Michelle7034

Hello -

I am new here, but you all seem incredibly auto savvy and I am hoping you can help me! I hit a parking lot sign and have front bumper, lower grill surround damage on my GLK. (I know, I know... I have beat myself up enough about it). I have attached photos. One of the photos is a parts diagram, where I have drawn a red line where my bumper has cracked in two on the bottom. I am trying to determine if I should:

1. Order chrome grille surround (w/AMG) and install it myself, then take it to shop to repair the scratches/ding in the bumper.

2. Take it to general automotive repair shop

3. Take it to Mercedes Dealership repair shop


I am afraid the repair shop will tell me I need to replace the entire front bumper; So I am wondering if you guys think that is necessary? I think my lack of automobile repair knowledge, coupled with being a female, gives these repair guys some room to sell me things I don't need


I am not automobile savvy, but I can figure things out. I have changed fuses, brake lights on my husbands truck, installed a new radio and speakers in my old Altima, etc. So I think I can probably install the chrome grill surround myself if needed.

THANK YOU for any advice!








Red line indicates crack in lower bumper.

JohnnyC

The bumper is plastic, so it has a lil' flex in it. Most likely the damage was all absorbed by the chrome trim.

The shop will likely tell you to sand, primer, and paint the bumper. The chrome trim you will likely need a new one.

dust6403

As stated in a reply, the composites and plastics have flex. With that said, if it was me, I would take it to a mechanic (MB or otherwise reputable) just for a quick check of the radiator and cooling system. Depending on how far back the front might have flexed back, its possible you could have done some damage to internal components. I would do this just as a an "assurance" measure. It would be worth it to me to make sure all the internal components (especially the ones controlling engine cooling) are okay. Good luck!

bop11

If you change the chrome part (23), no one will notice the other mark unless you tell them. It will be hard matching the paint unless you have and are good with an airbrush. This will not be the last little mark you get from road debris and, if you keep the car for a few years and put some moles on it won't effect the trade-in. Change the part, buff out the plastic and drive the car.

Michelle7034

Thanks to all! @Dust6403 Good to know - I will definitely get that checked out. @Bop11, you are probably right about the bumper! I will leave as is for now and just change the chrome part.

Thanks again!

bop11

My daughter had a c300 that she parked near the High School ball park when her son was playing. A foul fly ball hit her front fender and put a dent on top of it. The car was only a few months old. It was probably $500 to fix as any body shop wants at least the deductible, but she never fixed it. Unless you looked directly at it, you wouldn't notice it , but I am sure she did see it from the drivers seat as it was on that side of the car. Never fixed it, 3 years later she traded it in for a GLK and the dealer never mentioned it. At least yo don't see yours while you are driving.
Enjoy the GLK, I have now 110,000 miles and plan another 50-60 k .

TPete19

I can't really tell how badly the bumper itself is damaged, but pretty much anytime there is any gouging into the plastic, then a body shop will want to replace the entire cover, plus paint match. It'll be expensive.

I'd just replace the chrome trim. If the dent/depression in the bumper itself doesn't straighten when you take the old chrome piece off, you could try applying some heat, using a hair dryer. Don't heat it to the point that you can't put your hand on it, but just enough to get it to return to its original shape.

Mmr1

Get bids. I damaged my front and got parts off eBay from China that I'm sure are factory at 1/3rd of MB prices and paid a friend to put on. I spent a few hundred and MB wanted 1500$ . I say get the chrome then see how bumper looks.

Michelle7034

So I ordered the chrome piece. I was thinking that it was just attached by the four rivets at the bottom, and just sort of popped in. Oh no, now I realize that I have to take the entire bumper off to get the old chrome piece off and put the new one on. I am certainly not confident enough to take off my bumper, so to the body shop I go

PS: Thanks for all the feedback, I have decided to just replace the chrome piece and ignore the dent in the bumper for now.