Bumper smashed by ice.... advice?

[Tahna Los]

Travelling northbound on the 404 near Elgin Mills, a large piece of ice (not snow, ice) fell off a Tractor trailer which then promptly caved in the front left bumper of my car. Could not avoid it due to another truck in the adjacent lane.

I'll post pics in a bit but wanted to ask:

1) Is there any way to claim insurance on what could be classified as "foreign object damage" (damage not due to an accident but due to something on the road) and will this affect my premiums? (p.s.: I have had 2 at fault accidents in the last 4 years)
2) How much would a replacement bumper cost? (Scrapyard? OEM?) The bumper assembly does not have fog lights.
3) Barring the above two as options, is there any way I can at least "smooth out" the damage so it doesn't look so caved in? I know the bumper is pretty much a writeoff but don't want to have to spend more money right now to replace.

I'll end this by saying please, clear your car of any ice on your vehicle. I had no idea it was ice that I hit (I thought it was a boulder of snow) until the bent bumper started making a scraping noise.

[Zotaga]

Get a new bumper? lol.. you can get perfectly good ones from the scrap yard.


Travelling northbound on the 404 near Elgin Mills, a large piece of ice (not snow, ice) fell off a Tractor trailer which then promptly caved in the front left bumper of my car. Could not avoid it due to another truck in the adjacent lane.

I'll post pics in a bit but wanted to ask:

1) Is there any way to claim insurance on what could be classified as "foreign object damage" (damage not due to an accident but due to something on the road) and will this affect my premiums? (p.s.: I have had 2 at fault accidents in the last 4 years)
2) How much would a replacement bumper cost? (Scrapyard? OEM?) The bumper assembly does not have fog lights.
3) Barring the above two as options, is there any way I can at least "smooth out" the damage so it doesn't look so caved in? I know the bumper is pretty much a writeoff but don't want to have to spend more money right now to replace.

I'll end this by saying please, clear your car of any ice on your vehicle. I had no idea it was ice that I hit (I thought it was a boulder of snow) until the bent bumper started making a scraping noise.

[Tahna Los]

Get a new bumper? lol.. you can get perfectly good ones from the scrap yard.

Well how much would they go for? That's the question.

[Zotaga]

Depends on the scrap yard. My guess is $50-150. Depends who takes it off. If you do it, it's cheaper.

[jeffjones]

Get a new bumper? lol.. you can get perfectly good ones from the scrap yard.

I have ordered an aftermarket bumper from the scrapyard for my pathfinder, was $119 brand new and came primed.

As for the insurance claim, as long as the ice was in motion from the truck and not thrown up off the highway and you got their license plate I have heard of people making successful claims, without the plate you are most likely shit out of luck.

[silverstarmazda]

pictures?? if its just a big dent get a hair drier and pop it back out to make it less noticeable

[asyed]

pictures?? if its just a big dent get a hair drier and pop it back out to make it less noticeable

was going to say this.


Hair dryer trick should work... Heat gun can also be used but you have to be REALLY careful... better you use a hair dryer.

we need pics tho.

[Tahna Los]

Can't post pics as I can't add attachments to this thread (and I don't want to create a photobucket account).

I had a friend take a look at it for me. The dent is the size of a basketball and it is really caved in. Some pieces from the inside of the bumper are sticking out and he's sure that the bumper is gone for.

Friend has also suggested looking at an aftermarket bumper but not sure if that will fit, I have heard some issues with aftermarket parts though, and he apparently doesn't trust a scrapyard as he doesn't know how a scrapyard tech would have removed the bumper in the first place...

[Tahna Los]

Ok, I changed my profile pic so you can check out the damage there.....

Yeah, the bumper is a goner.... :(

[Dynames]

Who told you to trust other people to remove the bumper for you? Grab some tools and you can go do the job yourself or your friend can do it.


Can't post pics as I can't add attachments to this thread (and I don't want to create a photobucket account).

I had a friend take a look at it for me. The dent is the size of a basketball and it is really caved in. Some pieces from the inside of the bumper are sticking out and he's sure that the bumper is gone for.

Friend has also suggested looking at an aftermarket bumper but not sure if that will fit, I have heard some issues with aftermarket parts though, and he apparently doesn't trust a scrapyard as he doesn't know how a scrapyard tech would have removed the bumper in the first place...

