Doing the Bump May Be Costly
Federal law has required since 1973 that new cars be equipped with energy-absorbing bumpers intended to limit body damage in minor collisions.
But as any motorist who has backed into a tree or a wall in seemingly slow motion knows, these bumpers do not prevent major repair bills. In some cases, repairs for such damage can cost as much as those resulting from a major bang-up.
The bumpers, originally ordered to withstand a 5 m.p.h. impact, are required to prevent structural damage to the body and undercarriage at speeds up to 2.5 m.p.h., though many makers still offer the 5 m.p.h. standard.
Although it may successfully prevent such damage, the bumper and its related hardware can cause substantial financial grief, says Ken Zion, owner of Automotive Collision Consultants of Long Beach. “If you get kissed, you can easily blow a thousand bucks,” he says.
Zion, who also teaches auto body repair at El Camino Community College, says a collision at 3 or 4 m.p.h. may rack up $1,500 in damage to the bumper and lights. If the typical, non-luxury car has pop-up headlights, the bill may run up to $2,000. On cars with elaborate bumpers and associated fascia, such as a Mercedes-Benz or a Camaro, damage can go much higher.
In some cases, repairing or replacing a plastic energy-absorbing bumper system may cost as much as replacing the body panel it is designed to protect.
The high cost of repairs partly results from the expensive, weight-saving technology of the bumper. It is composed of a steel core, a plastic-foam filler around the steel core and a plastic cover. The core is attached to the frame with either energy absorbers (resembling shock absorbers) or collapsible steel brackets.
The plastic cover is susceptible to nicks, cracks and gouges at collisions of even 1 m.p.h., and painting the bumper costs about $300. Also, because it adheres poorly to plastic, the paint begins to deteriorate within five years, even without collision damage. And manufacturers are phasing out the unpainted black bumpers for stylistic reasons.
Small cracks or nicks may be repaired with special fillers or by a special plastic welding system, but Zion warns that these help only minor damage. If a crack measures more than two inches, he advises replacing the bumper cover.
Minor accidents can also rack up major costs when the steel brackets collapse on cars. Since the brackets are generally welded to the steel core, the entire bumper and cover must be replaced. For this reason, the energy absorbers are superior to brackets because they usually bounce back to their original position, leaving damage only to the plastic cover.
Surprisingly, energy absorbers are not always found on higher-priced cars; they turn up on some cheap subcompacts, while some expensive, full-size models use brackets.
Unfortunately, buyers can not dictate which energy-absorbing system they want on their cars.
