I backed into a car the other day in my work parking lot. Didn't cause any damage to their vehicle but mine recieved a small dent in the plastic bumper.

I was wondering if this would be something I could fix myself without taking it to the shop.

I have uploaded a picture of it, so you can see the dent. What would be my best option?

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Thanks

 

Pretty good gash. I'm thinking the bumper cover is going to have to come off for any chance of getting it out. Most bumper covers come off pretty easily, although you may have to remove things like light assemblies to access the attaching points. I'm not real optimistic about your chances. At a body shop it would go straight to the dumpster and get replaced. Aftermarket replacment runs about $250-300, unpainted (primed).

 

Actually a little less maybe. You didn't say what year, but here's some sample 2006 covers (front & back):

Discount Body Parts - bumper - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee

 

Welcome to the forums!

A while back a girl where my wife works backed into her merc and put a good size dent into the bumper. For whatever reason, the girl didn't want to put it on her insurance. I took my wife's car to get an estimate and they said the bumper needed to be replaced claiming that the dent cracks the plastic and the repair would never be right.

My wife and the girl reached a monetary agreement/settlement. Later the sun or heat [?] popped the dent out although there was a small crease. I sanded and repainted her bumper. If you look close, you'll see where the dent was but it isn't all that noticeable.

The hardest part will be getting something behind the dent to push it out. I don't know if a heat gun or hair dryer would help. My wife thought I pushed the dent out and didn't tell her..... but I believe the sun/heat cause the dent to pop back out. The paint may crack/peel around the dent.

 

I was thinking hair dryer, too, but have never tried that. This dent looks too deep to work on from the outside.

 

A friend had mentioned maybe drilling a small hole, and putting something in it to pull the dent out, and then epoxy it, and pain the small hole.

Would that work? Obviously I don't want to cause more damage to it then is already there. I would be fine with epoxying a small hole, and even if the paint was cracked some.

 

I'd be leery of drilling a hole in it, while using a dent puller works well on metal, with plastic I doubt the filler will stay in the hole. Can you get a stick or something behind the dent to pop, pry or push it out?

 

heat gun and push it out. unless you have very easy access to it from the inside, you'll have to take cover off. that sharp crease will leave some battle scars. either way, as plastic stretched, you will end up with a hump. sometimes you can shave it down and bondo and repaint.
personally, i'd replace cover. but then you look at painting costs. i'd be careful trying to match paint yourself. they cover covers in some sort of a wax, that is very hard to remove and then paint does not stick to it. been there.
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