Okay this sucks ...

My TL was rear ended last month so I was given a Ford Explorer. Today i backed up into a knee high fence pole (the type for chicken wire, etc) and it split the bumper when I drove foward. The rear bumper cover will definately need replacement. The problem is my TL will be ready this monday and that will not give me enough time to swap out the cover myself. Should I keep the explorer until I can replace the cover ($37 day) or should I just turn it back it and see what they charge me?

And no, I did not get their rental insurance but my auto insurance should cover.

 

How much damage are we talking? Sometimes rental agencies don't even notice - I rent bi-monthly and never had them look over the return....But I also never have damaged the rental...hehehehe at least never got caught!

 

I don't think they will miss this damage ....http://home.austin.rr.com/jpadilla/rental/


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Just turn it in and let your insurance pay it.

 

two words. "Super Glue."

 

GLUE...and return at night...j/k

 

Fess up and be helpful... you never know what kind of favors they might can do as long as you are honest.

 

your going to have to replace the whole rear bumperskin

i think you should just return it and use the $37 towards a new rear skin, just make sure they dont rip you off.

 

New cover and paint will probably cost like 400-500 bucks. Turn it in and let them know that it was a simple mistake; shit happens. Call your insurance company and ask them how it works before you go in, though. That way, you decrease the chances of possibly getting screwed at the rental office.

 

I split the rear bumper on one of my own cars a few years back, I epoxied it together and it really didn't look too bad. Try some glue and touch up paint and if it doesn't look too bad return it at night! Probably wouldn't hurt to get a couple of estimates and see how much it's actually should cost you.

 

If your deductible is 500 then your going to pay out of pocket anyway. Better to pay whatever that part costs(if its cheap) and do the labor yourself then pay an inflated cost on the part and the labor from whatever body shop they use.

If your deductible is 250 then return the truck, pay your insurance the 250 and get it over with.

 

junkyard.... and keep it for a day or 2.

 

dude, glue that shit seriously....then go over it with a $4 bottle of touch up paint....

 

yea the gluing could work...

as long as it isn't hanging you should be alright. they might get you for a scratch

 

Thought of the gluing, but there is about an inch between bumper and the foam behind it ... so there is really nothing to glue to. I also don't want to make it obvious that I tried to hide something when turning the car back in.

Unpainted cover is $429, painting probably $150 so about $600 total if I fixed it myself. Judging from the estimate to fix my rear ended car I guess the body shop would charge about $1500 to my insurance. I have $250 deductable but then risk of my premiums going up.

 

you don't need to glue it to something else...just use some super glue to bind the cracked pieces together.....hold the pieces together until the glue hardens, should take only a few minutes....then cover with some touch up paint.....

it's really not that bad, luckily most of the split part looks like it is close to the black stepping part, the only significant part is the vertical crack....but if you hold it while you use a little superglue, swab it on so there is not much excess, and use a little touch up paint...you should be fine...

 

O/T...post in Car Talk.
BTW - be a man and fess up. Remember, what goes around comes around.