AlbertoVo6

I've got a 2003 Lexus ES 3000 with a couple of well worn bumpers from seven years of driving on the means streets of Los Angles. Also, my wife backed into a pole.

Regardless...

My front and rear bumpers aren't looking so great these days. Wanted to see if these could be repaired, or do they need to be replaced. And if so, OEM or aftermarket bumpers?

I have one quote from a body shop for $1682:

Front bumper: A/M KEYSIQ Bumper cover 5211933927. $285

Rear bumper: A/M KEYSIQ Bumper cover 5215933911 $368

Body Labor $214.50 (3.9 hours at $ 55/hour)

Paint Labor: $418 (7.6 hours @ $55/hour)

Paint Supplies: $288 (7.6 hours @$38/hour)

That's the first quote I have, and I don't know if it's high or low.

Here's the rear bumper:

Rear bumper (left)


Rear bumper (right)


More rear bumper


Front bumper


Closeup front bumper


Any advice? Thanks in advance!

LeX2K

Hit a salvage yard you live in the Toyota and Lexus mecca of the world.

Veggies

$1600 for new bumper paint and install??? Do yourself a favor and buy/install your own bumpers and have them paint it. That should save you quite a bit of money. Also like Lexus2000. Go to salvage yards if you dont want perfect bumpers, I dont know if you have any autobody experience but sanding and body filler isn't too complicated.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

With all due respect, do you think a person who's asking for advice on bumper repair/quote has experience with auto body repair?

$1600 for two bumpers isn't crazy, but it is a lot for an old vehicle.
Here are some things to consider with bumper repair costs at body shops. They build in profit margins into the parts. They charge you for labor to remove and install the parts. They will need to blend the bumper paint to match the 16 year old paint on the rear quarter panels, the trunk, the hood, and the front fenders. The repair will also come with a warranty.

If you decide to do the labor yourself and simply get the parts painted at a shop, here are some things to consider.
Transporting and purchasing the bumpers may be a hassle as they are gigantic and may need an SUV to keep them protected. I once fit a rear 3ES bumper in my car and it had to be positioned diagonally across the rear and front passenger seats, which just barely fit.
You will need to make sure there is no scratches and or any other damage on the panels, as they will require body work before painting - extra cost.
The body shop will not be able to properly match your 16 year old paint, so they will use a color swatch to guesstimate the best blend for your car. They will get it 85-90% there, so you may not notice.
Transporting the bumpers back to your place and reinstalling them may damage the paint in the process. You'll be surprised how easy it is to scratch the paint, when it's off the vehicle.
There will be no warranty on the repair.

Last but not least, aftermarket bumper covers are really bad. Most of them use cheap plastics which crack and break easily upon any impact. The factory ones are meant to absorb impact and bend, just like what you see on your car.
You can get factory ones for the same price as what they're quoting you on the aftermarket ones.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

funcrusher

Mine are in bad shape like yours OP. I was quoted $1200 to take care of both + my front hood since it's full of rock chips and little marks. And that's at a high end body shop that's on the pricey side . Body work isn't cheap at all unless you know someone or go to a ghetto shop.

mitmaks

You could replace bumper covers yourself. HIt up http://www.car-part.com/ and look up paint code for your car. Chances is that you might find bumper cover from salvage yard already painted that color.