[loki]

Isn't it ironic advice has the word ice in it


As if to rub it in your face.

[sube]

There are two types of wreckers,(1) a you pick where you remove the parts, A mazda3 bumper is easy to remove, even somebody with limited skills could remove it (2) a wreckers who pull the parts and stock them for sale, this is obviously the more expensive route.
Your friend is giving you bad advice. Most wreckers are members of the Automotive recyclers and for the most part sell perfectly good parts, almost all body shops use them. It would not do their business much good to get a rep. for selling dodgy parts.

The ones to be leery of is somebody just junking cars in a field as sideline, but even there it is possible to luck out, for the most part they will only have clapped out junkers though.

Pat.

[wouc89]

I'll end this by saying please, clear your car of any ice on your vehicle. I had no idea it was ice that I hit (I thought it was a boulder of snow) until the bent bumper started making a scraping noise.

Seriously It's so frustrating when I see car owners on the road who doesn't take the time to clear ice and snow from their roof. It's such a road hazard. Anyway good luck on your repairs!

[Fack_Dude]

Dude. Stop crying about the bumper. A new bumper is 280 tax in from the dealership.

[austinSedz]

Go to a scrap yard that is large and has a high reputation. If they are insurance certified, stock cars newer than 2011, and all that jazz, chances are they have guys who are there simply to work in the garage and pull parts off cars, and know what they are doing. These guys arn't just oilchange monkeys and they will know how to pull the bumper off for you without breaking stuff or scratching it up. You can always just refuse to pay and walk out if they pull the bumper for you and it's got broken pieces.

U-pull yards don't tend to have new cars in them, especially in "good condition". The u-pull yards usually get cars that are at least 10 years old or so smashed up that noone wanted to buy it off the insurance salvage auction so they got it cheap.

[silverstarmazda]

Dude. Stop crying about the bumper. A new bumper is 280 tax in from the dealership.

this. and a full bumper repair from a body shop is like... $300 for oem

[Stathakos]

this. and a full bumper repair from a body shop is like... $300 for oem

Maybe the OP should go to doms, and talk to Chum Lee....

"yeah sorry, if you want the bumper you're going to need to buy the whole car"

[switzah]

IMO, you should repair or replace on your own. You can claim through your insurance company under your comprehensive coverage subject to your deductible. What people don't know is that in those cases, there is a possibility on subrogation the car who was negligent however it's hard to prove. Now, depending on how you word what happen will depend on if it covered under collision or comprehensive coverage. If an object on the road and you run it over, it could be covered as collision either at fault or not at fault with the deductible applying. Now if the object hits the road, bounces and hits your car then it's comprehensive.

As well, insurance companies will look for a used OEM part if replacing and then resort to getting new.

[Fack_Dude]

What's the problem spend 800.00 bucks and get it fixed. Fack insurance.

[shift8]

What's the problem spend 800.00 bucks and get it fixed. Fack insurance.

You sound rich. Do the guy a solid and pay for his new bumper. Tou saod $300 earlier and now it's $800. Help out before it hits $1950!

[Tahna Los]

Isn't it ironic advice has the word ice in it


As if to rub it in your face.

........:complain

[Tahna Los]

this. and a full bumper repair from a body shop is like... $300 for oem

I was quoted $500 for the bumper alone, OEM, not including labour.

Part of the reason I was wondering about insurance is that I heard some plans cover for windshield replacement when hit by stone chips. Okay we're talking about ice, not a stone, and a bumper, not a windshied, but just a little curious if anyone tried it before.

[silverstarmazda]

Maybe the OP should go to doms, and talk to Chum Lee....

"yeah sorry, if you want the bumper you're going to need to buy the whole car"

"if you want to buy that car u need to buy that entire row" LMAO man it just keeps getting better

[silverstarmazda]

I was quoted $500 for the bumper alone, OEM, not including labour.

Part of the reason I was wondering about insurance is that I heard some plans cover for windshield replacement when hit by stone chips. Okay we're talking about ice, not a stone, and a bumper, not a windshied, but just a little curious if anyone tried it before.

go around looking for reviews and quotes. also call up ur insurance and give them a "hypothetical scenario" and ask if ur covered

[TheMAN]

Can't post pics as I can't add attachments to this thread (and I don't want to create a photobucket account).

