Bumper backed into, 6 inch scratch, estime too much?

S

slov98

New member
An elderly person backed into me while backing up, she asked me to get an estimate before calling my insurance company..I received two estimates, $350 and $400. They both said they would remove the bumper, paint the scratched area and clearcoat the whole bumper. It seems too much to me, I don't have any experience in this area but should I just ask for some amount from the person? maybe she will pay the $350 I don't know but I 'd prefer not to have the bumper taken off and putback, is it going to be as tight as OEM?



The car is 2003 Camry white. Would it be difficult for me to fix it? I'm attaching the image. Thanks for your help, I'm sorry for the huge image







scratch.jpg
 
hmm yea, i doubt that could be buffed out. and using touch up paint won't be fun at all. as long as the painter knows how to remove the bumper and put it back in, then you should be fine. i say just find a good paint guy.
 
If her insurance is paying... get it done right! You have to remeber that eventhough it appears to be a scratch in the paint... waht is under the bumper could be damaged. Most car manufacturers use a plastic honeycombed material or styrofoam under the bumper cover to help dissipate the impact from a collision. If this disspiating material is damaged, and the car gets hit again... it won't be able to absorb the impact, which means the unibody structure could be compromised.
 
Gonzo0903 said:
If her insurance is paying... get it done right! You have to remeber that eventhough it appears to be a scratch in the paint... waht is under the bumper could be damaged. Most car manufacturers use a plastic honeycombed material or styrofoam under the bumper cover to help dissipate the impact from a collision. If this disspiating material is damaged, and the car gets hit again... it won't be able to absorb the impact, which means the unibody structure could be compromised.
Click to expand...



that's just a deep scratch and very unlikely to effect anything under the bumper cover. The cover is a urethane material and it's necessary to take the cover off to paint it properly. $350.00 to $450.00 seems reasonable as it's almost impossible for a body shop to pull out a paint gun and do any kind of repair for less than $500.00. I would take the estimate to the lady and give her a chance to pay it. If she doesn't want to pay out of pocket, then let her turn it over to her insurance to cover it.
 
thanks for your responses, I'll call her tomorrow. There are no dents, so I don't think there is any damage inside but I'll tell them to check it anyway, two of the plastic pins holding up the bumper are a little loose.
 
Just what is your deductable (the amount you pay on repairs before any insurance kicks in) on that car?



It's easier to paint bumpers off the car cause you don't have to worry about getting overspray/paint on the rest of the vehicle. They come off and on relatively easy.
 
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