Went last week to buy my new 16 ILX, the only one on the lot that was my color / package combo had a small scratch on the front bumper, this is where the better part of me should have said i will wait and walk away, but i "had to have the car" and the dealer said they would repair with no cost to me and threw in the sunvisor for my the drama...took it to the dealer to have it repaired and the minor repair has now turned into a full bumper repaint! attached is a picture of the damage and bad job i did using touch up paint...

question is should i let them repaint the front bumper and risk the chance of having the paint not match, or they damage something else trying to take the bumper off and back on etc...am i overthinking this? damn , i just dont like the feel of a repainted bumper on a brand new car, apparently the bumpers dont come painted from the factory anymore

another thought is to leave it and have the dealer give me a few accessories i was looking to get, maybe the front/rear aero (maybe too much $ to $ here) or at least the front..i also wanted the color side moldings and door edge guards and trunk tray, i think that combo is more the cost to the dealer to have it repainted...

PLEASE share your thoughts and opinions,

thanks in advance

 

I wouldn't be worried about the repainted bumper not matching or the vehicle being damaged during the process. I think what it boils down to is if you can live with the way it looks now (and want to try to beat up the dealer to get some other form of reimbursement) or not. Personally, I'd let them repair the bumper. If it didn't look perfect, I'd raise holy hell and make them do it again (although as previously stated, I doubt it would come to that).

 

My opinion: just live with it as is.

I know some people are adament that plastic bumpers can be repaired/repainted just fine, but in my experience they always seem to start chipping or delaminating at some point.

I'd just get those chips touched up, maybe put a clear protector film over the whole bumper afterward to help mask it further.

If the dealer will comp you something for goodwill, take it. But I wouldn't expect much.

It's tough to stomach the damage this early, but it's going to get beat up eventually. Eventually the bumper will get chipped from road debris anyway.

Take a deep breath, smile, and move on. Enjoy your new car!

 

The paint will match because they're not going to put color on the whole bumper. Only the center 1/3 will be color and the rest will be clear coated (painted). By clearing the whole bumper, the bumper's color may look slightly deeper/richer... but color is the same. You will not notice it much because the only parts that are next to the original paint is on the sides where it butts up to the fender. You won't be able to see that front on... from bumper to hood... gap is to big to pick up the slight difference.

Any parts that may break during repair can be replace... after all they are a dealership.

Your new car looks like shit like that! You can't really call it new like that can you? So sorry just my IMHO.

So just let them fix it and really enjoy your new Acura.

 

I agree that I would have it repaired as well providing you take it to a good shop. In an ideal world, you would wouldn't have to have it repainted but leaving like that is, imho, worst.

A reputable and trustworthy body shop can do amazing repair these days and while in the old days weren't as good as today, today's technology has come a long way and you should be happy with the outcome.

 

I agree, have it repaired by a reputable shop, it'll be fine