Hey Guys and Gals- I am sooo bummed. I just noticed that I have some damage to my precious 9 month old Prius. From the look and location of the damage, which is located under the driver-side, front bumper, it was probably caused by one of the many, many driveways we all exit through. I think I may even remember which one it was. This zinger of a driveway exit is located at my local supermarket. I usually try to enter and exit driveways at an angle as to prevent this kind of damage, but, mostly to save my alignment. Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions as to what my options are to get this repaired? Should I replace the bumper at some point? What would that cost roughly? Or should I just not worry about it? I baby the heck out of my car, much to my girlfriends chagrin, now I have this.... Enclosed is a picture. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
I have damaged our Prius in the same general area, only more extensive. Happily, the bumper is plastic. I expect to bang it up some more over the next year or two, and then will think about replacing it from a junk yard. After all, it is a *bumper*, right ?
That it is, Eric. I'm just so anal-rententively obsessed with my car looking perfect. I want it to look brand new, 24/7 as long as I can help it. Sorry if that sounds strange, but, hey, it's a bitchen car.
I haven't looked but maybe that black valance is separate. If not I bet you can polish the plastic to minimize the look and make it all black again.
Hurry, drive your car to France. Park it on the street, and in one day just turn it in as total loss to fire. Collect insurance and get a whole new car.
Harper, I know it looks bad but it is in an area that is really not too obvious. I had a similar scratch on my bumper and removed most of it with fine rubbing compound and used touch-uppaint on the rest and it is not noticable. Check out this site for touch-up paint. http://www.brandsports.com/paint_code.php
You don't have to drive so far. Parking the car in a ghetto at any major US city will have the same effect.
Use a sponge with a rough edge (e.g. kitchen sponge) and some water. That'll get most of it off. The mark will be there but it'll be hard to see. I had a similar mark but this one is because my brother scratched the side of the car against the garage when backing in. That method of water and sponge seemed to get most of it off. Now it's just a "clear" scratch rather than a white one.
That hillary idea was a good one, but rather don't use a sticker. Just run over her with that corner of the car and trade out that scrape for one that will get you national hero status.
I really feel for you, Harper. Last Friday night -- cold, wet, and rainy -- backing out of a parking space with a high curb I couldn't see, I got a deep scratch in the same place but on the other side. Just over 6 months old, just under 10,000 miles, and my beautiful Silver Cloud is tattered and worn. I just keep telling myself, It's ONLY a car! but I know exactly how you feel!
Hi Bill, I know you have the 3M Protection Film on your front bumper. Did it minimize the damage? Oswaldo
Ouch I understand I still have that little dent on the passenger side rear door with a bit of red paint on it. I would like CSI to analyze the paint chip and find the perp and put him or her in a hurt locker FoooorEvvvvver!!
i have a similiar mark... mine aint that big but mine happened from parking in a hole at a picnic. pulled in a parked and didnt realize i was in one...not too deep mind you. now if i would have backed out, i would have been fine, but i plowed forward and there was a rock about the size of a softball on the other side so i heard it scrape and the rest is history... it is plastic but mine does have a small amount of deformity. i cried for days... but then i realized that if i didnt look at it, i didnt notice it and after all... i was still getting 60 mpg... so it didnt hurt the car none
I could only wish that would work. Unfortunately, my damage has deep grooves in the bumper. If only I could wipe it off with a sponge and water. Thanks for thew tip though. Geez, I love this site and the people on it....
i have a bra on mine- the one time i bottomed out on a bad driveway the vinyl took all the damage. as far as your car goes, looks like it's time for a very nit-picky job with some touch-up paint to me.
Paint scrapes deposited from another car are pretty easy to remove. Start with clay, and if that doesn't work, move up to a mild polish. I've used Menzerna Intensive Polish and a Porter Cable 7424 to get white paint off the bumper of another vehicle, but it could just as easily be done with Meguiar's ScratchX and some elbow grease.
Take it to a detailer and see what they can do with a buffer, I've repaired worse just with my Porter Cable to where it looks MUCH better. I bet you can reduce it to where it won't bother you anymore in that spot. The only other option is to have it repainted completely which would cost between $300-$800 probably.
