Here's a video tutorial on how to repair a crack in your car's plastic bumper.
Step 1: Remove the Bumper
Here's what the bumper damage looks like before the repair.
The bumper was then removed from the vehicle, a few photos showing the inside and outside of the damaged area.
Step 2: Sanding
Next, use a dremel tool to carve a V shaped groove in the back of the bumper along the crack. This is to give the adhesive some more surface area to stick on. Then sand the area around the crack for better adhesion.
Tape up the front of the bumper so it holds with the crack flush. This is the position the bumper will be epoxied in, so make sure it is aligned correctly.
Jun 02, 2017 Plastic welders only fix one side of a cracked bumper at a time. Step 4: Onto the Frontside After the backside repair has dried, it’s time to move on to the crack that remains on the front of the bumper. Aug 25, 2002 So I go out to my car this morning, and it looks like someone bumped my rear bumper (gotta love Chicago drivers) because there's some cracked paint that wasn't there last night. Okay, so how do I fix/repair that? It's not a large area. Thanks in advance. Here's a video tutorial on how to repair a crack in your car's plastic bumper. Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download. Step 1: Remove the Bumper. Here's what the bumper damage looks like before the repair. The bumper was then removed from the vehicle, a few photos showing the inside and outside of the damaged area.
Step 3: Apply Epoxy
A clamp was applied at the top of the crack to prevent it from separating.
JB Weld Plastic bonder was applied along the crack. Its a two part mixture that was spread on using a small card or Popsicle stick.
Before the epoxy dries, put some drywall mesh tape over the back of the crack to reinforce the repair, and apply more epoxy on top.
Step 4: Fill in the Crack
Once the epoxy has dried overnight and cured, the tape and supporting clamps can be removed.
At this point you can apply touchup paint, or use filler to properly fill the crack.
First sand the damaged area on the outside of the bumper so the filler can hold.
Then apply a body filler suitable for plastic. In this case the incorrect filler was used, hence the final result wasn't as seamless as it should be. Sand the body filler down with 320 grit sandpaper.
Now is a good time to take care of other scratches within the vicinity of the damaged area since it will be repainted.
Step 5: Prime and Paint the Bumper
The sanded area of the bumper was then primed with two light coats of primer. It was then wet sanded using 400 grit sand paper and soap water.
A spray can was mixed at a local CarQuest to the correct color for the vehicle. It is a single stage paint, with base coat, pearl and clear coat in one can.
The proper way to finish the job would be to repaint the whole bumper, but since this was a quick cheap fix, I opted to blend quarter of the bumper. The result came out pretty good after two coats of paint.
Step 6: Reinstall the Bumper
Once the paint has cured and can be handled, the bumper can then be reinstalled on the vehicle.
The result is amazing, an almost undetectable repair, done at home for about $50 in materials.
In this case a small hairline crack can be seen where the crack once was, because the incorrect body filler type was used.
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In this article, we go over the procedure we followed to fix a cracked bumper.
We won't use epoxy glue but instead, use the plastic weld method. The plastic weld method described here is very durable and inexpensive.
What you will need
Sandpaper
120, 220, 500
Instructions
Remove your cracked bumper
This is a picture of our cracked bumper. This is a small crack. With this method, you can repair much larger bumper cracks. We strongly recommend that you remove the bumper in order to repair the crack. Or at least partially remove it. Bumpers may seem hard to remove but they are not. Car bumpers are held in place with a several 10 mm bolts and a few push-in pins. Once you remove the screws you can easily remove the bumper.
Video How To Repair A Cracked Plastic Bumper
Align the bumper crack
Join the bumper at the crack. You may need to use C-clamp to hold the bumper together as you try to weld it. It is important to line the bumper crack as closely as possible. Clean the area around the crack before you start work. A perfectly clean bumper is not as important with this method compared to when you use an epoxy which requires the bumper to be perfectly clean.
Start welding the cracked bumper
Use the soldering iron to start welding the cracked bumper. The soldering iron may take five minutes to warm up and be able to melt the plastic. Once the soldering iron is hot we start to weld the bumper on the outside first. This way we can line the bumper up perfectly.
Weld the inside of the cracked bumper
It is important to weld the bumper on the inside as well. If you don't, your bumper may be weak and tear easily. Especially if you hit a high curb.
