Although we are delighted to learn that the 2008 Prius we have been waiting for is supposed to arrive at our dealer soon, we have just learned that someone at the port of entry stuck a Rear Bumper Applique (option EF) on the car - something we never wanted and never ordered. (It’s the clear plastic one, not the heavier black one.) We want the appliqué removed and are hoping that there may be forum members who can tell us if there is a safe way to remove it without damaging the paint. If anyone has had experience removing this appliqué, whether you did it yourself or had your dealership do it for you, we would very much appreciate knowing whether you are satisfied with the results. We’re waiting to hear whether our dealership has ever removed these appliqués, but we trust forum members to give us the best advice on whether this actually can be done successfully. Thanks for any thoughts you can send our way.
Mine came with one also. Why do you want to remove it. I figure it is easier to leave it then to try to remove it.
We just usually don't go with cars that have decals, pinstripes, etc., which is why we were frustrated to find out we got this particular unrequested "accessory." We're just hoping to restore the car to the way we wanted it in the first place. It's definitely a personal thing. So although you can't answer our original question, have you found any practical use for it? Is it holding up? And it may turn out that removing it and resealing and rewaxing isn't a viable option - which is what we're hoping forum members can help us figure out.
You really can't see it unless you look right at it. It sits ontop of the bumper. I just went and looked at it. You can see the word Prius in it, I had not noticed that before. It has been on the car since March. It appears to be completely attached and not coming up anywhere. I hope it comes off clean for you.
Our new 2008 came with the Rear Bumper Applique too. The car is magnetic Grey. You can barely see the applique. It might be more obvious on a different color car. I feel the same about decals, pinstripes, etc. We didn't want the dealer to put any of their own dealership stickers or decals (advertisements) on the car either. But the bumper applique really isn't bad at all. Why don't you wait to see it before deciding.
I almost paid $100 or whatever to ADD the appliqué. It's not really cosmetic, it's to protect the rear bumper from scratches and scrapes when you're moving items in and out of the trunk. If I were you, I'd keep it and thank my lucky stars that I got it for free.
I have never had one in my hand, but being in the auto body business for 40 years I have worked with similar materials. You may have to wait till summer, or put it in a heated garage. Then with a Hair Dryer warm up an edge area and get your finger under and start pealing back, DO NOT pull up at a 90 degree to the surface, pull it back over its self. Keep slowly warming and pulling back. Be carefull not to get the paint to hot, it could dis-color or peel. The bumpers are painted in a different process than the body and does not adhere as well. Personally I would just leave it.
I agree with the others that it's a good thing to have. My car didn't come with it but I put one on shortly after buying it. I've carried a lot of stuff in the hatchback, and the appliqué has done its job protecting the top of the rear bumper from things I've dropped on it or dragged across it.
I agree with Jim, mine didn't come with one either, but I got one for Christmas and its in the closet waiting for the snow to stop so I can install it. Meanwhile, I have a couple of nasty scratches on the bumper that I could have avoided if the car had come with one installed. It's a very good protective feature. Sorry, but I too have no idea how to remove it.
Mine did not hold up, after a couple of scratches I covered it with the heavier Matrix bumper protector. The one from the Prius Shop is even better as it protects the edge of the bumper as well as the top.
I remove rear dealership decals immediately from every car/truck I buy. There were SOME dealerships I'd sooner recommend to my enemies than cart their names around on my vehicles. Try the hair dryer technique. If there's any gum after removal, use fingernail polish remover (non-acetone) to clean the sticky stuff off then wash with soapy water and rinse.
WD-40 is also very good at removing adhesive residue. I have used it on many surfaces and never found it to be harmful.
My Super White 2007 came with one - I removed it very slowly using a heat gun. It came off very easily; just do not get the heat gun too close to the paint. The decal just needs to be warm not necessarily hot. I am totally with you on not wanting that 'decal' on my car.
Just wanted to thank all of you for your quick responses and observations - pro, con and in between! We really appreciate the time you took to share your experiences and perspectives and it’s good to learn that the appliqué can be removed safely. Our dealer isn’t charging us for it and is giving us the option to have it removed or not. Based on your information and suggestions, we’re comfortable with being able to decide when we actually see it on the car. So thanks again for your help. Thanks also to whoever let this thread stay active (or we wouldn’t have been able to benefit from the information members were good enough to provide). We’ve visited the Modifications forum many times and the info there is great. But we went with the Main Forum because we’re basically new buyers who found themselves in a situation that other new buyers may have experienced and needed their help on how to sort through it. And help they did!
I have the factory piece and it took two tries. The first was defective and removed during installation. The Prius is a scratch magnet. IMO you'll want something on the rear bumper and on the leading surfaces. The primer is white so scratches so quickly if you have a darker color.
I got one without asking too but am OK with it (though I have similar feelings on ads, bumper stickers, etc...) as a previous car without a shield got scratched badly just by sitting in a slightly dirty bumper...the Prius lettering barely shows on my dark blue car
