RDX 2024 Advance Shawd
First time car owner
Bay Area, CA

Recently my car had a collision with a twig on the freeway. That twig punctured the front bumper. Could be treated as comprehensive collision since it suddenly rolled into my lane. Have the Dashcam footage of it.

Visited couple of Auto Shops, all said replacing the bumper, calibrating front camera, repaint, etc, costing ~2500$

I am wary of replacing the bumper. I can live with a sticker on the top, however I would prefer the hole to be sealed. They said it is a urethane plastic, sealing can’t be done.

Shall I involve insurance to have it under claim but not fulfill the claim, for records only

Images Link: https://imgur.com/a/H1I3R7w

Thanks

 

no bumper repair companies in your area?

 

You might want to seek out one of the shops that do paintless dent removal. They often do a lot more than dents. In my experience, with my 2022 RDX, about week into ownership my wife pulled into the garage, emptied the trunk area, then proceeded to hit the garage door opener while the hatch was up. Absolutely nasty as the garage door hinges scrapped everything from the rear window and lower. Shops wanted like (your experience) over $2000. I happened to remember a place in our area often recommended by the local Porsche Club. They did an absolutely stunning job, you can't tell there ever was damage, and it was $650.

I don't suspect you live in the Philadelphia area but on the slim chance you might the shop I used is at Carisma. We have two places in the area, run by two brothers.

 

For your area, IMHO, that does not sound unreasonable.

On the other hand, to 'clean-up' a gouge like the one below & as thoiboi mentioned, you will have to find a specialized shop that has the personnel skill-sets like the guy in the video below. Even then expect it still to cost you $$$ as you will see what's involved.

 

Do you mean shops specializing in repair not 'replacing' the bumper. So far in my searches, i have been looking for Autobody repair shops or collision repair shops. Looks like I have to dive deeper. Every shop I have been to told me to replace the bumper as soon as they saw it, and the reason they gave was that it is a hole not a dent.

 

Thanks, that's promising, I am based in California. I have to look around more and find specialists. I am fine with shelling out 500-600$ (comprehensive is 500$ for me). However, I am not ok at all with the idea of replacing the bumper. I am wondering if it is ok to not inform insurance for week or two while I am researching.

 

if you are paying out of pocket, why inform insurance

 

So, I'm trying to understand, you have a new 2024 RDX Advance Shawd with full coverage insurance?

If your comprehensive deductible is $500 (out of pocket) and you are in possession of dashcam footage evidence substantiating your insurance claim argument that, while driving along, the 'twig' suddenly rolled into my lane & was subsequently unavoidable to hit; thus, causing the damage in the picture above.

Why not, just employ one of the already visited Auto Shops that quoted the $2500 complete bumper replacement cost & let the insurance company pick up the net $2K and be done with it?

 

Yeah that's the last resort. However, personally I feel like the hole could be patched instead of having bumper replaced as it is a plastic. All those body shops are suggesting otherwise. That's why I came to this forum to look for clear direction.
Here is the video

I will pay out of pocket if it is below the deductible, but hasn't seen any shop so far offering bumper repair.

 

Understood.
So, to say the least, your realistic expectation is to have the damage repaired / painted by a Bay area facility, to mirror the OEM look, for under $500 out the door?

 

Yes, that would be the best outcome. Realistically, I would be also fine with patching the hole and slapping a sticker on it too Talking. Thinking of doing it by myself, using bondo like stuff, 1000 grit sand paper and some good adhesive. It hurts that Car is barely 3 months old.

 

Also try the other extreme? Call an Acura dealer (if you know one with a good service department) and ask them if they can work with insurance to replace the bumper.

They can probably advise on your total price, probably your deductible plus the difference between their service rate and the insurers body shop rate, but you know (if you trust the dealer) that the replacement is done right with oem parts, you get a loaner while waiting, etc.

I did that when my window was smashed and my dash was torn up when someone stole my RSX radio when the car was 1 year old. Two decades later the replacement dash and factory glass remains perfect.

