Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice?

RGBee

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Hi guys, so a neigbor backed into my car coming out of our parking.

Honda Civic 10th gen Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice? 20210721_174404

Honda Civic 10th gen Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice? 20210721_174401

Honda Civic 10th gen Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice? 20210721_174358

Honda Civic 10th gen Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice? 20210721_173549_HDR


The tow-hook on his truck went straight for the area just above the fake vent on the driver side and dented the bumper pretty good. Part of the fake vent is popped out along the top.

Everything else seems fine luckily. Haven't tried but should the fake vent just pop back in? What are you guys thoughts on the dent? Might I just be able to pop it out?

I ask mainly as I already started an insurance claim. This is the first time I've ever been in such a situation. Google suggests premiums could go up for this even though I'm not at fault. Also suggests I should be able to cancel the claim at any point. They are trustworthy and would be covering any repair costs of course.

Any thoughts and advice anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated!
 
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NHCivicGuy

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Look up paint less dent repair and find a good reputable one in your area. That should be no problem.
 
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RGBee

RGBee

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Look up paint less dent repair and find a good reputable one in your area. That should be no problem.
Thanks man ? I've never heard of paintless dent repair. Looks like there is a spot nearby I can get quoted from!

I was able to push the fake vent back in. Unfortunately the upper right clip was barely hanging on and just popped off. So i'll need to get the fake vent replaced. The area of the bumper where the clip goes in was dented inward as well. So it looks like even with the clip there will be a noticeable gap ? Hopefully the dent repair place can fix that too though.

Honda Civic 10th gen Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice? 20210722_061740

Honda Civic 10th gen Dented bumper from tow hitch, advice? 20210722_055952_HDR
 

NHCivicGuy

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Thanks man ? I've never heard of paintless dent repair. Looks like there is a spot nearby I can get quoted from!

I was able to push the fake vent back in. Unfortunately the upper right clip was barely hanging on and just popped off. So i'll need to get the fake vent replaced. The area of the bumper where the clip goes in was dented inward as well. So it looks like even with the clip there will be a noticeable gap ? Hopefully the dent repair place can fix that too though.

20210722_061740.jpg

20210722_055952_HDR.jpg
Damn that sucks! But they do amazing work, magical work, the good ones at least LOL. Good luck!
 

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If you know who did it, your insurance carrier should contact theirs’. And if repaired through their insurance, you shouldn’t get dinged on your premiums.

For a DIY repair, my first course of action would be to carefully heat up the area with a hair dryer on high heat. IMO, heat guns are a no-go for DIY unless you really know what you’re doing. Pull the garnish, heat the area and see if you can pop it back out from the inside. If that’s the only damage, the clips should line up after that dent is popped back out.
 


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RGBee

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Thanks guys, after a quote we ended up deciding to go through the insurance. As @jlamb30 mentioned since I wasn't at fault my premiums won't be affected and the deductible is going to be waived!

I've never had to deal with repair shops before. Interestingly the first quote I got was just over $900 for this repair ?
After going through with my insurance turns out the place I went to for the initial quote wasn't a "preferred" repairer. The appraisal I got from the insurance and a nearby Honda dealership repair was just about $415.

I'll send some shots after the repairs are done, thanks guys ?
 
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RGBee

RGBee

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If you know who did it, your insurance carrier should contact theirs’. And if repaired through their insurance, you shouldn’t get dinged on your premiums.

For a DIY repair, my first course of action would be to carefully heat up the area with a hair dryer on high heat. IMO, heat guns are a no-go for DIY unless you really know what you’re doing. Pull the garnish, heat the area and see if you can pop it back out from the inside. If that’s the only damage, the clips should line up after that dent is popped back out.
Thanks for the tips bro. I'll probably give that a shot on a pretty bad dent/scratch on my driver's side fender. I went grocery shopping months ago and came out to my car with a gnarly dent on the driver's side front fender with about an inch or so of paint ripped off... Dash cam didn't show anything useful. Only problem might be trying to fill the removed paint back in but. Damn city has done a number on my car ?
 

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Thanks guys, after a quote we ended up deciding to go through the insurance. As @jlamb30 mentioned since I wasn't at fault my premiums won't be affected and the deductible is going to be waived!

I've never had to deal with repair shops before. Interestingly the first quote I got was just over $900 for this repair ?
After going through with my insurance turns out the place I went to for the initial quote wasn't a "preferred" repairer. The appraisal I got from the insurance and a nearby Honda dealership repair was just about $415.

I'll send some shots after the repairs are done, thanks guys ?
For future reference, this is from the Society of Collision Repair Specialists:

"In Massachusetts, the vehicle owner has the right to choose any repair facility for the repair of that vehicle, unless he has agreed to have a participating repair shop endorsement added to his policy, at which point his shop selection will be limited according to the terms of the policy.

Insurers and appraisers are prohibited from requesting or suggesting that repairs be made in a specific repair shop."

In my state - GA - I can take my car to ANY repair facility that I want with no restrictions.
 

jlamb30

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Thanks for the tips bro. I'll probably give that a shot on a pretty bad dent/scratch on my driver's side fender. I went grocery shopping months ago and came out to my car with a gnarly dent on the driver's side front fender with about an inch or so of paint ripped off... Dash cam didn't show anything useful. Only problem might be trying to fill the removed paint back in but. Damn city has done a number on my car ?
You're welcome!
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