Fender Bender
 

Got into one today in my 2009 Mazda 3. Just curious how bad you guys think it is and how much it will run me.

Anyone? This is supposed to be a "mazdaclub" forum after all.

sorry you are not getting quick replies, this board is not as active as it once was.

its tough to say. a body shop will have a better idea once they inspect the pieces you can't see damaged. assuming you can salvage the bumper cover, repainting will be around $500+. they would have to resand, prime, and repaint the entire bumper. if you can't reuse the bumper cover, a new mazda3 bumper is about $350. i couldn't see the fender, but light scratches can be buffed out, but if the metal is exposed the entire fender will be repainted also. they could only repaint a section but its best to repaint the piece as a whole so there arent variations on color and finish.

if the bumper reinforcements (usually a foam or plastic impact absorber) are compromised that would be additional cost. i dont know how mazda3 bumpers are reinforced but i needed a new protege absorber which was about $50.

your headlights may look fine on the outside but if the lights are damaged under the bumper they would have to be replaced too. headlamps cost around $200 each.

i researched these mazda3 prices from mazda-parts-dealer.com so your actual price quotes may vary. like i said your best bet is to get an estimate from a body shop.

ah, old thread time.
Since the bumper is black paint on a black plastic, the white should scrape off just leaving non-shiny divets. Overall the dent should just pop back out, but if any of the plastic is broken that's another thing, since you don't want it to fly around in the wind.

It isn't too difficult to take off the bumper, checking behind it will let you know if anything else got bumped - like the power steering pump, metal bumper, windshield washer tank etc.