Ok so we deal with a lot of bumper repairs and we can also offer our customers a replacement bumper service. Generally the latter can be a bit more expensive, but not always. It’s always worth while looking at both costs.

When should you NOT replace a bumper?

Ok, I personally don’t think you should replace a bumper when it is either scuffed, chipped, grazed or scratched. These repairs are very simple basic repairs that our technicians can carry out in most weather conditions. The integrity of the bumper is maintained, and what I refer to by that is the elasticity of the plastic. When you have a knock or a light collision your bumper is designed to flex and the paint work will flex with the bumper, so there are times when you may have been parked up and a careless driver has slightly misjudged their turning distance or their foot may have slipped off the clutch, and they accidentally bump the bumper on your car. Your bumper will slightly flex and there will be no damage.

When would a replacement bumper be a consideration?

Now lets say you have a cracked or split bumper that is need of repair. Yes these types of damage can be repaired. We can staple the plastic together as in the video here https://www.smartautorepairs.co.uk/bumper-crack-repair-video/ and make it look like new again.

For all repairs to bumpers that have a crack or split we need to use a certain amount of filler to get the shape back, now the repairer should always use a flexible bumper filler which has a certain amount of movement in it. Here is the dilemma, you have just spent £150 – £250 plus VAT for a cracked or split bumper repair on a car that you are going to keep for 3/4 years. You are parked up and someone knocks your car, the bumper flexes where the repair is, but because the filler is more brittle than the plastic it then creates fracture marks in the filler! Now you have to spend more money to repair that fracture. Now if the bumper had been replaced in the first instance than it may not have fractured. Add the two costs together and you are probably looking at the price of a new bumper.

Case Study

Lets look at a 2013 VW Golf  Cracked Rear bumper.

The cost to repair would be between £180 – £216 inc VAT for a mobile SMART bumper repair for a 5 inch split.

The cost to replace the same bumper with out parking sensors would be £108 inc VAT (new copy panel) for the Bumper and around £216 – £300 inc VAT for the labour and paint giving you a total of £408 at the higher rate of labour and paint or £324 at the lower rate. So for an extra £192 you could have a new bumper fitted.