I got a large dent in the rear plasitc bumper on my Toyota Sienna. On rear left side, about the size of a grapefruit dented in. Though dented no tear of the plastic bumper. Is there an easy way to restore the bumper to original or would it be best to take it to an auto body shop to be safe. I got one of those dent repair kits but not sure if it will work. Any information appreicated.
LOL. I just saw too many of these after I got one in 2001 on my 2000 Sienna. I took off the bumper and tried to push it out by myself. But the plastic is very hard and I couldn't fix it. So I took it to a body shop. He had it fixed by applying heat. He charged me $20. He did such a good just that I can barely notice it and I gave him $25. My bumper is not painted though.
I think you would be much better off using a BROOM Stick (a 1" or larger wooden dowel with a rounded off end) to push out the dent from the backside, crawling under the car for access - AFTER the car has been out sitting in the hot sun all day, and the bumper cover is nice and toasty and softened up a bit. That minimizes the chances that the paint on the bumper cover will crack, and maximizes the chances that the dent will stay popped out when you finish.
If you follow Wolfgang's suggestion to use a BOOM Stick (AKA a shotgun) to push out the dent, you are going to have a much larger mess on your hands than the one you started with. Not to mention a visit from the friendly local police if you live in a community with laws regulating the discharge of a firearm...
(Hey, you gotta have some fun with typos when they're really First Order Freudian Slips. What a difference an 'r' makes...) ;-P
Hi I had the same problem with my Mazda. One garage guy got a hair blower to heat it up and pushed with a handle from the backside. It came almost back in place. Just try it yourself.
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