Cracked bumper repair: usually yes, if the crack is small
A cracked bumper looks worse than it often is. On most modern cars, the painted part you see is a plastic bumper cover, and plastic can be repaired. A crack doesn't automatically mean a new bumper.
Robert Crenshaw has spent nearly 30 years repairing bumpers, and cracks are a regular part of the work. His rule of thumb: most cracks under about 6–8 inches are repairable. Longer cracks, big rips, and missing pieces are where repair stops making sense.
“Most cracks under six to eight inches are repairable. I can repair a hole if the piece is still there.”
How a crack gets fixed: plastic welding
Most bumper covers are made of polypropylene, a plastic that can be welded. A stamp on the back of the bumper identifies the type of plastic, and Robert carries different welding rods for different plastics so the repair material suits the bumper.
Welding mends the crack back together rather than just filling over it. Once it's closed, the area is shaped and refinished, and Robert mixes the paint on site to match your car. If you've ever wondered why some repaired bumpers look a shade off, this guide on bumper color matching explains what goes into getting it right.
Welding takes more time than a scuff. Most of Robert's repairs are finished in under three hours on site, and a welded crack adds to that. More detail on the welding itself is in Can a plastic bumper be welded?
Holes and punctures, if the piece is still there
A puncture isn't automatically a lost cause either. If the broken piece is still there, Robert can often weld it back into place.
The classic example is a trailer hitch. Back into one and it can punch a square of plastic about two inches across into the bumper. If that piece is still there, it can be welded back in. If it's gone, the hole becomes a much bigger problem.
“For instance, like a trailer hitch mark, if it leaves that two-inch square, I can weld that back in place.”
Broken tabs and small dents
Bumper covers clip onto the car with mounting tabs, and those tabs can snap in the same bump that cracked the plastic. Some tab repairs are possible, so a broken tab doesn't always rule out a repair.
Small dents in a plastic bumper cover can often be pushed out. Robert loosens a corner of the cover and pushes the dent out, without taking the whole bumper off the car.
When a crack isn't worth repairing
Robert turns down big rips and bumpers with chunks missing, the kind where it looks like half the bumper got left on the highway. Those need a replacement bumper cover, and he refers new bumper covers to body shops.
He also doesn't take bumpers off to inspect what's behind them. A cosmetic repair fixes the damage you can see on the cover. If the hit was hard enough to make you wonder about the parts underneath, have a body shop look first. Bumper repair or replacement? walks through that decision.
- The crack is much longer than 6–8 inches or runs across most of the bumper
- A piece of the bumper is missing
- The bumper is torn and hanging, not just cracked
- Lights, brackets or sensors behind the bumper stopped working after the hit
Getting a quote for your cracked bumper
Text Robert a photo or two. He quotes from photos, usually within minutes when you reach him during business hours, and he'll tell you whether the crack looks like a repair or a replacement.
Include one shot of the whole bumper and one closer shot at an angle, so he can see both ends of the crack. The photo guide has a few more tips, and the bumper repair page covers the rest of what he fixes.
Common questions: Can a cracked bumper be repaired?
Does the bumper have to come off to fix a crack?
Usually not. Robert works with the bumper on the car. For small dents he loosens a corner of the cover and pushes the dent out rather than removing the whole bumper.
How long does a cracked bumper repair take?
Most of Robert's repairs are done in under three hours on site. Welding a crack takes longer than a simple scuff repair, so expect it toward the longer end.
My cracked bumper has parking sensors. Can it still be repaired?
If the sensors are working, Robert can tape them off or paint over them in light coats so they keep working. He does not replace, program or recalibrate sensors.
What if the crack comes back?
Robert stands behind his work. If a problem with the repair itself shows up, he'll make it right. Damage from a new impact isn't covered.
Written from Robert Crenshaw's own explanations of how he works. Nearly 30 years repairing bumpers, and 25 years running his own business.