Mondeos and their patchwork bumpers.

[Kozy]

Seems to be mentioned quite often on here, and it IS a fairly common sight on the roads, but what is the reason that so many Mondeos have bumpers covered in tape, odd coloured ones or both?

My Mk3 TDDi estate actually had both when I bought it, an odd coloured front bumper from when the previous owner stuffed it into a bush in the snow, and a taped up rear although I have no idea how that happened.

Why do Mondeos seem so much more prone to these patchwork repairs then any other car?

[Zad]

Probably because they have a tendency to crack when lightly pranged, and cost a small fortune to replace. They can be plastic welded but most people don't bother.

[matt1269]

I read somewhere that there was a design fault with the rear bumpers which caused them to become damaged over speeds of 100mph.

Or something like that.

[miniman]

If you follow one on the motorway, you'll be amazed that there are any left at all with intact bumpers. They flap around like a sail. The latest shape has a slot cut in the bottom of the bumper presumably to reduce flappage.

[martin84]

Its because despite being a common car replacement bumpers are very expensive to get hold of. And they're filled with foam. With most mk2 mondeo's now worth £500 at best, and bumpers costing about £120 to get hold of, for most people its not worth it and duck tape for £5 is the better option.;

I take a different tact with mine, i did have to replace the rear bumper of my zetec t reg last year (someone with a towbar reversed into it) and i sourced a green one and had the whole car resprayed black (it was black in the first place but a full respray wasnt much more than just doing the rear). Probably the best mk2 mondeo paintwork on Britain's roads today!

[Mouse1903]

Have to say I've noticed this too. Similar issue is for Mk4 Polos, they all have dents in the rear bumper :-)

[XJSsometimeSoon]

This is a secret code to pass information between MI5 agents. The direction, position, amount and colour of the gaffer tape acts as some kind of code.

[anonymous-user]

Mouse1903 said:

Have to say I've noticed this too. Similar issue is for Mk4 Polos, they all have dents in the rear bumper :-)

Lol! Yes, I've seen loads of Mk4 Polo's with corners of bumpers simply pushed in like a perfect dent with no cracks.. Bizarre. Super flexible bumpers and short sighted drivers??

And I too have noticed a large number of Mondeo bumpers with large foam filled holes in them, usually plastered with tape.

[AlpineWhite]

Mouse1903 said:

Have to say I've noticed this too. Similar issue is for Mk4 Polos, they all have dents in the rear bumper :-)

That's because the lower part of the bumper is metal. Back into something that's lower than the main bumper (which is plastic), a high kerb for example, and voila, a dent.

[pimping]

Just on the motorway coming up to belfast today when i saw a deep green mondeo circa 1997 with not the rear bumper done in a lovely black gaffer effect on both sides.

He must have been matching the sides up to look similar lol.

[Babu 01]

last item on list

[B'stard Child]

Babu 01 said:

last item on list

Very good - would have been funnier if you'd kept quiet about the last line

[Mr Dave]

Its a sign, basically duct tape on the rear bumper means the driver is into dogging.

[MiniMan64]

matt1269 said:

I read somewhere that there was a design fault with the rear bumpers which caused them to become damaged over speeds of 100mph.

Yup, very common design fault, used to work for the company, look out for UV faded rear wheel arches on Corsas too.

[TheEnd]

I also see a lot of Ford Focii with a dent in the section between the bottom of the rear light, and the top of the bumper.

[martin84]

I'd still like to reiterate there is no duck tape or dents anywhere on my mk2 Mondeo Maybe its collectable?

[Pistachio]

When it gets cold (- degress) the bumpers become brittle so when they clunk something they crack or shatter.

[Kozy]

Pistachio said:

When it gets cold (- degress) the bumpers become brittle so when they clunk something they crack or shatter.

That would explain why the one on mine got completely annihilated by a bush.

[Hudson]

They're magnetic. My first car was a Mondeo and within 4 hours of owning it, some woman smashed me up the arse in a punto (smashed the st out of her car in the process), only damage to the mighty mk1 was..the bumper...which was black...

You can imagine how it was repaired.

[andy-xr]

The Mk2 was more prone to this than later ones IIRC, something about excess speed (excess being over 70) that caused disruption to the airflow. Or they'd flecked up the design of it

Think that was also the one that suffered from fuel locks