Bumper repair in Bryn Mawr

Repair or replace?

Many cracks, tears and scuffs in a plastic cover can be repaired and refinished. A cover usually needs replacing when mounting tabs have broken off, a tear runs through a sensor mount, the plastic is stretched over a large area, or repair would cost more than a new one. We’ll tell you which yours needs, and why.

What’s behind the cover

• Reinforcement bar: the metal beam that takes the hit. Most manufacturers call for a bent one to be replaced.
• Energy absorber: foam that crushes in a low-speed impact and doesn’t spring back.
• Brackets and clips: small, easy to miss, and the reason a repaired bumper sometimes sits crooked.
• Sensors: parking sensors, blind-spot radar and front radar for cruise control and emergency braking.

Sensors mean calibration

If your bumper holds a radar unit, replacing the cover or moving the sensor usually means recalibrating it. We do that in our own shop, so the car leaves ready to drive.

Insurance, or pay yourself?

A lot of bumper damage costs less than, or not much more than, a typical deductible. Get the written estimate first, then decide. If another driver hit you, it belongs on their insurance.