I’ve got an '02 Honda Civic sedan, that needs a new front and new rear bumper as far as I can see. Both bumpers have moderate damage, although its 100% driveable and its actually been like this for a few months.
The rear bumper as a big dent/crack where a hit and run driver clipped the rear driver’s side corner of my car sometime while it was parked. As far as I can see here, nothing else is damaged except for the rear bumper itself, which seems to me to be just a big single piece of plastic.
The front bumper has about a 6 inch diamater hole in it, where some guy’s trailer hitch went through it. Hole looks bad, but I think the only damage is to the bumper. Other guys’ truck was undamaged, this was a very low speed crash (had there not been the hitch on his car I don’t know if either vehicle would have had any damage). The front bumper is like the back in that it appears to be a single piece of plastic.
I know the only way to truly answer this question would be for me to actually get on the phone and call some body shops, but anyone want to take a guess as to what this will cost me? I’d also be interested in any advice on getting this fixed, anything to look out for, or anything to be sure to do? Also, is there any reason to get this fixed besides cosmetic reasons (I realize that may be hard to answer without actually seeing the damage)?
In 1999, I replaced the rear bumper on my 1989 Isuzu pickup. I went to the auto-parts store and had them order a bumper for it, which cost about $100. Then I took the bumper (and the truck) to a mechanic, who charged me about $100 in labor to put it on the truck.
That’s my experience, anyway; being eight years ago and on a different make/model, it may not be terribly helpful. I think the mechanic’s markup is generally pretty hefty, so you’ll definitely want to get the parts yourself. AutoZone or someplace can order them for you.
'05 Civic front bumper is around $120USD. Just had to order one today for a customer. This is just the cover that must be painted to match the body colour.
05 Civic, front bumper had some paint scraped off. It was buffed and repainted for $380. I thought it was a lot, but the other person’s insurance paid for it. (Actually, I’m sure she paid for it, it was probably under her deductible amount.)
I have a '98 Civic whose front bumper and other parts have been replaced a few times. :o IIRC, the bumper itself was about $100. The collision place got it through some network where it’s like-new??
If you get new bumpers, instead of salvaged ones, it should be in the $500 to $1,000 range. Assume Booker’s value is right, you’ve got around $300 for parts. Then they have to be painted in the shop to match your color, plus remove/replace labor. Cracks and holes in those plastic bumpers are pretty much impossible to repair, the standard way to fix it is to replace with new. There may also be support parts to replace, but only the estimator will know for sure, when he inspects the damage.
I doubt they’ll want to let you buy the part, not only is that markup part of what keeps the shop running, if something goes wrong, if the part is wrong, they will be up a creek. They can’t complain to their supplier, you won’t pay them for the work they’ve done, and you can sue them for “ruining” the bumpers you bought.
The shop should provide you with an itemized estimate, parts, labor, paint, waste disposal, etc. Get a few estimates. Remember one other thing, when you get your car back, it should look like there was never anything wrong with it. Paying a bit more for quality work might be worth it over going with the cheap guy who will rush the job.
A couple months ago, I had the front bumper replaced on our Dodge Caravan. It was 600 or so. My WAG is that a Civic bumper would be less.
We had major work done on our 1990 Civic’s front end, back in 1993, and IIRC it was 2K or so. But that was quite a bit more than the bumper (we were in a head-on collision).
Thanks to everyone for the replies, your advice is greatly appreciated. It is nice to have at least an idea of what this should cost when I start getting quotes, so I know if a place is giving me a good deal or trying to rip me off. If I can keep this in the $500 to $1000 range, I’ll probably go ahead and get the repairs.
Actually, my insurance would be the one to pay for both damages (I was the one who rear ended the guy in the truck**), but I have a $500 deductible so I didn’t bother claiming either one. Since they were seperate incidents, I would have had to pay the first $1000 out of my pocket, and it looks like that would be close to the whole bill anyway.
**Just trying to save a little face here and not look like a dumbass, but in my defense, he basically slammed on his breaks suddenly and without warning because the guy in front of him decided to turn at the absolute last minute. I understand this makes me technically and legally at fault, and I accept full responsibilty, but I think this could have happened to a lot of people. If I’d had another 6 inches of space I think the whole thing would have been avoided.
Not a bumper, but I ripped the side mirror off my truck and the local GM dealership wanted $200+ for parts and labor.
I surfed ebay and found the exact thing I needed ( and entire new mirror, motorized and everything) for $40 ( including UPS). My husband installed it and we saved a buttload.