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Rear bumper fascia

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by sdiesel619, May 14, 2019.

  1. sdiesel619

    sdiesel619 Junior Member

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    Hi all,

    A guy rear-ended my Prius 4T last week at a stoplight. Not much damage except for the rear bumper fascia. Has anyone replaced one and if you have any step by step instructions? I went on e-trailer.com and it shows how to remove the fascia on a non-touring model but wanted to see if it was any different.

    Any help would be appreciated!

    fascia.jpg
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  3. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Seen that before. But when I saw it last time, there was a response which I can't find. But it firstly pointed out that there actually is a bumper behind the plastic. 2ndly it wouldn't be safer in a REAL crash - the whole structure works together to make it safe. Also that, a big fat steel bumper might help with a very low speed crash - but make it worse for anything else.

    Also - I doubt that the JEEP in the article would really cost less to fix after the latest crash test fail (EURO NCAP).

    upload_2019-5-15_11-52-38.png

    It's also far cheaper to throw away a $30,000 car than to repair a $5million human.

    The Dummy in the Malibu walked away from this one - the one in the Bel Air got carried away in a box.
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    There must be some middle ground though: crash worthy AND somewhat resiliant, durable??
     
  5. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    At the time, my 244 VOLVO did quite well in crash tests due to the way the structure at the front absorbed energy - didn't make them any more repairable.

    upload_2019-5-15_15-8-22.png

    That was a full frontal hit, and I believe the doors opened (and the dummy walked away). But these days, they have the iihs Small Offset Test - I doubt a 244 VOLVO would do well in that.

    BUT - they did have 5km/hr bumpers - which were useful if the other car's bumper was at the same height - I know, I saw it happen once in a carpark.

    upload_2019-5-15_15-12-25.png
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Same here: we recently had a back corner clipped in a parking lot; another driver turning too tight. It was a minor brush, but of course very expensive. Can't find the bill, but somewhere around $1500?? The other driver owned up, so we were not out-of-pocket, which was nice.

    A flimsily mounted, black plastic painted fairing is so vulnerable, and the cosmetic repair expensive as heck.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, May 15, 2019
    Last edited: May 15, 2019
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  7. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

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    Why even bother trying to fix it yourself? Let the other guy's insurance take care of it.
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  9. sdiesel619

    sdiesel619 Junior Member

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    The claim is still pending. Honestly, I think the persons insurance is one of those sketchy ones. Id prefer to do it myself, its just a simple replacement. I dont think the insurance will do me any justice. But we'll see. Im still weighing out my options.
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If compensation falls through, maybe try taking it off yourself, get a can of mat-black PlastiDip, and give it a few coats. It can come out surprisingly good.

    Hmm: it's not black though is it. A dark grey? Maybe "gunmetal grey" would be close?

    https://plastidip.com/our-products/plasti-dip/
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, May 15, 2019
    Last edited: May 15, 2019
  11. sdiesel619

    sdiesel619 Junior Member

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    It has several punctures. The part isnt all that expensive and im in constant contact with the other party involved. He is willing to pay for the part + my labor.
     
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  12. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    The Repair Manual (more info), under Vehicle Exterior: Exterior Panels/Trim: Rear Bumper: Disassembly, gives separate instructions for the “Type A” and “Type B” (Touring) center rear bumper guard, but the differences are minor: Type B has two clips not used with Type A and 16 claws rather than 14. There are also some extra steps for the ultrasonic sensors if the car has the optional Intuitive Parking Assist System, which is also supposed to be recalibrated if the rear bumper assembly is removed and reinstalled.
    Yes; see parts catalog Figure 52-02, Rear Bumper & Bumper Stay. Part number 52453-47010 is the plain version (Type A), and 52453-47020 is the “Unique rear bumper treatment” (Type B) for touring models, mentioned in the sales brochure (PDF). I don’t know if they’re interchangeable.

    The list price in Japan for either part is ¥10,700 (about $99), and it’s very lightweight (0.4 kg), so it may be cheaper to buy one from an exporter, assuming it’s not too large to send by EMS.
     
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