Slight Impression In Bumper Plastic

[LVL61]

Yesterday a transit bus backed up in my front bumper while my car was parked. I was able to buff out the scuff marks with Nu-Finish Scratch Remover. The paint is perfect but there's a slight impression mark in the plastic. It's barely visible and most people wouldn't notice it but... as you can imagine it's a magnet for my eyes. (the car only has 3000 miles and it's my baby's first scratch.) Anyway do you think the dealer can make the surface perfectly flat again? I'm thinking that the plastic can be pushed out from behind after heating with a heat gun. Thoughts?

Cheers

[mhawkin1]

Anything can be done if you throw enough money at it. ;)

If you get it fixed something else will happen.

This was my justification for not having my entire front bumper repainted (that, and my distain for aftermarket paint – as evidenced in other posts :) ) after I received two tiny chips before I had my clear bra applied. I just touched them up and moved on….. which was hard… but I lived to tell the tale.

[jbeidl]

Yesterday a transit bus backed up in my front bumper while my car was parked. I was able to buff out the scuff marks with Nu-Finish Scratch Remover. The paint is perfect but there's a slight impression mark in the plastic. It's barely visible and most people wouldn't notice it but... as you can imagine it's a magnet for my eyes. (the car only has 3000 miles and it's my baby's first scratch.) Anyway do you think the dealer can make the surface perfectly flat again? I'm thinking that the plastic can be pushed out from behind after heating with a heat gun. Thoughts?

Cheers

If you are speaking of the two dimples near the center of the bumper, all ES350's have them. They are used as locating points for the front license plate bracket (that is where the two screws go).

John

[LVL61]

Yesterday a transit bus backed up in my front bumper while my car was parked. I was able to buff out the scuff marks with Nu-Finish Scratch Remover. The paint is perfect but there's a slight impression mark in the plastic. It's barely visible and most people wouldn't notice it but... as you can imagine it's a magnet for my eyes. (the car only has 3000 miles and it's my baby's first scratch.) Anyway do you think the dealer can make the surface perfectly flat again? I'm thinking that the plastic can be pushed out from behind after heating with a heat gun. Thoughts?

Cheers

If you are speaking of the two dimples near the center of the bumper, all ES350's have them. They are used as locating points for the front license plate bracket (that is where the two screws go).

John

I live in a province of Canada where front license plates are required, so those dimples are behind the plate. The marks are on the lower portion of the outer edge of the left bumper. But already, I dont' seem to notice them as much. Life goes on. Still love my ES!

[SW03ES]

Unfortunately there isn't anything you can do but refinish the entire bumper and repair that area. I have a couple indents like that in my bumper where people have barely bumped me over the years and theres nothing that can be done...

[earossi]

The bumper covers are made from polyurethane which is a plastic that has a "memory". Since the paint is fine, you can simply take a heat gun and heat the area, and the dipple may just ease itself out. Other wise, the bumper cover will have to be removed from the bumper so that you can reach the back side of the cover. Then use the heat gun to heat up the area (it really does not take much heat to do this). And, while heating the cover from the outside, reach on the backside of the cover and push out the dimple with your finger. It's really that easy.

[LexPaul]

LVL61,

I can certainly understand your concern....this is a car you want to baby...I feel the same way about mine...I just got mine about 2 weeks ago....and I'm watching every detail. I guess at the end of day you have to decide to get it fixed or not...if it was me...I would take it to the dealer and let them 'tighten it up.....Cheers... :D

[LexPaul]

LVL61,

I can certainly understand your concern....this is a car you want to baby...I feel the same way about mine...I just got mine about 2 weeks ago....and I'm watching every detail. I guess at the end of day you have to decide to get it fixed or not...if it was me...I would take it to the dealer and let them 'tighten it up'.....Cheers... :D

Also I would not try to do the work myself...Did you file a claim against the bus driver??....if not you can still file a claim.....don't delay....a police report should have filed...that way the city transit would be reponsible....GL