$813 to fix a scrape on the rear bumper

[JulesMaximus]

So, our Lexus is in the shop getting some extremely minor damage to the front bumper repaired (woman backed into our car while it was parked and she left a note). We had some minor damage on the rear bumper from my wife not pulling far enough into the garage and one of the hinges on the garage door scraped the rear bumper while it was closing.

We figured we would get that fixed while the car was in for the front end damage. Well, they gave us a quote of $813 to repair and repaint the rear bumper. Does that seem reasonable?

Our deductible is $500 so I'm hesitant to submit a claim for fear they'll raise our rates. My initial though is to just pay the body shop for the full amount of the repair and be done with it. Thoughts?

At least we don't have to pay for the rental car, the other person's insurance is paying for that.

 

[Tweak155]

Depending how bad the damage is, I'd just keep the $800. No way I'd make a claim for it that's for dang sure.

I've had some places work with me if they know I'm paying and I pay by cash / check. Might be worth asking. At minimum get at least one more estimate... they shouldn't up it just because you decide to get another quote.

If the convenience of just getting it done all at once is worth anything to you, though, I don't think $800 is way way out there. At least not for a quality job.

 

[nk215]

That's about right for a body shop. They'll respray the entire bumper, not just a little spot. That's the correct way of doing it.

To save some more, you can contact many traveling repaint/touch up van. These guys will respray about 1/3 of the bumper and will charge you $300 or so. They also do things correctly. They are the one get called into dealership to touch up cars' scratches after transportation.

The worst type of fix would be air brush. This is what many shady used car dealer do. The fix is very localized and you can't tell the different for 2-3 years. After that, the new paint may peel off.

 

[LTC8K6]

Also, some paint colors and types are way more expensive than others.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Depending how bad the damage is, I'd just keep the $800. No way I'd make a claim for it that's for dang sure.

I've had some places work with me if they know I'm paying and I pay by cash / check. Might be worth asking. At minimum get at least one more estimate... they shouldn't up it just because you decide to get another quote.

If the convenience of just getting it done all at once is worth anything to you, though, I don't think $800 is way way out there. At least not for a quality job.

Well, the car is leased and I'm not sure if we're going to turn it in at the end of the lease or buy it. Not sure how much Lexus would ding us but the damage is very noticeable.

Also, some paint colors and types are way more expensive than others.

Nebula Grey Pearl... probably one of the more expensive colors.

 

[SSSnail]

You have a picture of this damage?

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Is there a BumperMedic by you? I had some work done by them a while ago and it was very cheap in comparison.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You have a picture of this damage?

I do not.

It kind of looks like this but fewer of them and deeper, they gouged into the plastic of the bumper.

More like this but two gouges about 3-4" long.

 

[SSSnail]

Yeah, that's a bit steep, but not by much. You're probably within a hundred bucks variation.

 

[sontakke]

why not wait until the time comes to return the vehicle and fix all the damage which might occur from now until that time?

 

[JulesMaximus]

why not wait until the time comes to return the vehicle and fix all the damage which might occur from now until that time?

There won't be anymore damage if I can help it. It's only a few months away anyway.

Plus, I figure it's best to get it taken care of now while the other insurance company is picking up the rental car bill.

Edit-Just confirmed that they are going to repair the scratch damage and then repaint the entire rear bumper. They will also replace the clear adhesive bumper protector on the top of the bumper with a new one.

 

[thesmokingman]

I do not.

It kind of looks like this but fewer of them and deeper, they gouged into the plastic of the bumper.

More like this but two gouges about 3-4" long.

A local shop that I'm in good with wanted $650 to do my wifes bumper. It looks like the last pic. We got it for less, I think 500 because we were in there for other insurance damage and they knocked off more cuz they could do it all at the same time. 800 seems high... er but it's not crazy. They have to paint match and blend so it is somewhat of a pain to pull off.

 

[JulesMaximus]

A local shop that I'm in good with wanted $650 to do my wifes bumper. It looks like the last pic. We got it for less, I think 500 because we were in there for other insurance damage and they knocked off more cuz they could do it all at the same time. 800 seems high... er but it's not crazy. They have to paint match and blend so it is somewhat of a pain to pull off.

They aren't blending anything. They are painting the entire bumper.

Should look good as new when it is completed.

 

[thesmokingman]

They aren't blending anything. They are painting the entire bumper.

Should look good as new when it is completed.

Be careful though. Paint fades or changes color, exposure etc. Just getting the right color key won't address if the paint is faded or other especially with metallics. Just pointing that out.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Be careful though. Paint fades or changes color, exposure etc. Just getting the right color key won't address if the paint is faded or other especially with metallics. Just pointing that out.

