I gouged the upper surface of the rear bumper unloading my mountain bike from through the rear hatch. Is there a protective cover for the top of the rear bumper to keep this from happening again?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Doc Willie @ Jun 28 2007, 08:56 AM) [snapback]469429[/snapback]</div> There's an applique, and there is a black rubber bumper. Both of which are OEM... I think that the black rubber bumper is available through the Prius Accessories link.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Doc Willie @ Jun 28 2007, 09:56 AM) [snapback]469429[/snapback]</div> Search for "bumper applique" - it's a $65 Toyota OEM part your dealer should carry. Ours came with it as standard. Sorry about your scratch.
Buy the black plastic bumper protector. It goes on with double-sided tape and is easy to install. It looks great and does a better job of protecting the bumper than the applique. Basically, the applique is just 3M InvisiShield. It is an absolute PITA to install and would probably not have protected against a gouge from a bike. IMHO, it doesn't look very good either.
Click on to prius accessories on this site and you can order there. The cost is $36 and shipping is free.
When I had my 3M clear bra installed on the front the vehicle, I also had them run a strip along the entire flat (horizontal) surface of the rear bumper. The installer even wrapped the clear film around the corners (about 1/2" below the top leading edge). It's completely invisible and offers much better protection from scuffs & dings than most people think. If you like the look of the bumper as is and don't want to put something on your paint that will result in uneven oxidation (color fade) in the years to come, then a clear film is definitely the way to go. Good luck!
