fixing up an ugly, beat up car

Modern vehicles are highly sophisticated machines, and that extends to seemingly simple components like front and rear bumpers. While bumpers once protected your car from low-speed impacts, they now play a critical role in mitigating collision damage, protecting vehicle occupants, and even helping pedestrians to survive collisions.

However, there's more than meets the eye to this part of your car. The part of your vehicle that you probably identify as your bumper is just a cover, and most of the meat sits underneath and hidden from view. If you've been in a minor accident, it can pay to understand how this collision may have affected your bumper and why it may be more severe than you expect.

How Accidents Affect Your Bumper Cover

It might surprise you to learn that the front of your car is little more than a plastic panel covering more sophisticated parts of the frame underneath. Your bumper cover is an aesthetic piece that may also contain equipment, such as sensors for driver-assistance features or even temperature sensors for your climate control system.

This cover's only functional purpose is to direct airflow and provide a cleaner, more aesthetic look to the front of your car. If you get into a collision, the cover offers only the most minimal protection. Since most bumper covers are plastic, a relatively low-speed collision can result in cracks, scratches, and chips. The good news is that paint damage isn't a significant issue since there's no metal on the cover to rust.

It's not always necessary to replace a bumper cover following an accident, depending on the extent of the damage. Many shops can repair cracks or dents in the plastic, potentially allowing you to restore your vehicle for less than the cost of a replacement. However, accident damage often extends beyond the cosmetic cover.

How Accidents Affect the Rest of Your Bumper

The area under your bumper cover typically contains some shock-absorbing material and a more rigid backing beam. The bumper beam attaches to the car's structure with brackets, and the beam itself can absorb a substantial amount of force. In many cases, it's necessary to remove the cover from your bumper to assess the internal damage underneath.

While a minor accident may only damage the cover and shock-absorbing foam under the bumper, a more severe accident can compromise the beam or twist the underlying structural elements. Manufacturers design vehicles to crumple in order to protect their occupants, so relatively low-speed accidents can still result in significant structural damage.

Even if it seems like you only have damage on your bumper cover, it's always essential to have a qualified collision repair shop evaluate your car after an accident. Collision repair technicians will look for signs of structural damage, helping to ensure that your vehicle is safe to operate.