The car is only 2 years old and garage kept. Plus, we get it detailed periodically so the color should match pretty well. The shop was recommended by Lexus too.

 

[NutBucket]

I don't think blending is needed given bumpers tend to be slightly off from the sheetmetal anyway. It's something I notice even on new cars.

 

[SSSnail]

Be careful though. Paint fades or changes color, exposure etc. Just getting the right color key won't address if the paint is faded or other especially with metallics. Just pointing that out.

Good paint shop will account for color fade, emphasis on good.

I don't think blending is needed given bumpers tend to be slightly off from the sheetmetal anyway. It's something I notice even on new cars.

Yup.

 

[thesmokingman]

Good paint shop will account for color fade, emphasis on good.


Yup.

No shit. That doesn't mean after a 100 test sprays it will come out with a perfect match. There are way too many variables from paint brands, to humidity, to gov mandates on type of paint, etc. Blending is not a shortcut, no matter how special you may think yore painter is.

 

[boomerang]

My advice which is a bit of a compilation of advice given.

Get it fixed. They're going to nail you at lease turn-in and it's better to be proactive than have to pay a price that they determine.

Do NOT run it through your insurance. It will be on your record for 5 years (at least in my state it would be) and it will affect your premiums.

Tell the shop you were going to pay in cash but the cost seems a little steep. Is there anything they can do in that regard?

With the amount of work involved, that doesn't sound too bad though. Tell the shop that it is a lease and do they think the results would be satisfactory if they repaired the gouges and painted the rear fascia in place. That might save you an hour or so of labor. But, they may feel their reputation is on the line and will only paint it off the vehicle.

 

[vi edit]

I'd wait till it was time to turn in the car and see what they ding you. It might not be as bad as you think. I had a 16" long scrape on the side of a leased Mazda and a small dent under it and it was only a $200 charge on the lease ending. No way I could have a shop do it for that cheap. I just ate the cost and walked away.

 

[boomerang]

I'd wait till it was time to turn in the car and see what they ding you. It might not be as bad as you think. I had a 16" long scrape on the side of a leased Mazda and a small dent under it and it was only a $200 charge on the lease ending. No way I could have a shop do it for that cheap. I just ate the cost and walked away.

What if they'd said it was $1800? It's kind of a crap shoot I'd say. If they come up with a price you think is excessive, what do you do, extend the lease a month, get estimates and then have the car in the shop for a week or more getting it fixed?

I've been leasing since 1990. In the beginning the dealer did the inspections and they wanted to make a sale. Virtually nothing would ding you. Then, it got turned over to an outside firm who were stickler's but not nazi's. I had one lease through USBank and their inspector was a real SOB. Multi page checklist getting into minutiae like I never would have imagined. He inspected the weatherstrip around the door openings to give you an idea of the extremes he had to go through. I stood next to the car and watched him perform the inspection having been tipped off on how extensive it was going to be.

There is no blanket statements that can be made, it's all in the details surrounding the manufacturer and the lease holder. The best case scenario would be if there is a process by which the car can be inspected prior to turn-in so you have time to make a decision. And some of them do offer that.

I leased a car through a broker and he drove the new one to me and drove away the old one. Mind you, I take care of my cars and pride myself on turning them in as nice as they were when I received them. I later get notified that there is a stone chip in the windshield that necessitates a replacement of the windshield at a cost of $300. There was no stone chip when I turned it over to the driver and in fact, I had full glass coverage on the car with no deductible. There is no way I would have turned the car in with a windshield that needed replacement when I could have had it replaced at no charge.

This started a three month pissing match between myself and the leasing company. The broker told me to piss off right at the beginning. I eventually won, but it was a real PITA dealing with their bureaucracy.

Dropping the car off at the dealership doesn't work for me anymore, I tell them I want to be present at the inspection.

 

[vi edit]

Mazda did an inspection about a month out from the lease end date. That gave time to do any work that needed to be done. Toyota did the same for me. I could take it in to the dealer for an assessment a couple weeks ahead of the termination and get an idea of where I was with things. All of my leases were through the car manf. No third party ones.

 

[boomerang]

Mazda did an inspection about a month out from the lease end date. That gave time to do any work that needed to be done. Toyota did the same for me. I could take it in to the dealer for an assessment a couple weeks ahead of the termination and get an idea of where I was with things. All of my leases were through the car manf. No third party ones.

Excellent! :thumbsup:

 

[nedfunnell]

Throw a sticker over it.

 

[SSSnail]

No shit. That doesn't mean after a 100 test sprays it will come out with a perfect match. There are way too many variables from paint brands, to humidity, to gov mandates on type of paint, etc. Blending is not a shortcut, no matter how special you may think yore painter is.

Why are you so angry? My post was actually less "obvious" than yours was, from a "no shit" point of view.