Bumper Panel Popped out a Little in Jolion, Will Water Damage inside of Car?

I recently reversed into a pole in my new Haval Jolion causing small dents and the bumper panel to pop out a little.

I've been quoted between $1,300 and $1,600 for repairs and the insurance company has booked me in for the earliest possible repairs being over a month for now.

I've tried to pop the panel back in but I'm worried if I push too hard, I'll cause more damage. My concern now is rainwater getting inside the internals of the panels and possibly causing rust or damaging the sensors / electronics. Is that a possibility? Should I just try to force the panel back in? None of the clips appear to be broken off.

Photo of popped out panel

Photo of ding

Comments

  • +2

    reversing camera stopped working?

    • no, it was just a stupid mistake..i think i was just a bit overwhelmed, it was the first week of owning it and i'm still getting used to the cameras, constant beeping and not being able to see out the back / sides as clearly as previous cars.

      • +1

        Sorry to hear that Just thought you could claim something if it failed as warranty somehow I'm sure you get what I mean. after looking at the photos I wouldn't be too concerned probably push the panel while lifting and it may click in place

        those sensors beeping drive me crazy on the Falcon, took me a week to realise when they start the constant tone you have about 4 cm to go now I have a rear camera but cant stop the sensors as too much stuff is on same circuits

      • I think you’ve missed the point completely. You need to have a look at yourself in the mirror.

        • Nope Did you look at the photo?
          Im spot on with everything I said

          But thx for reading anyway

  • +2

    Firstly bumpers don't rust because you'll find it's made of plastic/resin. But your tail gate might rust….

  • +4

    Areas behind bumpers aren't perfectly sealed, there would be water ingress during storms or driving through wet roads anyway.

    You've booked it in for insurance, ignore it until it's time to get fixed.

    Being a haval that's almost an unrepairable write off ;)

    • They need to be perfectly sealed otherwise exhaust gas will enter the cabin.

      • +2

        Ah .I seriously hope that's sarcasm if you think the area in the ops pictures is a 'sealed' area :/

        • All the metal panels behind the plastic cover need to be sealed, the craptiva even had a recall because the pinch weld around the bottom of the tailgate wasn’t fully sealed with drip check. So yeah areas behind the bumper cover, as in the metal parts of the car, need to be sealed. Unless you are referring to the air between the bumper cover and the body panels?

          • +1

            @[Deactivated]: Clearly the image shows the bumper has come off its mounting.
            There is no structural damage there to indicate the bump has breached any metal panels.

            The poster was worried about water getting behind the plastic bumper. Nothing to do with metal seams/panels etc

            Not sure we're looking at the same images of 'damage'

            • @SBOB: Did you see the tailgate being bent? Have you inspected the car to make sure? If the plastic bar has been distorted to the point where the tailgate strikes an object then there will be more damage. And the fact they cannot easily relocate the plastic cover may also indicate the clip/clamp that clips into the body cavity is damaged and could leak.

              • +1

                @[Deactivated]: Brian just stop talking, you're completely wrong.

                • -1

                  @Mungulz: Are you a mechanic or panel beater that’s had to diagnose leaks into boots or wheel wells? Cause I am and I have and maybe you would understand what I’m saying if you knew what was behind the plastic bumper cover.

  • +1

    Seal it temporarily with gorilla tape maybe

  • +5

    It's fine, water gets in there every time it rains or you wash it anyway. Surprised the prices are that low, that colour looks like it would be a massive pain in the ass to colour match.

    • Thanks for the comment, i thought as much tbh, it's not like the panel joints look water tight anyway. I imagine it could be a pain, for them, i was told they would need to repaint both panels entirely….for such a minor ding its really disappointing. the car also has ceramic paint coating which i imagine will cause a visual mismatch until i get the new panels coated as well.

      Regarding the price, I don't know much about the process or industry but I guess, the high availability of havals might also means a high availability of their paint colours too.

      • +5

        Pretty much all the cost is in the repainting. The slots you see in the bumper push into clips and the slots don't look broken so that will probably just push back into place. The tiny dent in the hatch will need filling. Being on the edge, it won't pop out using paintless repair techniques. I probably would have pushed the bumper back into place and used a 000 polish to take out the couple of small black marks on the hatch and bumper. Wait for something significant to happen. Only problem is that you would never "unsee" the tiny dent in the hatch.

        • Thanks for the tips, I'm considering maybe just going down this route. What's 000 polish?

          • @Jamoumou: Ultra fine cutting polish. May have a different name depending on the brand. Ask at an auto parts place.

      • +1

        Insurance should pay for the ceramic protection. Did you tell them it was on the car when the policy was taken out or apart of the car purchase?

        Our company Mazda had paint protection done at the dealer and insurance paid for it to be redone on all the fixed/replaced panels.

        • Thanks for the tip, I didn't even consider that the insurance might cover that. I'm not sure if the insurance company knows about the ceramic paint, i assume so as it was apart of the car purchase, i'll contact them tomorrow and find out for sure.

          • +1

            @Jamoumou: If it’s listed in the contract of sale then insurance will cover it without even telling them. Ours did anyways, we just showed them the contract and they approved the works.

  • Gafa tape from Bunnines in the morning and tape up the gap.

  • +3

    Do you really need to get this repaired under insurance affecting your premiums?

    Push the bumper in till the clips hold again and ignore the tiny ding. It's the first of very very very very very many to come.

    First one's always tough, but then you'll stop caring eventually. It's not like that vehicle has any resale value to hold onto anyway.

    • I was thinking the same thing, but I'm also thinking about possibly trading up to the H6 or S version in the not too distant future. I'm weighing all my options and looking for advice in the meantime. The price of the excess alone is making me consider withdrawing the claim… Thanks for the input.

      • It's not worth it. You'll pay the excess, be without the car for days while it's being repaired, pay higher insurance premium at next renewal just to have a rock bounce off someone's tyre and ding your side door a week later or kerb a wheel while parking or whatever. You're not going to trade up when you realise the trade-in value offered.

  • It’ll be fine. Water gets in there all the time.

    Give the popped out bumper a decent thump with the heel of your palm or the side of your fist and it’ll likely pop right back it.

  • +1

    If it was my car I'd just try and clip it back by giving bit of a push and maybe give it a touchup with a bit of paint. These little dings happen so I wouldnt worry to much about it.

  • That bar will pop back in, just make sure its high enough/aligned with the tabs and give it a few whacks with your palm. Dont worry about breaking it, it's already broken!

  • Don't worry about rainwater. Water gets up in there when you are driving anyway. I'd check the clips are there and not broken (buy some new ones if you have to and clip them back in). You can hit a solid object with those bars up to a reasonable speed and they will pop back with a little heat so it doesn't crack the paint and yours is nowhere near that bad. After that, I would just touch up the tailgate and leave it. At least in buying a Chinese car, any parts you need should be cheap but you are putting more money into the car than what you will lose by the damage.

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