# Peeling paint on bumper **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823 "2012-11-30T08:55:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jeff1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@jeff1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jeff1)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/1 "2012-11-30T08:55:24Z")
I park on the street and my bumper gets knicked a lot. I had a horizontal crack in the paint, about four inches long. A year later the paint has peeled from an area of about 4 inch by 1.5 inch around the crack. The bumper itself is solid, no damage. Just the paint is damaged. How can I stop the paint from peeling? I don’t want to repair this, because it will happen again for sure. I just want to stop the paint from peeling and the crack from getting larger. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 8:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/2 "2012-11-30T08:58:32Z")
You can’t. It has to be sanded off, filled and repainted if you want it to look perfect. ---
**Author:** ![jeff1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@jeff1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jeff1)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 9:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/3 "2012-11-30T09:02:18Z")
Take a look at my before pic. I taped it over because I thought I would prevent further cracking. A year later, it looks like the second pic. ---
**Author:** ![jeff1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@jeff1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jeff1)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/4 "2012-11-30T09:04:14Z")
Thanks RemcoW. I don’t desire it to look perfect… or even good. I just want the chipping/peeling to stop, so the damage doesn’t grow. Any suggestions for that? ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/5 "2012-11-30T09:04:32Z")
Paint, once it fails, can’t be [reattached.It](http://reattached.It) requires body work. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/6 "2012-11-30T09:57:49Z")
@jeff1 As you stated you dont want to repair it so try this. Break off all the paint that is lifting and loose, use whatever tools you need since your not repairing it. After you have removed the loose stuff and cleaned the dirt off paint the edges with clear fingernail polish. That should hold it for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/peeling-paint-on-bumper/75823/7 "2012-11-30T18:55:42Z")
As meanycatz said, you have to remove the loose paint and do a touchup. In your case the bond between the paint and the underlying surface was broken by physical stress rather than a poor bond, so the problem should be isolated to those the areas surrounding spots that were hit. Since it’s a recurring problem, I’d just get some rattlecan touchup paint and try that. Be sure to use primer too for better adhesion.