My husband and I just moved to Connecticut, which has the requirement for a front license plate. (Our old state did not have this requirement) I have a 1996 Honda Accord LX and he has a 1996 Jetta Trek. We have made the rounds of the auto parts stores and can’t find brackets to fit our cars. Short of going to the dealer, drilling holes in the bumpers ourselves, or going to a junk yard, is there an easy fix to mounting our license plates on the front of our cars?
If you are able to install it yourself, go to the dealer parts department and purchase a front plate mounting bracket. This the cheaper way to go.
If you can’t install it, you need to go to the service department and they will install it for you. You can always ask the service writer what it will cost. It might not be too bad since the labor should only be a few minutes.
I would want .5hr to do this job, Dealer labor rates approx. $100.00 hr, a $50.00 plus parts job.
Maybe the Advisor can do it on the drive for you, are you a regulat customer of the Dealer?
Maybe you can schedule some service work at the same time and get a “inclusive” price on the plate installation.
With plastic bumpers can’t you just drill two small holes and use self tapping screws? All of my Toyota’s came this way…
You need to first get the license plate brackets either at the dealer or try again for the after-market at well stocked auto parts stores. To mount them, you use the square plastic screw anchors for the bumpers. Cut out a square hole for the inserts with an exacto knife or something, and insert the anchor. When you screw the bracket into the anchor, it expands and holds it tight. Then the plate gets screwed to the bracket.
You can mark them and drill right into the bumper. Don’t go deeper than the screw. It will hold just fine. I did it to my new car and it’s been two years. Standard screws with the pointy ends work alright. If I didn’t use drills all the time, I would still own the one I bought in 1972. Such fond automotive memories.
The brackets are available at the dealers parts counter for little cost. Any handy person can install them.
Like a few of the other posters, my front plate is held with two short but fat license plate bolts screwed right into the bumper. My last few cars have been this way…from the dealer! On my current car they actually had tiny dimples to show the installer where to screw in.