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Replace Front Bumper

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by caln8iv, Mar 4, 2010.

  1. caln8iv

    caln8iv New Member

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    The front bumper is way too low. I wonder if Toyota is considering modifying the design. I keep hitting parking lot blocks and the sidewalk, when a driveway has a steep dip in it. Needless to say, my 4 month old car's front bumper now has a small vertical crack on the lower edge. It looks like it could be easy to replace - it's one big hunk of plastic. How much to replace and paint it to match my car?
     
  2. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The low bumper is necessary for good aerodynamics.

    Tom
     
  3. Joe166

    Joe166 New Member

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    I wouldn't count on them modifying it. Maybe you could be more careful. There are lots of cars that are much lower than the Prius. It towers over my last car and laughs at bumps that would scrape my mufflers and front air dam.
     
  4. Pohaku

    Pohaku Member

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    Replacing and repainting the front bumper and under carriage plate is @ $800 or so based on the quote I got from my body shop and the insurance estimate. You should check and see if the plate under the bumper is cracked as well.
     
  5. ShinyDiscoBall

    ShinyDiscoBall Junior Member

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    I totally agree with you. The bumpers are way too low! I already got a "crack" in mine on the curbside while trying to park. My local Toyota dealer whom I bought my Prius from quoted me $259.70 for the bumper itself. But they apparently don't do a replacement. So silly!

    If you know of any off-market bumpers for Prius that is not as low, please let me know!!!
     
  6. Nuckz23

    Nuckz23 Member

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    I don't see an easy fix here. You guys/gals really need to adjust to the new car dimensions and drive carefully. I always give myself extra room when in doubt.
     
  7. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    The trick is to go in/out with an angle. Do NOT go in 90 deg.
     
  8. Olette49

    Olette49 Junior Member

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    so what ever happened to 5 mph bumpers? i hit the ice pack while pulling into a parking space and now have a nice 8 inch crack in my front bumper which i have no intention of fixing unless there's a $25 or less fix. no way was i moving faster than 5 mph. very disappointed in this much damage.
     
  9. hlkc

    hlkc New Member

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    I learn my good lessons from so many cars before I did that and now I've been doing just that for years and the only way we need to look for is the parking stop in parking lot and just don't park too close to them and we should be fine.
     
  10. ScottG10

    ScottG10 Member

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    Two months and no problem for me but, I'm carefull!
     
  11. ctmurray

    ctmurray Member

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    I also have a crack in my bumper on the passenger side. We had a bad winter and I ran over a dropped "carcicle" or "car turd". Just a hunk of ice and at low speed (I was pulling into a parking spot), but there was no way to avoid this (it not visible as I was turning). So I think Toyota should make this part more easily replaced (ie less expensive). Because all of us will eventually need a replacement. It is sad to have your can < 6mo and have such damage.
     
  12. p911

    p911 Junior Member

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    I also cracked the whole front bumper of my Gen III Prius 2010 when hitting an side curp.
    When I drove back from the side curp the whole bumper fel apart.
    How much will it cost to replace the whole front bumper of a new toyota prius?
    Anyone an idea?
    Thanks.
     
  13. narf

    narf Active Member

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    The bumper chin on my old Audi A4 was trashed because it would hit most parking lot blocks. the bottom of my Prius's bumper seems to be holding up much better. And yes, the low ground clearance is part of the overall aerodynamics package that helps raise the efficiency of the car. Raise the car, lower the MPG.
     
  14. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    The bumper skin lists for $240. Add paint and labor. probably $500-$600 total at a stealership.

    There are shops that repair bumper skins. If it's just cracked and all three, it sounds repairable.
     
  15. p911

    p911 Junior Member

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    I hit the big curbstone on the passengers site on slow speed.
    Because it was snowing I didn't see the big stone it looked like a pile of snow.
    But the bumper is completely cracked and destroyed.
    I had to get the car from that stone and it riped the whole bumper from the car.
    It's a piece of plastic.
    I think the whole front has to be replaced. $$$
     
  16. dannykelly76

    dannykelly76 hybridanny!

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    I too recently scraped the front right corner of my front bumper while parking by a curb at an angle. I've had the 2010 model over a year and this is the first time, so I suppose that's not bad.

    Besides outright paying for a shop to replace the whole thing for a few minor scrapes, can anyone recommend a do-it-yourself, good enough paint repair method?
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Somewhere in the last couple of decades "bumpers" became fairings, which have little or no resilience in an impact. They're similar to motorcyle fairings, just plastic mounted on the car's framework, largely for appearance and aerodynamics.

    Our first car was an 81 Civic: it had an autonomous Bumper, a bent metal channel that ran the full width of the front of car, and connected via 2 hydraulically damped cylinders. It was chromed steel with a continuous black rubber contact strip.

    With changes in legislation and style, such defences are now extinct. :rolleyes:
     
  18. torr310

    torr310 Junior Member

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    I do agree the Gen 3 Prius is too low. It is lower than the 2006 Honda Accord I drove previously. I was thinking of increasing the ground clearance and changing to stiffer shocks but it would cost too much to do that.
     
  19. mgb4tim

    mgb4tim Noob

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    I priced a bumper from parts-express.com around $125. I have the part number somewhere.
     
  20. JGC61

    JGC61 Active Member

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    Approximately 1 K with factory parts.
    Some paint colors are very expensive.