What the Actual F@*! (Mystery bumper damage)

Thanks I appreciate it!

Do you think there’s any chance a dealership will attempt to address the problem? I have an appointment but not feeling optimistic. Curious if anyone has ever had theirs fixed up a bit.

 

The co-worker with the '19 sold it to Carvana before leaving for active duty first quarter of 2020 and they gave him more for the truck than he paid for it. The buddy with the '20 I never followed up on. Knowing him, he just adjusted it himself if it bothered him.

 

While the Dealer has it in the Body Shop, you should have them adjust all the gaps between body panels.

 

I don’t get why Toyota did not put metal bumpers on the Tacoma’s. I call b.s. on the sensor argument since many vehicles have them in the taillights already.

 

Best guesses... Weight, cost, safety, and because most people care more about how they look than how sturdy they are.

 

I would not mess with it. Definitely take that thing out of the hitch. It is possible someone hit that thing and knocked your bumper out of alignment. Crawl underneath and look at the bolts that go thru the hitch and frame, if there is a clean circle around the head or washer it will show the bolt moved and someone did hit it.

Either way you could loosen the bolts from the brackets and align the bumper, but I probably would not mess with it. You have the reinforcement with the hitch on bottom. The arms with the holes bolt to the frame. That is where you would look for movement and loosen to adjust.

 

Same LOL. Felt like I was playing that "find something different" game on the back of old cereal boxes ...and I lost

Hope OP gets it straight how he likes it...

 

I had to look at the photo close too. Seems like it could be adjusted.

I was recently driving off-road and something grabbed the plastic corner, pulled it and cracked it, including to rip a tab. I was surprised how brittle it is. Shame it's not a good old fashioned steel bumper.

 

Thanks very much! Really appreciate it.

 

Sorry for the headache- I should have done a better job of highlighting what I’m referring to.

 

Look at some of the pictures of people who got rear ended and your problem will feel like a first world problem. Search for “is this totaled?”

 

like others have said before me, there are already threads on here showing your exact problem, you just need to look. Misalignment from the factory, just like on my 19 that I bought with 2 miles on it.

 

Nah, as my wife tells me, I can't find sht! Good luck tho. I know how it is to have some thing that other might not even see, but you see it everytime you walk by it. Im that way with carpentry/finish work.

 

If it were mine I'd try adjusting it first and see if you can make both sides relatively even.... and if that didn't work I'd get my hydraulic jack and a hunk of wood and bend the brace holding the bumper in place lol.

 

Just a quick thought all 3 3rd gen's I've owned have had that aliment issue haven't straitened my 21 yet. The 19 and 16 I tried to straighten. The 16 worked well. I wasn't happy with the 19, it was almost a lost cause. After messing with it for a couple hours I figured screw it. My thought is it's in the cab mount also using a tape and a micrometer moving just the box won't make it straight because the gap will not change portions equally. Any body think this is possible.

 

You don’t get out much do ya auskip

 

After reading this thread I noticed the exact same thing on my 2020’s rear bumper. Same side seems misaligned. Still under warranty might see if the dealer can do something…

 

My thought is it’s worth a shot to ask the dealer to address it. If they don’t, then we get to tell prospective buyers that XYZ Toyota said it’s fine and within normal tolerances.

 

Remove the painted covers. Loosen all the bolts joining the three sections together. Adjust gaps to be roughly equal, snug bolts. Check gaps again, adjust as necessary. Tighten bolts. Reinstall covers.

It ain't rocket science.

~OR~

Take it to the dealer, they will piss and moan and tell you it's OK. If you insist on an adjustment, they will probably loosen one side, find they can't make the gap equal and bend the mounting point. It won't be right, and since they bent shit it will be difficult to make it right.

I'd suggest option 1, Big boy pants version.

 

^^^^this