Caught lower valence on curb at store. Dang! Looks like new fascia time. Of course it is entire front plastic bumper cover. Curve in fascia causes tear to misalign about 1/4". The tear is about 1.5" long. Is it a comp or collision repair claim?
I would call it, “I wouldn’t worry about it claim.”
If you’ve done it once, you’re probably going to do it again.
Tester
You can repair it if you want to. Google ‘bumper cover repair’ for info.
If you claim it it would be collision. I wouldn’t claim it. I would do as the above guys say.
I agree with 2 cents , collision. You collided with a curb. Comp is for things out of your control like meteors landing on your hood.
I hit a raccoon. My agent wanted to know if it was dead or alive. I said it was alive and then dead after I hit it. He said comp if it was alive (no deductible) and collision if it was dead. I suspect collision but I would repair it. Some backing material, a few pop rivets, then fill and smooth the gaps with bumper cover putty and repaint. I only file important claims.
As I’ve said before, I hit a deer. It was a comp claim. The insurance company looks at deer hits as an act of God (just like hail) because He made them so incredibly stupid.
Well I’m anxious to report, that while they don’t work, I have only seen one deer on the side of the road since I installed deer whistles on all cars. And that deer was running away from me. They might be dumb but they have good hearing. I’m wondering about skunk and raccoon whistles now.
My state’s highway patrol equipped some of its cars with deer whistles several years ago. They reported that there was no difference in deer strikes between those with and without the whistles.
There ARE some things you don’t even bother your insurance over…just fix it yourself, OR leave it un-repaired…and move on.
If they don’t raise your rate today because of this one claim…they will sooner that later because of the grand total of claims, this being one of them.
Just leave it out of the equation.
Car is leased
It will be collision. A parking curb belongs on the road, it is part of the road.
A deer is not part of the road, that would be comp
In the past I have inspected several cars that collided with deer that had deer whistles. I always photographed the deer whistles clogged with hair.
If it is a leased car, might as well have it fixed or they’ll charge you $1500 for the damage at turn in time.
Personally I would put duct tape on the outside to hold the split shut. then sand the back rough and apply fiberglass matt on the back side. Let it set for a couple days remove the duct tape sand and paint as needed. I did this on my 99 Camry with far worse bumper that was much more visible with acceptable results.
It’s leased, so if they see it you’ll be charged. I hit a stray and it did the same thing to my front skirting. I took an piece of aluminium and epoxied it to the back side of the crack. I filled it and sanded it smooth. I sprayed it with Duplicolor and clearcoat. You could not even tell it happened. Of course this was my new car and not leased.
I’m not sure fiberglass will stick well enough and would use the bumper filler material at a auto supply store. You can still use the fiberglass matting or mesh. Just sayin’ that I had trouble with fiberglass sticking to a header.
@Bing,
On my first try the fiberglass did not stick well at all. But after sanding rough with I think it was 100 grit paper it held just fine. Used some filler, where the tape didn’t keep the crack lined up on the front.sanded then painted.
The leasing folks will charge you for it, fix all of the body damage just before you turn it in. Rocketman
Quoting @knfenimore
“It’s leased, so if they see it you’ll be charged.”
That’s the kicker. If you can get it fixed well enough that the leasing company can’t see it, then they won’t charge you for it. Essentially, it’s not there. If they can see it, their fix will supposedly require a new bumper cover which will have to be painted. That’s expensive. Then, after you’re out of sight, they will pop the tear back into place and take the car to their favorite auction where it will become the next dealer’s problem. He will probably fix it with a patch from the backside and some Duplicolor paint from AutoZone.
How long before you have to turn your leased car in? If it’s more than a few months, consider leaving it alone until closer to that time. You are bound to hook another curb sooner or later.