I need advice. I don’t know much about cars, and I feel terrible about this.
The tail light has a small crack too. I’m going to the shop tomorrow and really hoping they don’t overcharge me. What should I expect?
Tail lights are easy to replace. I’d be more worried about the bumper crack.
Ori said:
Tail lights are easy to replace. I’d be more worried about the bumper crack.
That’s what I was afraid of. Do you think they’ll make me replace the whole bumper, or is there a way to fix it?
@Wilder
If you drill a hole at the end of the crack, it stops it from spreading. I’d fix it sooner rather than later so it doesn’t get worse.
Santos said:
@Wilder
If you drill a hole at the end of the crack, it stops it from spreading. I’d fix it sooner rather than later so it doesn’t get worse.
I’ll give that a try, thanks a lot.
@Wilder
A body shop should be able to fix it without replacing the whole thing, but they might try to sell you a new bumper.
@Wilder
It’s really up to you. The bumper isn’t structural, so it doesn’t need to be replaced.
You can fix it cheaply by removing the bumper, drilling out the crack to stop it from spreading, sealing it with JB Weld, sanding it, and touching it up with paint. Most body shops won’t do this because they want the car to look perfect, and a patched-up job might still be noticeable.
Shops usually just replace the bumper and go through an expensive multi-step paint job to make it match exactly, which can cost a lot. If you’re okay with a DIY fix, you can save a lot of money.
The tail light is super easy—just look up a YouTube tutorial. The part should be under $200.
Ori said:
Tail lights are easy to replace. I’d be more worried about the bumper crack.
I have a small crack in my Civic’s bumper. Put panel tape on the back, and now you can’t even tell unless you look really closely.
Just replace the tail light and buff out the bumper as much as possible. Not worth replacing the whole thing, especially if it might happen again. You probably won’t even notice it much.
Jorge said:
Just replace the tail light and buff out the bumper as much as possible. Not worth replacing the whole thing, especially if it might happen again. You probably won’t even notice it much.
Appreciate it, thanks.
@Wilder
You can also get touch-up paint that matches your car for about $10–$20. Use it on any spots that don’t buff out or in the small crack.
If the crack is really small, I’d just leave it until it gets worse. Tail lights for most cars are around $75 at auto parts stores, and you can find tutorials on YouTube since they’re replaced all the time.
The black marks can probably come off with Meguiar’s compound. That’s what I’d do since I’m on a tight budget.
@Ronin
That’s really helpful, thanks .
Wilder said:
@Ronin
That’s really helpful, thanks .
No problem