New IS 350 Front License Plate Bracket Removal
 

Hi guys, new member and pround owner of a 2007 Lexus IS 350. Fully loaded, I love it by far the nicest car I've ever seen.

My question is this: when I picked up the car from the dealership in Missouri, it already had the front license plate bracket mounted on the front bumper (to comply with the state laws in Missouri). However, from reading around a bit, I've found that they are supposed to ask you before they do such an installation to make sure you want it drilled into the bumper.

Since I have the tags registered in Arkansas, where it's not required to have a front license plate, I would just assume have it removed. Since the Missouri dealership didn't ask before putting it on, do you think I could have the holes repaired by a Lexus dealership without paying?

Thanks for any help you guys could give!

I needed a laugh tonight ... :D. Well, you might get a Lexus dealer to do it for you, but I doubt it. Just because you bought it in a state that requires two plates and then moved to a state that doesn't require a front plate does not bind a Lexus dealer to 'fix' it for you at no charge. Why should he bear the cost of it? Don't be cheap, if you want to get the holes filled pay for it yourself.

Well, I've lived in AR the whole time, and told him that's where I was going to register the car before purchasing it. I didn't hear anything about putting anything on the front bumper, it didn't really cross my mind since I wasn't getting Missouri tags.

Better rephrasing of the question: how much will it run me to get it removed?

Yeah, I know what you meant. But in those states where two plates are standard the dealer will usually just drill the front bumper as a matter of course, unless you specifically tell them not to. And then they might just do it anyway.

Removing it is the easy part, that's free. I would guess patching the holes and repainting would be about $100 +/-.

Well I have no idea what it will cost you to repair those, and Im not really sure you can, but either way welcome to CL and congrats on the new car!!!

they sell little clips that fit in the bumper holes so that everything looks nice and tidy. Aerotect.net

Several CL members have done this. Try searching 'bumper plugs' for threads so you can see their solutions. I have bumper plugs, they do stand out a little, but that may be because I'm OCD and I know that they're there. You can also try driving around with the holes, I'd say 95% of the time people won't notice . . .

here is a link to the bumper plugs,

http://www.bumperplugs.com/BPindex.html

or you could do this,

https://www.clublexus.com/gallery/da...ront_plate.jpg

unfortunatly neither look as goos as if they nerver drilled holes...but...what are ya gonna do????

welcome to CL....have them pay for your bumper plugs.....

^^^^^^^ Agreed

Again.... Good luck with that one too!

I am looking for the license plate bracket if anyone has one

I bought a pack of black plastic plugs from Pep Boys for $.89 cents and I dabbed some Lexus touch up paint I had for rock chips and voila! Can't really tell they're there unless you look hard.

Attachment 454253

^wow that looks real good. I removed the license plate as well and I really need to get rid of the holes, thanks for the tip.

My bumper has 4 holes drilled up when i removed the plate :/

Bumper plugs look good though so go with that if Lexus didn't butcher your front bumper like they did mine.