Do scratches and scrapes on modern car bumpers need to be repaired to avoid rust?

[johncrossley]

Do scratches and scrapes on modern car bumpers need to be repaired to avoid rust? In the old days there was a danger of rust if you didn't repair them. Is that still the case, or do the materials used today no longer rust, because, for example, they are made from plastic?

 

[Cowley]

Do scratches and scrapes on modern car bumpers need to be repaired to avoid rust? In the old days there was a danger of rust if you didn't repair them. Is that still the case, or do the materials used today no longer rust, because, for example, they are made from plastic?

Bumpers are pretty much all made of plastic these days so I’d say apart from the aesthetics, no.

 

[Busaholic]

My twelve year old car (and counting) would be riddled with rust if that were the case!

 

[D365]

My ”seventh generation” Fiesta has plastic bumpers. So the paint touch-ups that I do now and again are for cosmetic purposes only.

 

[m79900]

I quite like a car with scratches. It makes it look like its been used rather than sat in a garage and polished all day.

 

[Vespa]

Mine's 18 years old and still going, now I use black hammerite spray to give a bit of protection on the lower part of the door sills and arches, I stay on top of the rust not for cosmetic reasons, at that age it's just a workhorse and its already got dents and marks in the 10 years I've owned it and plan to keep it running for as long as possible to get my money's worth out of it, if I get another 5 more years I'll be happy.

 

[HOOVER29]

Only metal part of a bumper nowadays is the alloy crumple bar that’s behind the bumper attached to the car with bolts.
The bumper will usually clip to this

 

[ASharpe]

I've got a 13 year old Peugeot Diesel that's only done 130k miles but covered in dents and scratches.

I decided last week that I will get the timing belt changed and a pair of tyres replaced if it passes the MOT. And I might even start getting out the car to push the bin back down the driveway rather than using the bumper.

Should I do something about the scratches on the metal body? If so what do you recommend.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Pretty much any car shop will do touch-up pens if you don't overly care if it looks that good and just want to avoid rust. Find out what the official colour name is and look it up in their book. Or if you really don't care, go for the one that's vaguely the right colour.

 

[johncrossley]

and just want to avoid rust.

According to the above, rust isn't a problem on modern cars. Unless 13 years is old?

 

[Cowley]

I decided last week that I will get the timing belt changed and a pair of tyres replaced if it passes the MOT. And I might even start getting out the car to push the bin back down the driveway rather than using the bumper.

Should I do something about the scratches on the metal body? If so what do you recommend.

Not pushing the bins with the car would be my recommendation (although it did genuinely make me laugh ).

 

[HOOVER29]

According to the above, rust isn't a problem on modern cars. Unless 13 years is old?

Depends, mates brother-in-law works at a garage.
He sees all kinds of stuff.

8 yr old Ford Focus failed its mot with floor corrosion just in front of where the fuel tank sits.

He could only assume that the car started it’s life as a seaside car.

He failed it anyway.

 

[johncrossley]

Depends, mates brother-in-law works at a garage.
He sees all kinds of stuff.

8 yr old Ford Focus failed its mot with floor corrosion just in front of where the fuel tank sits.

He could only assume that the car started it’s life as a seaside car.

He failed it anyway.

Was that caused by rust to the bodywork?

 

[A0]

Depends, mates brother-in-law works at a garage.
He sees all kinds of stuff.

8 yr old Ford Focus failed its mot with floor corrosion just in front of where the fuel tank sits.

He could only assume that the car started it’s life as a seaside car.

He failed it anyway.

That's pretty uncommon though. I was chatting to the MOT tester I know when I last had my car in for its MOT and he reckoned he couldn't remember the last time he'd failed a car due to corrosion.

Usually you only see corrosion if there's been badly repaired accident damage, or, like you say, a car has started its life near the coast where the sea air gets to it. Apparently Scottish registered cars are also worse for corrosion - again due to the weather, salt on the roads etc.

 

[Ken X]

Not done it for a while, but we used to find dents in plastic bumpers could be sorted by pouring boiling water on them. After a short while they often popped out.

 

[HOOVER29]

Unknown

Was that caused by rust to the bodywork?

I’m afraid.
On the mk 1 Focus it was a known rust spot area

 

[MattA7]

Not pushing the bins with the car would be my recommendation (although it did genuinely make me laugh ).

I thought one of my relatives was the only person who used her car as a bin moving bulldozer