the Cost of Bumper Repair

I needed a replacement rear bumper following an accident with an uninsured driver. I needed the entire back bumper removed, replaced with an aftermarket part, and minor body work to make it look as good as new.

While I was very unhappy about the fact the other driver was uninsured, I decided not to pursue it any further and paid out-of-pocket. The hardest part was finding the replacement bumper; my local body shop mechanic found an aftermarket part that looked just as good as the original! From there, it took a week for the installation and paint-matching. The total for these services wasn't cheap -- it cost $425 for parts, labor, painting, and taxes. As this was an out-of-pocket expense without an insurance company involved, the shop did offer to cut the bill significantly -- it's always advisable to try to bargain if you're paying out-of-pocket. While it looks great, it's not perfect; there's still some difference in the quality of build on the replacement bumper, but it's still significantly better than having a broken bumper! The quality of the paint work was also exceptional.

Don't be afraid to shop around! Most shops are more than willing to match or beat a competitor's price. Also, as I mentioned, if you're paying out of pocket for this service rather than going with an insurance company's payments, most dealers will negotiate a fairer rate.