Hello,

I have a 19 plate Fiat 500 Lounge. This morning I was involved in a minor accident and my front bumper is dented and cracked ?

I've tried finding a Fiat approved repairer but Google is not being the most helpful and this is all new to me so not really sure what I'm looking for! It only looks to be the bumper so I'm trying to get quotes for fixing it myself instead of going through the insurance as I don't want my premiums to go up.

Can anyone recommend a Fiat approved repairer in the West Yorkshire (England) area please?

Thank you!

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Chel T said:

I've tried finding a Fiat approved repairer

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Why . Being Fiat approved probably won't get you a better job, but it will almost certainly leave you facing a larger bill.

Replacing a bumper isn't rocket science and doesn't need much in the way of marque specific knowledge.

Concentrate on finding a good independent bodyshop instead.

Chel T said:

It only looks to be the bumper

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And it probably only is. The two most vulnerable parts in that area are the A/C condenser and the main radiator. The A/C condenser is the front radiator you can see through the grille and it usually the first one to go; if it does, the refrigerant will quickly evaporate and the A/C won't work. If the A/C still works, the main radiator is likely to be all good also. But, just to be on the safe side, keep a close eye on the coolant level for the next week or two. In the unlikely event it has been damaged and the radiator is leaking coolant, you'll likely wreck your engine before the car tells you anything about it.

Chel T said:

Hello,



I have a 19 plate Fiat 500 Lounge. This morning I was involved in a minor accident and my front bumper is dented and cracked [emoji17]



I've tried finding a Fiat approved repairer but Google is not being the most helpful and this is all new to me so not really sure what I'm looking for! It only looks to be the bumper so I'm trying to get quotes for fixing it myself instead of going through the insurance as I don't want my premiums to go up.



Can anyone recommend a Fiat approved repairer in the West Yorkshire (England) area please?



Thank you!

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It’s a bumper. Any good Bodyshop can fix it. Minor job so offer cash and you’ll get it done much cheaper.

Thank you both. Does it not need to be a Fiat approved one though to make sure it doesn't invalidate my warranty and also so they use the correct paint to match the rest of the car? ?

Chel T said:

Thank you both. Does it not need to be a Fiat approved one though to make sure it doesn't invalidate my warranty and also so they use the correct paint to match the rest of the car? [emoji848]

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No it doesn’t. Warranties are mechanical related. It sounds like a minor bump. All bodyshops have access to the right paint. I would ask for recommendations on any local Facebook groups.

Always offer cash, especially for small jobs like that. I repair the cars so use bodyshops quite frequently for bodywork that I can’t do myself and always get really good prices for cash.

Ah, good to know! Sorry for sounding stupid, I don't really know much about cars! Thank you. I've asked around some local ones for quotes and only one has replied so far quoting £900, that seems excessive! ?

Chel T said:

Ah, good to know! Sorry for sounding stupid, I don't really know much about cars! Thank you. I've asked around some local ones for quotes and only one has replied so far quoting £900, that seems excessive! [emoji33]

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Your not stupid! Don’t be so hard on yourself it’s a learning curve as a car owner!

Never go to a dealership for such repairs they just take the ****!!
I got a quote of 615 for a tiny dent!! It’s a joke?

Chel T said:

Ah, good to know! Sorry for sounding stupid, I don't really know much about cars! Thank you. I've asked around some local ones for quotes and only one has replied so far quoting £900, that seems excessive! [emoji33]

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Can you show us some pictures? What colour is it? Depending on how bad it is it might be better to get a second hand one on eBay in colour. I pay £100 for a respray of a bumper but that’s in a different colour to the bumper I give them to paint. A plastic welding job to repair shouldn’t cost more than £100 cash. I wouldn’t expect it to be more than about £250 in total depending on how bad it is.

£900 sounds like they want to "fit a new bumper" and then paint it... which is great if a) you *really* have to have a new bumper (compared to a second-hand one which once painted will look and function exactly the same) and b) they actually do fit a new bumper rather than repair your old one ..

When I was young and naive, rather than just handsome and cynical, I paid for a "new bumper" and it was just a repair of my old one.. which I only discovered later, when someone drove into it and cracked the repair patch off it.

If the bumper is smashed to bits, I would look for a good condition second-hand one from a 2018/19 model. Breakers never *ever* look after their painted panels to make sure they don't get scratched during removal or transit (I don't care who comes on here and says they wrap theirs in unicorn velvet.. a second-hand bumper will never arrive to you looking like your 2019 one) so resign yourself to getting it sprayed in the right colour and choose a good condition/uncracked/chipped one rather than a tatty one that happens to be the right colour). Then get it sprayed and fitted.

If your bumper just has a few gouges (not cracked and/or missing pieces) then it should be fillable/paintable. Even a cracked one (if it's a simple crack) ought to be repairable.


Ralf S.

True story when my Punto went into a “fiat approved” repairer,

The car had a new back bumper painted and fitted, the replacement bumper was not a fiat genuine part and didn’t fit properly and the guy said to me “what do you want? It’s a Fiat not a Rolls Royce”

A good independent garage have a reputation to uphold and will generally take good care of your car.

AndyRKett said:

True story when my Punto went into a “fiat approved” repairer,

The car had a new back bumper painted and fitted, the replacement bumper was not a fiat genuine part and didn’t fit properly and the guy said to me “what do you want? It’s a Fiat not a Rolls Royce”

A good independent garage have a reputation to uphold and will generally take good care of your car.

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What a scumbag, I hope you paid him with monopoly money and said "what do you want? Real money? It's only a Fiat".

I’ve had varying success with non genuine bumpers. A good second hand one that’s then painted is by far the best solution.

Just thought I would add these pictures of a cracked and splitt to hell bumper in a sport I did last year.

I’m an amateur but thought I would give it a go and it turned out well. Paint wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked but not bad from a rattle can.

Nice job! What's the zig-zaggy black stuff.. looks like stitches with pins in it?


Ralf S.

Ralf S. said:

Nice job! What's the zig-zaggy black stuff.. looks like stitches with pins in it?


Ralf S.

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Hot staples by look's of it

Yes, hot staples then the protruding ends cut off and ground down just below the surface, then filled and rubbed down.