I hit a racoon at 75mph last night, critter basically wandered out in front of dead center of car and there was nothing I could do. The Aftermath sucks because I'm not sure what to do here, looking for some thoughts maybe?

I'm missing a bezel piece, it appears I can get a replacement? Should that just pop in with 3 tabs? As for the bumper with the spider webbing, you can't really feel any of these cracks, and they run all over the bottom bumper.
Is my only option here to buy a new bumper and repaint? Probably looking at $1000. I'm really frustrated as there seems to be no simple fix at this point
Or I guess I just have to live with it. I'm going to a body shop this week to get an idea. I thought maybe they could blend in those cracks but it appears after reading in online its not possible without deep sanding of the urethane bumper. Any thoughts?

 

Ummmm....... what were you doing driving at 75mph!?


J/k.


But seriously isn't insurance designed for this exact situation? I have a $200 deductible so unless yours is higher than $1,000 you may be better just claiming it.

 

I will talk to the shop - I do have $500 deductible on comprehensive. But I'm wondering if I should leave these, It's all along the lower bumper RHS where it spider webbed.
I'm guessing the bumper pushed in enough to pop that Bezel out. If the shop says a new bumper is required to fix, I'm just going to submit a claim.

 

It should be fixable and cost around the same as your deductible.

 

or claim it on insurance, take the check, leave that as is (or buy an aftermarket bumper with the $) and be on your merry way.


I had a TINY dent in my rear bumper of my tundra last year and a very small scratch on the tailgate. $2050 to repair/replace. I took the cash and left it. YMMV

 

Sorry to hear that.. I hit a dog at 75mph in January, totaling mine. Just a few days before that happened, I ran over a tire on the middle of the same interstate and it had the same cracks that yours has.. Good luck with everything.

 

How about getting a repair estimate so you know how much the damage will cost to fix and use that information to make your decision?

 

Since this was a wildlife encounter, it should fall under comprehensive coverage and technically should not count against you.

@PGg35s Hard to believe a dog can total the car out. Was it a big dog?

 

You haven't been to Texas, have you? I-10 has some posted 80 MPH sections out west. Many of the divided US and state highways are 75 MPH out in the boonies.

I don't know where the OP lives, but thought I'd share.

 

It was a boxer.. If the airbags didn't deploy, it probably wouldn't have been totaled.

 

When i read the title i was expecting much worse.

My bumper has the same spider-webbing from a hit and run while the car was parked (people are *******s). I just left it since its very hard to tell....


Yours looks like it's at the bottom of the bumper, you could just buy a front lip and cover it up.

 

I struck a coon a few weeks ago. By the time I hit him after locking the brakes I was probably doing about 20mph.

 

Bezel? The fog trim rings, or the black piece they clip into? If you have a non-sport bumper, that black cross-hatched piece is actually part of the bumper. Or maybe you're talking about the lower grille... I can't tell.

Like has been mentioned, if the damage can be covered up with the OEM chin, then heck... this is an opportunity.


No, BB. First you post pictures on the car forum. Obviously, LOL

 

Guess raccoons are in season as one ran out in front of me a couple of weeks ago. Of course I had just installed a brand new front lip spoiler about a week prior.

The spoiler is ruined, lost the same chrome piece that you did and it also put stress cracks in the paint where he was struck.

Called the insurance company, $500 deductible, and got the quote from the body shop - $1550 total. The bumper can be fixed and repainted, the OEM spoiler replaced and the license plate holes filled. Car is from up north but we don't require front license plates where I live.

In the end, my car will look better than before as getting the license plate holes filled would have cost me around $700 for paint and labor. Got a quote last year as I was kicking around the idea of replacing the front bumper.

The raccoon also survived a 45 mph blast. Amazingly he walked away. Maybe he died later from internal injuries.

 

Hey SepaG - you planning on replacing that? I've got an area on the lower bumper about 10x that size with these cracks. I've also heard they will only grow over time. The other thing is some appear higher up on the bumper so unfortunately a lip would only cover some not all of them. Sorry - I figured I'd post pictures first. I've got a trip planned to body shop Monday. I'll report out then. Thanks all, some interesting replies in here for sure...lol