oldtripper

Is there a Lexus rear bumper protector for the NX? What type of protector is it?

jardlr

Yes, along with other accessories. Check out the Lexus website, NX- Build your Lexus- Accessories.

Here's the bumper cover, for example:

lesz

The rear bumper protection is a very useful accessory. The rear bumper, especially for an SUV, is a very vulnerable area to scratches created when you are rubbing up against the bumper as you load items into the vehicle. Protecting that area would be especially good if you are getting an obsidian NX because black vehicles are especially prone to getting visible surface scratches that are created simply by brushing your pant legs against the bumper when there is dust on the bumper.

I would not be concerned about the cost of this repair cutting into the dealer's profit. Depending on where the damage happened, the cost of the repair should be covered by Lexus corporate, the shipper, or the dealer's insurance.

To the OP. The main reason why the dealer might not be willing to give you a discount or free accessories is that, once the car is repaired, the dealer won't have any difficulty at all selling it. The demand for an NX450h exceeds, by far, the supply. If the dealer does agree to give you a discount on the price or add any accessories, the reason will be to build good will.

oldtripper

I'm guessing they won't give a discount, but I'd expect at least an accessory or two for the inconvenience. The salesman wasn't giving updated info, first he called while we were beginning our drive, then said it'd be 2 days, then said it was ready for pickup not knowing the bumper didn't fit. Wasn't until I pressed to speak to the service director, that I got the update. Now, they said it'd be a day to fix, but auto paint takes at least a day to dry and cure, so I'm leery of that.

Also, I need to get them to send me the parts and repair workorder/invoice. On parts.lexus.com, I couldn't even find the 450H bumper on there. So I have no idea what part they are actually using. Do part numbers appear on bumpers? Would they be able to verify they part they're getting is the exact same part aside from just eyeballing it?

By the way, I attached pictures of the damage and with the bumper removed.

TipsyTonio

It may just be me, but is that liftgate creased in the area of the license plate? That looks like additional damage. As far as part numbers, there are 3 options:

1. 52159-78923: Standard Bumper
2. 52159-78927: Hands Free Tailgate, Clearance and Back Sonar Sensor, & Advanced Park
3. 52159-78925: Hands Free Tailgate, Clearance and Back Sonar Sensor

On my end I don't see any other part number as available.

oldtripper

Is it this that you're seeing? I'll ask them.

TipsyTonio

That’s the main one but I also see what appears to be a crease here too

lesz

It is hard for me to know for sure what I'm looking at, but I agree with TipsyTonio. To me, it looks like there was damage to both the bumper and to the tailgate. I would think that the damage to the tailgate would be repairable with straightening of the sheet metal and refinishing.

oldtripper

They say there's no damage. Here's another picture they just sent. Assuming there is none to the gate, I'm still concerned about the aftermarket PPG paint fading faster than the rest of the car. They put the old bumper back while they're waiting for a new one.

oldtripper

They sent my a copy of the invoice and on it was part 52159-78926 None of the sites I found have the NX 450h to pull up but do you see any reason why this part would not work for the 450h F Sport? The invoice has the bumper and tape moulding.
https://parts.lexus.com/p/Lexus__NX3...215978926.html

edit. never mind, I called a Lexus parts dept and verified the bumper number

TipsyTonio

I wouldn't be concerned. If you look at the link you sent, in the supersession portion, the last part number that I sent, ending in 5 is there. The parts are essentially interchangeable.

oldtripper

I looked over the repair invoice and it mentions damage to license plate area. That would lend credence to the potential crease you saw. If you look at the picture with the bumper removed, it looks like part of the back below the Lexus script that has the license plate area is removed. But the bumper cover part diagram looks like it doesn't include that area. Is it part of the bumper or a part that they had to repair and repaint because there's no other part numbers on the invoice. I'm driving to possibly buy and pickup tomorrow and am wondering if there's more they didn't tell me.

TipsyTonio

So the area that I had previously noted as possibly damaged actually corresponds to the lift gate and it isn't a replaceable component. The only way to fully replace it is to fully replace the lift gate as you can see in this part diagram. Having read your invoice, I do believe that the two areas that we had circled as possibly damaged, were in fact damaged. However, the invoice also mentions "dent wizard". Is that a Paint Less Dent Repair guy? It is possible that they removed the dent. I've used PDR on my personal vehicles and it has worked wonders for door dings, but that specific damage looked to have a very prominent crease which my PDR guy has always told me is a pain in the butt to fix, and often times they can only remove it 99%. I'm going to be 100% frank with you and give you my opinion on your situation as if that were my car. I would walk from that car to be quite honest. I would try to get your dealer to replace the vehicle with another vehicle in the pipeline, and if they are unsupportive, I would get Lexus corporate involved and explain the situation. Realistically I see no reason why you should buy a $60k vehicle that has had damage done to it before it was delivered, let alone damage that we don't fully know the scope of. If I had to guess, the car behind yours on the trailer was not properly secured and it slid into the back of your NX, causing damage to the bumper and the lift gate. Not only are you introducing the risk of having life gate alignment issues, but you are also dealing with the uncertainty of the longevity of the aftermarket paint. Obsidian is not a hard color to match, but take your time to look for specs of dust, and I am almost certain that you will find some specs somewhere. Nothing will truly match OEM paint. I don't mean to dissuade your purchase as it is a great car, but truth be told, I don't think your dealer is telling you the full story either because of ineptitude of the SA or because they are being slimy. Please keep us posted.

oldtripper

But in the picture with the bumper removed, it looks like the only part that's removed is that trapezoidal shaped piece and not the whole lift gate. There isn't another one coming before the tax credit gets cut. I could go ahead with the 5 hr drive and try to press them about this in person, but if it's what you're saying it is, I don't think I want to drive.

TipsyTonio

The trapezoid cannot be removed. It is stamped into the metal. The nubs that you see in the angled picture are the foam pads for the license plate. You can see that in the part diagram I posted.