Cost of replacing damaged bumper and rear light

[Bocking14]

A friend has to pay to replace a rear bumper and rear light unit on a Suzuki Alto and has no idea how much to expect to pay (it was a light touch and only external damage)

Does anyone know what the approximate total cost would be?

Thanks in advance

[Sad Ken]

There'll be loads of them on eBay, that's where I'd start looking to get a rough price.

[trickywoo]

Depends.

If you used new Suzuki parts and went to an ‘approved’ body shop it could easily be £1k.

If you can find matching colour secondhand and have a friendly mechanic / paint man then £200 or less.

[Bocking14]

Bumper (not the same colour) is £130 and light £60 on eBay.

How much for spraying the bumper and refitting it and the light?

They are prepared to use a local garage. What would be a reasonable cost to pay them to take care of it rather than my friend sourcing the parts?

[syl]

The labour to respray will be at least double the cost of the parts for the bumper.

[Monkeylegend]

Bocking14 said:

Bumper (not the same colour) is £130 and light £60 on eBay.

How much for spraying the bumper and refitting it and the light?

They are prepared to use a local garage. What would be a reasonable cost to pay them to take care of it rather than my friend sourcing the parts?

Best to ask the local garage, we can't know what they will charge.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

There is a lot of variables and unknowns in this but I wouldn't be surprised the cost from the garage is in the region of £250 to £300 to prep, paint and fit the parts. This obviously excludes the cost of the parts in the first place.

Paint isn't cheap and its the prep work that takes the time.

[Sad Ken]

Monkeylegend said:

Bocking14 said:

Bumper (not the same colour) is £130 and light £60 on eBay.

How much for spraying the bumper and refitting it and the light?

They are prepared to use a local garage. What would be a reasonable cost to pay them to take care of it rather than my friend sourcing the parts?

Best to ask the local garage, we can't know what they will charge.

I'd imagine they'd want quite a hefty markup to find the parts as well as fitting them.

I'd try and find one the correct colour and order it yourself if you can. If you're feeling confident, bumpers aren't that difficult to fit.

[Monkeylegend]

Sad Ken said:

Monkeylegend said:

Bocking14 said:

Bumper (not the same colour) is £130 and light £60 on eBay.

How much for spraying the bumper and refitting it and the light?

They are prepared to use a local garage. What would be a reasonable cost to pay them to take care of it rather than my friend sourcing the parts?

Best to ask the local garage, we can't know what they will charge.

I'd imagine they'd want quite a hefty markup to find the parts as well as fitting them.

I'd try and find one the correct colour and order it yourself if you can. If you're feeling confident, bumpers aren't that difficult to fit.

I was assuming he bought the bits himself so that part can be established.

I had a lady drive very slowly into the back of me several years ago ans popped the rear bumper. Initially it appeared all the car needed was a quick touch up respray estimated at £200 by a local garage.

It ended up being a £700 job as the bumper support brace underneath had been bent and had to be replaced.

The garage ideally need to see the car to give OP's friend a reasonably accurate quote, rather than speculative guesses on here.

[Bocking14]

Apparently they've had an estimate of £400 to £450

[paintman]

Is this on 'your friend's' car which they've damaged themselves or have they collided with someone and are now expected to pay the third party's damage?

If the former then no reason - garage willing to use 'your friend's' parts of course - for you to source secondhand parts but I'd be very surprised if the garage would be prepared to spend time & effort doing so.

If the latter then the third party will want their car back in pre-accident condition & if they are unwilling you can't force them to use 2nd hand parts.

Edited by paintman on Saturday 11th July 11:08

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Sometimes it's just better to let the insurance deal with it, assuming that there is insurance to claim from.

[Bocking14]

Insurance not an option due to a high excess and it's third party damage being handled amicably

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

You only pay the excess if you claim for your own damage, if someone claims off your insurance there is no excess to pay.

[Bocking14]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

You only pay the excess if you claim for your own damage, if someone claims off your insurance there is no excess to pay.

Granted but at this cost it would not be worth having another accident and claim on the driver's record (they've had a couple in the last few years)

[TooLateForAName]

Bocking14 said:

Apparently they've had an estimate of £400 to £450

Sounds cheap to me.

[nickv]

TooLateForAName said:

Sounds cheap to me.

It is cheap last one i did was £500.63 plus vat, supply and fit new rear bumper, and that didnt include a light.

O.E. bumper was £179.00 at the time, and that was over a year ago

And i am not considered overly expensive

[Bocking14]

Update: They settled for £375.

Thanks for all the replies