I had a friend take a look at it for me. The dent is the size of a basketball and it is really caved in. Some pieces from the inside of the bumper are sticking out and he's sure that the bumper is gone for.

Friend has also suggested looking at an aftermarket bumper but not sure if that will fit, I have heard some issues with aftermarket parts though, and he apparently doesn't trust a scrapyard as he doesn't know how a scrapyard tech would have removed the bumper in the first place...

photobucket sucks... there's better options out there such as picasa... I don't know why people continue to use and recommend that POS site

[cwp_sedan]

photobucket sucks... there's better options out there such as picasa... I don't know why people continue to use and recommend that POS site

Photobucket doesn't suck, if you use it correctly it works just fine.

[sube]

Photobucket doesn't suck, if you use it correctly it works just fine.

Tinypic is another easy to use option.

Pat.

[sube]

this. and a full bumper repair from a body shop is like... $300 for oem

I don't know where you find your information but it is usually wrong, an OEM bumper cover painted and installed at a body shop is more like $1000.

Pat.

[sube]

I was quoted $500 for the bumper alone, OEM, not including labour.

Part of the reason I was wondering about insurance is that I heard some plans cover for windshield replacement when hit by stone chips. Okay we're talking about ice, not a stone, and a bumper, not a windshied, but just a little curious if anyone tried it before.

Why don't you ask your insurance company what their policy is regarding this situation. I once had a truck toss a large rock from between it's rear wheels, it took out my windshield, hood, and A pillar. Damage was over 3 grand as the A pillar was so badly damaged it had to be cut out and replaced. Hood and windshield also were replaced It was covered under my comprehensive even though the truck never stopped, I had no license number and no witness.

Pat.

[TheMAN]

Photobucket doesn't suck, if you use it correctly it works just fine.

heavily javascript based when you need to use it or it forces viewers to go to the site... plus slow navigation
how does that not suck?

[TheMAN]

Why don't you ask your insurance company what their policy is regarding this situation. I once had a truck toss a large rock from between it's rear wheels, it took out my windshield, hood, and A pillar. Damage was over 3 grand as the A pillar was so badly damaged it had to be cut out and replaced. Hood and windshield also were replaced It was covered under my comprehensive even though the truck never stopped, I had no license number and no witness.

Pat.

I think his cheapest option is to park the car in a heated garage for a few hours then remove the bumper to "hair drier" the dent back out... it'll likely won't be 100% but it sure is much cheaper than replacing the bumper... he may have to spend some money on the bumper clips though that goes around the corners because they tend to break when you remove the bumper

[Fack_Dude]

You sound rich. Do the guy a solid and pay for his new bumper. Tou saod $300 earlier and now it's $800. Help out before it hits $1950!

Your funny, you blow your engine yet?

[silverstarmazda]

I don't know where you find your information but it is usually wrong, an OEM bumper cover painted and installed at a body shop is more like $1000.

Pat.

first hand experience. an oem bumper repaired, painted and installed is $300. aftermarket is $400. i dont know where you get $1000 from, your obviously getting ripped off by who ever your going to.

to OP: its your car and we all gave you suggestions. its not an immediate emergency, just looks like crap :P so take your time planning your next step and go on from there.

1)pop it out with a hair dryer for free. just wont be %100 and it takes tough love
2)contact your insurance to see if they can help, but there is a chance they might slip something on you
3) get a quote from a body shop and see what they can do. search for reputable body shops with plenty of reviews.
4) find a body shop that is going to charge you $1000 for no good reason at all and get it fixed.

[switzah]

This thread deserves this...http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/27/jyqymyja.jpg

[Stathakos]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jerry-omg.gif.pagespeed.ce.NBvvZripCB.gif

[switzah]

^ lol

[Tahna Los]

Of course I'm going to take my time. Car is still driveable, just has an ugly dent in it.

Insurance is out. I have a $500 deductible on my plan that would never cover the replacement of the bumper. I just didn't want to treat it as a collision and thought that it would qualify as foreign object damage the same way a broken windshield is. Just a thought.