 

It's a brand new RDX - I would get it fixed - but everyone is different.

That is a big hole in the bumper. Did that damage affect your parking sensor too?

Search for automotive Bumper repair places in your area (there are plenty). Send them a few picks to get estimates. One will need to remove the bumper with kind of damage if it's repairable. Otherwise, you'll need a new bumper, paint and assembly which is what insurance is for IMO.

 

Give DentPro a call and see if they can handle the work. Otherwise, search using where you live and bumper repair as others have suggested.

 

Thanks, booked an appointment with them.

Damage is mostly cosmetics for now. I hope the interior foam shield is fine too. Car is working normally, checked the cruise controls (adaptive and general), parking sensor also fine. Anything else I need to check?
You are right about going via insurance. I am getting into senses now, even to repair that hole needs the bumper to be removed, that can drive the cost to ~500$, leaving me with the option just to go with insurance then.

Great idea, i will call nearby acura dealers.

 

Replacing bumper on a new car has its downside: paint might not be matched perfectly, the body shop can do bad job and it will be misaligned, they will break many plastic clips and etc. when its time to sell the car they will be able to tell that bumper was replaced but they will not know the extent of the damage.
All depends on body shop

 

the bumper needs to be replaced. There a freaking giant hole in it.

If 5 shops are telling u to get it replaced then listen to them.

were u hoping someone would link you a 5 minute YouTube repair video that magically fixes this.

 

bam flexseal

 

Yeah I was hoping that. There is no harm in researching before jumping to agree on what those shops says. Everyone is partial to their own interests, including myself.

Thanks about those new inputs. I have been aware of the color match, I am pretty much decided to go via dealership route, they have a collision shop. I made clear to them that color match has to be accurate and would like to see old bumper and new bumper side by side. They said they would fetch the color code via VIN number, and realistically plastic bumper will always be a faintly lighter compared to paint on metal. Honestly, I have no control over other factors you have mentioned, except I can let them know about it. Another option is to visit Caliber Collision body shop (preferred by my insurance), they are highly rated in Bay Area.

By the way insurance first said it is a no-fault collision damage, but after my pushback and the video evidence they reclassified it as comprehensive Smile

 

^
As you can see from the graphic below most of those components, other than the #1 front bumper face assembly, will have to be removed from your existing damaged bumper and transferred to the new color matched bumper.
The bumper cost is about $484 before any substantial dealer 'markup'. The remaining $2,100+ will go toward paint & labor to make the vehicle complete again.

 

Yes, same diagram shown to me by one shop to give an idea about overall work. Not sure they will be calibrating sensors.
Exact price for bumper I am getting charged, labor charges $150/hr from most places, except for a family owned business which is charging 100/hr.

 

FWIW, I had a minor parking lot incident with our 2014 several years ago that damaged the rear bumper. I took it to an independent shop recommended by the dealer. They replaced the rear bumper with one from Acura that came in the correct color from the factory so there was no painting involved. It was a perfect match. Perhaps it will be the same for your front bumper. Of course, the replacement will be a lot more complicated but the color match may not be a big concern. And, IIRC, it cost around $900 for that repair so maybe the $2k is not so far our of line. Amazing how such a small damage can cost so much to repair.

Hope it works out for you.

 

Thank you. I will ask around if it is possible to get factory painted bumper. In their estimates they planned paint by themselves (tint color, clear coat, flex additive, color sand and buff). Will go with the shop that offers lifetime warranty on their paint job.
Seeing the hassle involved in the repair, whole thing had made me partially paranoid now when I am driving on road.

 

I can’t speak about the feasibility of DIY, but for the Porsche I owned for 20+, I took off the bumper cover every year around November to clean out the leaves from the front radiator. Not a difficult job at all although I “borrowed” a neighbor when I was removing the very last of the fasteners to help with the bumper cover which was cumbersome for a single individual.