Dude21 Posted December 10, 2021 Posted December 10, 2021 You know the typical problem of curb stops sometimes pulling on the bumper. Oddly a dealer repaired front bumper came apart about 6 months after repair work. It looks like glue was used to hold the bumper to the fender. A plastic part that is attached to the fender via a bolt appears to be broken and has dried "glue. The plastic part is loose, only attached by the bolt (next to my fingers) and I'm able to wiggle it. I think prevents the bumper from securing properly to the fender as well as a few broken clips. Appears the vibrations were enough to knock out the left front sensor too, I can see it loose behind the bumper. The 2nd photo is from the wheel well, appears the bumper itself has a damaged clip-point. There should be workable, no? (also replace the clip anyway?) Is it easy to get the part numbers of the clips and the plastic part? This should be an easy fix and not interested in paying Lexus $1000 to fix this. I also assume I can get the parts from a Toyota dealer for a 2017 Camry to get a better price.
RX400h Posted December 10, 2021 Posted December 10, 2021 The best way to ensure failure of a glue joint is to NOT thoroughly clean the surfaces that are bonded together. Sometimes mechanical abrasion of the surfaces is also required after liquid (alcohol, perhaps) cleaning and prior to another liquid cleaning. You could get the part number of the clips on a website like this one: Front Bumper & Bumper Stay - 2017 Lexus ES350 (lexuspartsnow.com) Then you can order them this way or call your closest dealership (not sure if the Camry clips are the same) to see if you can pick them up there. I think it's worth a try to repair it, yourself.
Dude21 Posted December 11, 2021 Author Posted December 11, 2021 Thanks for the link. It's a start. I'll need to pull the part out to confirm the part number. There is a Toyota dealership 5mins from where I live. The 2017 ES 350 and Camry have very much the same style of bumper and fenders, even the front air vents... these design parts looks different but should functionally fit, it keeps their costs down when they only change a few external parts. So the bumper *IS* supposed to be glued to that lose part? What kind of glue is it?
RX400h Posted December 12, 2021 Posted December 12, 2021 That's a good question. I am not certain. A Lexus parts person should be able to tell by the factory assembly drawing 1
Dude21 Posted December 14, 2021 Author Posted December 14, 2021 Yep, the photos I took did the trick. The part is a "retainer" that's about $55.64, about $6 more than from Toyota. Also got replacement clips and pins for that area, from $1~5 each. Turns out the map search was wrong, easier to simply get the parts from the Lexus dealer which *IS* closer to my home. :)
Dude21 Posted March 28, 2022 Author Posted March 28, 2022 Update about the repair. There is some unseen damage to the bumper up near the driver side headlamp, making it difficult for a snug fit. But not looking at perfection when it saves $1200+. The bumper is not secured to the fender because it's clip has been ripped off from the fender-bender. Its way past too late to complain about the repairs through insurance/body shop who should have replaced the bumper properly rather than jerryrig the repair. Recap: Big hollow clip built into the bumper is completely gone. A white plastic "squarish" thing holds the two parts together, a bolt "locks" it into place. Part of the edge that goes along the headlamp has a "lip" - about 1" of it is also missing. I'd say 20% of its "clipping power" is lost there, but the main one is between the metal fender and the rubber bumper. Here is my idea on how to "fix" the bumper for now". 1- Epoxy a metal L-bracket to the bumper, aligned with the metal fender's bracket. it has a slot for a bolt, etc. Maybe use a locking washer too. 2- Bolt the two parts after pushing the bumper into the headlamp and other clips. 3- optional. Attach another L-backet to help prevent the bumper from pulling out. I can't epoxy this 2nd L bracket to the first L-bracket because then, it would be very difficult to remove the bumper, a bolt wouldn't really be needed. 4- I hope to find a bolt that's as wide as the lexus square slot. Drawing below shows 1) how it used to look lie. 2) broken. 3) Jerryrig patch. *I though I took photos from the good passenger side to show what it's supposed to look like. *sigh* Photos: 0 = showing how the bumper easily pops off, but mostly near the wheel well. 1 = Show the gap around the headlamp. 2 = showing the metal "clip" on the fender with its square hole for the attachment part to hold them together. With the bracket I'm looking at using, the original Lexus part won't fit.
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