Gonna have it checked out by a mechanic to see what other damage there is and wonder what my options are. The only question I haven't had answered is what is the quality of an aftermarket bumper?

[aZuMi]

So....where's the pics? Go to Velocity and ask for Barry for a quote.

[silverstarmazda]

quality depends on which one you buy. but its usually never a %100 fit when it comes to aftermarket unless your getting the reallllly high end stuff

heres the picture:

http://imageshack.us/a/img839/1948/34qe.jpg

honestly, get a hair dryer and pop it out and see where that gets you first! if your lucky itll come out pretty good

[switzah]

Just get an oem bumper so you don't have to deal with the am one

[TheMAN]

Of course I'm going to take my time. Car is still driveable, just has an ugly dent in it.

Insurance is out. I have a $500 deductible on my plan that would never cover the replacement of the bumper. I just didn't want to treat it as a collision and thought that it would qualify as foreign object damage the same way a broken windshield is. Just a thought.

Gonna have it checked out by a mechanic to see what other damage there is and wonder what my options are. The only question I haven't had answered is what is the quality of an aftermarket bumper?

you realise it costs way more than $500 just to replace a bumper right? bumper cost, plus paint, plus labour can easily make the repair cost $1000
just suck it up and hair drier the bumper back out... depending on where it is, you don't necessarily have to remove the bumper from the car... just have the car up in the air, remove the splash guards and carefully heat the outside up while you push it from behind.... a veteran bodyman can do this quick and pretty good where the damage will be almost unnoticable when done

what will really get your blood boiling is if you do get a new bumper, it'll get all chipped up in no time afterwards from all the crap on the roads... the front bumper takes a lot of abuse and never looks perfect on a daily driver, so is it really worth replacing it if the damage is minor and fixable?

[aZuMi]

you realise it costs way more than $500 just to replace a bumper right? bumper cost, plus paint, plus labour can easily make the repair cost $1000
just suck it up and hair drier the bumper back out... depending on where it is, you don't necessarily have to remove the bumper from the car... just have the car up in the air, remove the splash guards and carefully heat the outside up while you push it from behind.... a veteran bodyman can do this quick and pretty good where the damage will be almost unnoticable when done

what will really get your blood boiling is if you do get a new bumper, it'll get all chipped up in no time afterwards from all the crap on the roads... the front bumper takes a lot of abuse and never looks perfect on a daily driver, so is it really worth replacing it if the damage is minor and fixable?

$1000 is at the top of the price range, more likely to be $800-$900 max. But regardless, I agree to just get it fixed.

[sube]

[QUOTE=silverstarmazda;1148210]first hand experience. an oem bumper repaired, painted and installed is $300. aftermarket is $400. i dont know where you get $1000 from, your obviously getting ripped off by who ever your going to.Quote)


First define what you mean by repaired, second in your world aftermarket is more expensive than OEM. In the real world it is usually aftermarket that is the cheap alternative.

And far from being ripped off $1000 is the average price for an OEM bumper cover painted and installed.

Pat.

[Hotsky]

More like $1500! that's what I was told at a dealership in Guelph... I have a hole in my bumper from a trailer hitch, luckily it was dead center so I replaced the LP cover and got new places and it's as good as new lol

[shift8]

Your funny, you blow your engine yet?

Woah. That escalated quickly.

[McGuyver_3]

$1000 is at the top of the price range, more likely to be $800-$900 max. But regardless, I agree to just get it fixed.

To get it done properly the fenders will be blended along with the hood so it all looks even. Then you are easy 1000$ or more
Now if you simply get a used bumper from the scrap yard and get it painted maybe you will get away with 800-900$. I have been through this before when I upgraded my bumpers


[QUOTE=silverstarmazda;1148210]first hand experience. an oem bumper repaired, painted and installed is $300. aftermarket is $400. i dont know where you get $1000 from, your obviously getting ripped off by who ever your going to.Quote)

First define what you mean by repaired, second in your world aftermarket is more expensive than OEM. In the real world it is usually aftermarket that is the cheap alternative.

And far from being ripped off $1000 is the average price for an OEM bumper cover painted and installed.

Pat.

