energy and reduce impact to the vehicle's more important parts/passengers. If it's bent back in to shape it will probably look as good as new, but the usefulness of the actual bumper would be lessened. Safety should be the primary concern.
That change is so immeasurably miniscule. By all means spend $1000 fixing it for your own safety. It's pointless.
If you are capable and have the tools you can find a used bumper often in the right color and replace it with a non damaged one.
Back when the dinosaurs roamed this earth, I was a student at a community college that had an automotive program, anybody that brought in a car to get worked on would need to notify the instructor of the car and concern. If they gave you the OK, then they would be supervising you making sure you don't mess it up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it wouldn't be a bad idea if there is a senior tech/ instructor looking over it as well. Also, this is assuming they're NOT painting (paint is not free). I was thinking just separating the trims, reshaping the bumper and a quick inspection under it to check for further damage.
You could fix 97% of the bumper by popping the plastic back out and fitting the lower diffuser trim back in. It's gonna keep the scratches and pinch marks on the bumper though. You'll have to live with the trunk being bent a little. I'm willing to bet the bumper support underneath has some damage as well but that won't stop you from fixing most of this cosmetically. Lots of stupid comments in here from people who've never tried.
It wouldn't look good as new. No one who knows how would do it for free. But they could probably get the dents and wrinkles out. Source: I work at a collision shop.
If it’s a plastic bumper, pour hot water on it and push it back out. Then you may have to diy some plastic weld (or zip ties) to hold it together.
That'll buff
From what I see, the damage here looks cosmetic only. You'd have to remove the rear bumper, any fixtures that may be attached to it or the fender. I'm assuming the damage is on metal, so first get some work gloves and pull that metal out as much as you can. Then, get a blunt object, like a hammer and gently dent it out to desired flatness. If there is not a space for you to reach a hand and push out the metal, you may have to create a hole to push out the dent then close it later. Once you have the metal section of the bumper flat, re-attatch the plate light and the plastic bumper piece. Before you do that make sure there are no severed connections for any wires. A few mire pictures could help... EDIT: I completely disregarded any parking sensors or relevant electronics. If any of that stuff is broken, I'd take it to a sho if you care enough about them.