Use an extra piece of plastic on the inside to add to the bumper as you weld the crack. It is best to weld the crack on the inside with a soldering iron first, then go over with some extra plastic and weld it over to add some support. This will add reinforcement to the crack and ensure that your bumper never cracks again. At least not at this same spot.
If you are still worried about the quality of your weld you can add your favorite epoxy on the back side of the bumper at this point. Honestly, you don't need to.
Sand the bumper crack
Use sandpaper to flatten the bumper weld. The plastic at this point looks ugly. Start with 120 grid paper then move to 220, 300 and finish it off with some 500 grid paper.
Paint the bumper
Use an automotive primer to spray paint the bumper. You don't need to spray the whole bumper if you don't want, especially if you only have cracked lower bumper lip.
If you plan to paint the whole bumper you will need at minimum one primer spray can. Make sure to use the 500 grid paper to remove the clear coat from the bumper before spraying over the old paint.
Let the primer dry.
Next, we need to paint the bumper. You can order custom paint that matches your car's exact color. If you do a quick search you will find body shops that match car paint.
Or the easiest thing is to order the custom mixed paint online and get it shipped to your home.
Where to order a custom mixed spray paint can?
We found several listing on eBay that will ship you mixed custom car paint.
How To Fix A Cracked Plastic Bumper
You need to have is your VIN or the paint code of your car. You can get the paint code by looking it on the VIN sticker or simply call your dealer and they will provide the paint code of your car.
FAQ
Yes, a cracked car bumper can be repaired. You can use plastic weld method or an epoxy glue. Our favorite method is to use plastic welding method.
3m Plastic Bumper Repair Kit
If you insist you can use a 3M Bondo 280 Epoxy Bumper Repair Syringe on the inside in combination with a mesh. On the outside, you will have to use Bondo. We still think plastic weld is easier and cheaper. But hey, it's your bumper.
If an auto body shop repairs your cracked bumper expect to pay between $350 and $600 dollars. The cost to fix a cracked bumper will depend on two things. How severe the crack is. What kind of paint your car has. Car paint is so expensive nowadays. Certain metallic car paint colors are even more expensive. If the bumper needs replacement it will cost between $1000-$1500 depending on the make and model.
Small bumper cracks can be easily repaired. You don't need to replace the bumper if you got a crack on the lower lip. Take your car to any body shop and they can fix your bumper without replacing it. If your bumper is cracked in multiple places, you may want to replace the bumper.
If you have a cracked bumper and your car is due for an inspection you are probably wondering if a cracked bumper will fail inspection. In most states, a car that has a small bumper crack won't fail inspection. If you have a large crack over four inches or have any parts of the bumper that are loose you will most likely fail state inspection. Before you take you car to the inspection station try to secure the broken bumper. At a minimum use an epoxy glue. Glue the bumper on the inside. You should keep in mind that regulations vary from state to state with regards to how much bumper damage is allowed on cars to pass inspection. On top of that, it also depends on how strict the mechanic at the inspection station is. Try to repair a cracked bumper yourself before taking it in for an inspection. The inspection station is not going to care if the bumper crack was fixed by you or a body shop or if it doesn't look perfect.
How To Repair A Plastic Bumper Cracked
Well first see if there are any cameras where you car was parked that may have recorded the event. If you can find the license plate of the car that hit you car, you can file a claim with their insurance policy and a police report and your bumper will be fixed for free by the other person's insurance. If you can't find the person who hit your car then you have three options. Option 1. Have you insurance pay to fix your cracked bumper. You will have to pay your $500 or $1000 deductible. Which brings us to option two. Option 2. Get a couple of quotes from auto repair shops. You may find out that it costs $450 to fix the cracked bumper on your car. If your insurance deductible is $500, don't even bother filing a claim with your insruance. You will be paying the full bill yourself since your deductible is $500. Therefore hire the body shop directly without having a claim recorded on your insurance policy. A claim in your policy may raise your insurance premium. Option 3. Fix the crack yourself following this guide. For under $50 you can weld the crack and paint the bumper with custom mixed paint. It won't look perfect but it will look a lot better and will be durable.
How To Repair A Plastic Bumper Crack Kit
A new car bumper for popular cars such as Toyota Corolla, Camry or Honda Accord, a Civic cost in average $700 USD. To paint the bumper and fade the paint by a body shop you will spend another $500. In average replacing a car front or rear bumper will cost you between $1000-$1500. In most cases, it is cheaper to repair a damaged bumper than replacing it.