Not true in every instance. If you price OEM to aftermarket on many different products aftermarket is more expensive. Sometimes by a few dollars sometimes by a much larger difference. In certain instances aftermarket is cheaper but the aftermarket stuff is always a pain as it never fits right. Unless you are lucky and manage to find the manufacturer of your part without the car manufacturers logo on it. Then it is still OEM but aftermarket and a bucket load cheaper

[Tahna Los]

So my mechanic managed to pull the dented fender back into place. It looks a lot better now, there is now a softball sized indentation on the driver's side of the bumper, and the driver's side grille appears to be loose from the inside (don't know if it can be snapped back into place). We also found another dent on the passenger side of same bumper, possibly from the same impact as the ice.

So for now, the bumper replacement will be on hold, the damage isn't that bad so I can live with it for now. Just some cosmetic fixing here and there and it won't be the same as new, but better than before. Thanks for the viewpoints, guys.

[TheMAN]

the grille might be able to snap back on... you should wait till it's warmer as plastic gets brittle in the cold

in the future... it is advisable NOT to follow tractor trailers, and if you must don't follow them close... at least a bus length behind is recommended because they kick up so much crap on the road... passing them is what I recommend when you have opportunity.... when you do pass, pass them as quickly as possible... don't be halfway through and chicken out, slowing down or slowly passing them from that point.. it is very dangerous because anything that falls off the truck or if they have to swerve, your car is going to be a crushed tin can... I've seen people freak out and either not pass trucks or pass too slowly.... pass them as quickly as possible!!! fear is the enemy!

[Tahna Los]

I was quite a ways behind the truck. The problem was that I was in the far right lane and could not move due to another truck to my left. I made actions to go into the shoulder but it wasn't enough and the ice smacked into the bumper. I always make efforts to pass a truck for precisely that reason, just that this time, this one had a surprise for me before I could appropriately pass it......

[CloudPump]

I'll preface my response with: I didn't read everyone's responses.

I'm reading your description of what happened as: "Ice flew off truck and into my car" if thats' the case:

On the insurance angle of this... claim away! If you have full coverage (collision/comprehensive or all perils) this scenario will be covered by the "missiles" (yes, missiles) portion of your comprehensive (all perils) coverage. You will be requried to pay your comp deductible (or all perils deductible) but this is not considered an at-fault loss and will not be used in future premium determination.

-Geoff

(now if the ice fell off the truck and came to a stop on the ground as a chunk and you hit it... different story)

[Tahna Los]

Thanks, CloudPump. As much as I would like to make a claim there are a couple of things:

1) I have a $500 deductible.
2) I haven't received a quote for a replacement bumper yet. I don't know how much it would be but if it is not significantly more than $500, I'm not sure if there is any point to getting a claim.
3) I don't have any descriptors of the truck that shed the ice other than it was an Allied moving truck. No plate number, sorry, and my mistake (as I said, I didn't know how bad the damage was until I pulled over at a Walmart several minutes later)

[cwp_sedan]

heavily javascript based when you need to use it or it forces viewers to go to the site... plus slow navigation
how does that not suck?

You can hot-link right to the image, so I'm not sure how any different it is compared to any other image hosting site. I've used it for years and never had a problem.


:OT

[TheMAN]

you didn't have to reply about it again if you wanted to stay on topic ;)
but when you copy the direct URL of the image, it only works when you're using it to post a pic on a forum... when you share the URL with someone else such as through IM, their stupid site knows that you're loading it directly and forces you onto their site... other image hosting sites DO NOT DO THAT

[CloudPump]

Thanks, CloudPump. As much as I would like to make a claim there are a couple of things:

1) I have a $500 deductible.
2) I haven't received a quote for a replacement bumper yet. I don't know how much it would be but if it is not significantly more than $500, I'm not sure if there is any point to getting a claim.
3) I don't have any descriptors of the truck that shed the ice other than it was an Allied moving truck. No plate number, sorry, and my mistake (as I said, I didn't know how bad the damage was until I pulled over at a Walmart several minutes later)

1) A new bumper with paint will be more than $500
2) Mostly answered in 1), however only you can decide how much over $500 is worth your time.
3) You don't need any information from the vehicle from which the ice flew off.

-Geoff