How to fix bumper cover after fender bender

Well I got a 23 Tacoma SR double cab 4x4 about three weeks ago and I’m in love, but unfortunately was in a slight fender bender.

The scratching is annoying but I’m more concerned with fixing the gap between the panels.

anyone know how the easiest way to go about this? There’s no damage except for the very minor stuff in the picture. Do I have to take the grill and entire bumper off?

thanks.

 

The easiest way is barbaric: mask everything and paint it on the truck.
That body line looks like more damage underneath, plus there's a dent in the fender. You're better off leaving it and getting some touch up.

 

What could be damaged underneath? This is directly after it happened…it was the slightest bump.

Other guy didn’t even stop and went onto the highway…so I guess I won’t have to pay for any of his damage at least lol ‍♂️

 

[QUOTE="You're better off leaving it and getting some touch up.[/QUOTE]

Agree.

And scratch the passenger side for symmetry.

 

I’ll have to see if if scratch matching is covered by Toyotacare.

 

Anyone have any experience with this?

here’s a before:

 

If you want a solution cheaper than a body shop, try a bumper repair service. It will not be as perfect as a complete respray, but a whole lot cheaper. Bumper repair guys are as common as Paintless dent removers.



https://www.ckcolours.com/bumper-repair/

 

try to polish it first and loosen bumper, push back in place and tighten up or pay someone to do it.....no paint

 

It's a new truck. I would fix it correctly through a body shop. Yes it will be expensive, maybe use your insurance.

You have bumper damage, you have fender damage, and possibly more. A collision at 2mph could cost over $2,000 depending on what is damaged. Just because it was a "slight fender bender" doesn't mean it's going to be easy or cheap.

Good luck, I hope we can all figure out some magic way to fix a bumper to fender gap that is crushed in here.

 

I didn't mean to sound sarcastic, it's terrible the person just drove off.

See where the bumper connects to the fender the gap is all uneven? There is probably bent sheet metal behind there. I'm in the body shop business and you'd be amazed what a slight bump will damage, everything now is plastic and "shit" metal.
I think the suggestion of using a mobile bumper repair would be your best bet if you want it fixed cheap.

 

I have fought Toyota over 3rd gen bumper covers having this gap NOT in an accident. Maybe not as bad as yours but basically once the holes in the actual truck the tabs for the bumper cover brackets lock into get worn out from an accident, time(look at some older 3rd gens that don't have fender flares holding the fender and bumper cover and they almost all have a big gap in the top) and repeatedly taking it on and off the spot where the brackets insert in the truck will keep stretching and become less able to hold the full weight of the bumper cover without a gap.

As goofy as it sounds if you do this repair yourself, have some JB weld, check the fitment of the bracket in the spot they attach to the truck and if there is any play before putting the bumper cover on. I have become obsessive over it because the gap in my truck looked horrible on super white and very noticable on a brand new truck.

If there is play in the attachment to the truck, JB weld around the hole just enough to remove the play, sucks to jb weld a brand new truck but trust me I had a body shop take my bumper cover off 3 times to try to get it to fit right, they made it MUCH worse because of the design and where the brackets mount likes to stretch and give that there was no fix besides a new aftermarket bumper or jb weld. Jb weld worked. It's a design flaw and Toyota 3rd gen bumper covers and the latest gen of 4runner suffer from it too. Make sure whoever does the repair knows what they are doing because on my truck it ended up damaging the part the brackets go into and has a permanent gap in a 2022 with 8k miles, sold to carvana and getting a black 2023 instead because super white chipping and the bumper gap drove me nuts.

I'm sure a good body shop can do wonders but if you take the time to do it yourself you might find all you need is a couple new brackets I have been inside that part of my truck more than any other area and became obsessive over it because I'm weird and have OCD take the time to do it and you might save yourself a lot of cash. Those front bumper covers and the brackets are pure garbage and pop out all the time(on models without fender flares holding the fit together).

Sorry for the essay, I just have had a lot of grief with this area and have had it come back from Toyota and body shops looking worse every time that I wish I just did it myself at the start.


Edit- If that is paint transfer and not paint removal I can almost guarantee McGuire's ultimate compound will remove majority of the scuffs as that stuff is magic with a microfiber cloth

 

Good catch on removing paint transfer. This product easily removes fresh paint transfers and then you can use a polish/compound to minimize the scrape marks.

 

not too worried about the paint. I just want to pop the bumper back into place.

unfortunately I’m missing paint anyway.

 

I am just looking to clip the bumper back until it goes to the body shop. I called my insurance but probably won’t get back to me til after the weekend.

Here’s another angle if it helps….the fender isn’t exactly “crushed” but obviously have to be repaired. It’s a round indentation where the fender flare would be.

I can tell the bumper is hanging low and is loose under the head light. I’m wondering if anyone has experience clipping the bumper back into place without taking off the grill and a bunch of bolts.

 

Honestly the bracket is probably damaged. Going to have to go in and take the grill off to fix annoying as fuck.

 

Debating a pro grill if I have to do that anyway. Now the question is MGM or silver lettering…

 

It's crazy how good their work looks. Just sent for a quote as they are right near my work.

Thanks for the tip!