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Just over 1 month in and it's a doozy. I have no idea how or when it happened. I washed the car yesterday morning and found this this morning. Made two short trips. Did not bump or run into anything. Maybe a grocery store parking lot mishap while I was inside. Whole side of bumper has to be removed and repainted. $600 boo-boo... Cry with me...
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One of the things that makes the ES more susceptible to scrapes on the lower part of the front bumper is the combination of a relatively low overhang and an overhang that extends farther forward from the wheels than other (especially RWD) cars. Thus, when there is a dip in the road and a rise within a short distance it is easier to scrape the bottom of the bumper on the pavement or on some other object on the pavement.
To the OP, I would suggest that you choose the shop that will be refinishing the bumper very carefully. Pearl whites are among a handful of colors for which getting a good color match can be a challenge, and, if not done by a skilled paint technician, a refinished bumper on a pearl white car can stick out like a sore thumb. Not only would I suggest checking the reputation of the shop, but I'd also want to ask questions about how they are going to refinish the bumper to insure a good color match.
One of the things that makes the ES more susceptible to scrapes on the lower part of the front bumper is the combination of a relatively low overhang and an overhang that extends farther forward from the wheels than other (especially RWD) cars. Thus, when there is a dip in the road and a rise within a short distance it is easier to scrape the bottom of the bumper on the pavement or on some other object on the pavement.
To the OP, I would suggest that you choose the shop that will be refinishing the bumper very carefully. Pearl whites are among a handful of colors for which getting a good color match can be a challenge, and, if not done by a skilled paint technician, a refinished bumper on a pearl white car can stick out like a sore thumb. Not only would I suggest checking the reputation of the shop, but I'd also want to ask questions about how they are going to refinish the bumper to insure a good color match.
Good luck with the repairs.
The tricoats are tough to match and nearly impossible to touch up. The ultra white on my FSport is also apparently a tricoat.
One of the things that makes the ES more susceptible to scrapes on the lower part of the front bumper is the combination of a relatively low overhang and an overhang that extends farther forward from the wheels than other (especially RWD) cars. Thus, when there is a dip in the road and a rise within a short distance it is easier to scrape the bottom of the bumper on the pavement or on some other object on the pavement.
To the OP, I would suggest that you choose the shop that will be refinishing the bumper very carefully. Pearl whites are among a handful of colors for which getting a good color match can be a challenge, and, if not done by a skilled paint technician, a refinished bumper on a pearl white car can stick out like a sore thumb. Not only would I suggest checking the reputation of the shop, but I'd also want to ask questions about how they are going to refinish the bumper to insure a good color match.
The tricoats are tough to match and nearly impossible to touch up. The ultra white on my FSport is also apparently a tricoat.
He explained thoroughly, But frankly, most of it went over my head. He did say it is a three day process. And the degree of difficulty is what pushes up the price.
I work in the automotive industry and I see this really often. If this has happened once without you knowing or realizing it happened, you're gonna be *pissed* when you repaint it and it happens a second time.
My recommendation would be to get some touch up paint and fix the scratches where the base coat is gone and black plastic is showing. Think of it as a temporary $20 solution if you need to. Then drive it for at least a few months and see if it happens again in day-to-day usage.
If you are able to avoid any more road rash on your bumper, get it fixed then. These scratches are barely noticeable when they get touched up; you'd probably only notice them yourself if you wash your own car. No one else will see them once they are touched up.
Totally sucks, like you I would have to have that fixed.
Count me in, too. If I had that kind of damage and didn't get it fixed, it would bother me every time I drove the car or saw the car.
Originally Posted by AnthonyMJ
Whole side of bumper has to be removed and repainted. $600 boo-boo... Cry with me...
The cost of refinishing a bumper has to include labor time to remove the bumper cover, uninstall parking sensors, trim, etc., reinstall parking, sensors, trim, etc, and reinstall the bumper cover. A $600 charge is actually pretty reasonable, and that is especially true considering that the color of the car is a multi-stage pearl.
Originally Posted by mikemu30
The tricoats are tough to match and nearly impossible to touch up. The ultra white on my FSport is also apparently a tricoat.
As I was looking at the damage a second time, I realized that it is fortunate that the damage is located where it is. The shop should not have to add new color to the entire bumper. Instead, they should be able to spot in the new color to the damaged area and blend it out to a somewhat wider area, but, because the damaged area does not meet up directly with the fender (or hood), there should not be a need to add any new color anywhere close to another panel where even a minor color mismatch would be readily noticeable. Once the new color is spotted in, the entire bumper would get a new clear coat.
A skilled person might be able to do it without taking off the bumper. I had a starfire pearl LS rear bumper fixed a few years ago. It was in the center right below the license plate. He painted a small section and I couldn't even tell that it had been repaired.
I know not all members of this forum are in agreement on this but I have had great success having damage like yours repaired by a local mobile touch-up guy for about $200 right in my driveway. The location of your damage is such that I think it would work on your car even with your difficult to match color. Worst case is it either doesn't match or the clear coat peels a bit in a few years. If either happens, you can then go the full route and have the bumper removed and refinished and what I would think might be closer to $1,000 than $600.
These mobile guys spend most of their time at the dealerships doing this kind of work but will come to you as well.. I made the contact through my dealer years ago. I would either just cruise through the dealer's lot and see if one is working or ask your service advisor. Recently, my dealer has stopped using these services and refers all such work to their very expensive body shop. What you do want though is someone that can offer some assurance of quality work not just someone saying he can paint.
Whatever you choose to do good luck - and I wouldn't go with the option of just rubbing it out and touching it up a bit on a new car.
02-04-19, 01:01 PM
My first bruise...
