Fixing scratches on bumper - Honda lease return

Get an inspection report first and then decide.

If you are to do another Honda lease, dealer may absorb the repair cost.

booblehead wrote: ↑ Get an inspection report first and then decide.

If you are to do another Honda lease, dealer may absorb the repair cost.

+1

Are you getting another Honda? Probably don't need to fix it.

I would do the lease return inspection, and see what price they give you. If it's higher than what you think it'll cost outside to fix, than you know what to do.

Given the OP's post, I would guess that they've not done this kind of work themselves previously. Otherwise, this is a pretty easy DIY job for somebody with modest skills and some patience - especially given the colour. I just did a repair on more extensive damage on my fathers car's bumper and (to him) it looks like new whereas I know I still need to buff the clearcoat to even the sheen.

Sadly, if you don't do this really well, inspections will note it anyway (they tend to look closely at the front bumper corners) and you're no further ahead for your efforts.

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ Given the OP's post, I would guess that they've not done this kind of work themselves previously. Otherwise, this is a pretty easy DIY job for somebody with modest skills and some patience - especially given the colour. I just did a repair on more extensive damage on my fathers car's bumper and (to him) it looks like new whereas I know I still need to buff the clearcoat to even the sheen.

Sadly, if you don't do this really well, inspections will note it anyway (they tend to look closely at the front bumper corners) and you're no further ahead for your efforts.

How are you going to fill the void? That's right into the plastic.

To fix it properly you need to have the full front bumper filled/sanded in those areas & then repaint the full bumper. Depending on the body shop you go to I would expect $600 - $1,000 range.

booblehead wrote: ↑Get an inspection report first and then decide.

If you are to do another Honda lease, dealer may absorb the repair cost.

simplypop wrote: ↑ +1

Are you getting another Honda? Probably don't need to fix it.

I would do the lease return inspection, and see what price they give you. If it's higher than what you think it'll cost outside to fix, than you know what to do.

Thanks for the suggestion.

That's the thing, next one most probably is not going to be a Honda.
If the inspection is done first, Honda is then aware of the issue so won't it get more scrutiny even after fixing? Also, if I get it fixed after inspection, who do I show it to ensure Honda is satisfied and I'm not liable to pay the amount from inspection report?

Kasakato wrote: ↑ How are you going to fill the void? That's right into the plastic.

Bumper plastic repair material or kits are everywhere - they're varying degrees of good, of course. I've had very good success with JB Weld Plastic repair when the plastic is exposed like this is. The approach and materials you use will depend on how deep into the plastic the scratches and nicks are. The OP's damage is minor but a lease-end inspection will assess at least $500 IMO. Whereas the correct paint (by paint code), a can of primer, clearcoat, varying grit sandpapers, and filler (if needed), and buffing compound won't total much beyond $150. It is, however, work and while it doesn't require a buffer/polisher, those are handy to have for jobs like this. Going to a body shop or letting the dealership take care of it is way simpler.

based on the pics shown, it does not appear your bumper have any crack or dent to them. I would think the repaint (for the entire bumper) would be $800. Not sure any body shop would suggest to just paint the affected portion of it for cheaper price, I would be hesitant to go that route.

2 things from my experience.

1. These days many car manfacturers do NOT inspect lease returns themselves, but instead a 3rd party company does it. I leased a Mazda 6 in the past, and when I returned it it was a 3rd party company that came and inspected my car, and they reported to Mazda Canada not my dealer, so whether I go on to lease another Mazda or not did not matter, I still had to repair my car to a point it is satisfactory for the inspector. The old days of "if you lease another car with us we'll let that go" seems to be gone, at least with some companies.

2. I agree you should get the inspection report first, an then they'll give you a $$ amount on how much you have to pay them if you are not going to fix it. I had some curb rashes on my rims and they wanted $250 for it. I checked with my mechanics and he said just pay them, it won't cost you any less to get that fixed. They also said my tires need to be replaced, which they wanted $1000 for. I found used tires for $350 instead.

Now for your scratches, what you CAN do if you want to DIY is buy touch up paint, touch up yourself, then use the scratch remover kits to rub it down and polish it. It may or may not pass the inspection but it is cheap so why not give it a try? I had scratches worse than yours on my trade-in, and I fixed it up well enough it didn't become a problem when I brought the car in for trade-in. This is for trade in though, not lease inspection but still.

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ Bumper plastic repair material or kits are everywhere - they're varying degrees of good, of course. I've had very good success with JB Weld Plastic repair when the plastic is exposed like this is. The approach and materials you use will depend on how deep into the plastic the scratches and nicks are. The OP's damage is minor but a lease-end inspection will assess at least $500 IMO. Whereas the correct paint (by paint code), a can of primer, clearcoat, varying grit sandpapers, and filler (if needed), and buffing compound won't total much beyond $150. It is, however, work and while it doesn't require a buffer/polisher, those are handy to have for jobs like this. Going to a body shop or letting the dealership take care of it is way simpler.

How do you apply the primer, colour and clear?

Kasakato wrote: ↑ How do you apply the primer, colour and clear?

There are zillions of how to videos about this. There are a few techniques that yield better results - you want to limit overspray but not leave a noticeable edge. So tape off surrounding areas for sure but don't paint to the edge of your taped off area (unless there's an obvious border like at the end of a panel). More thin layers are better at achieving that feathered-in result than fewer thicker layers. Don't paint the base coat layer until there are no imperfections. Patience between layers is key. After the clear has cured (I prefer something like 5-7 light layers of clear) for a couple of weeks, you can lightly sand with 800-1000 grit, then 2000 grit, then a polishing compound. It requires patience but you can get (almost) professional looking results.

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ There are zillions of how to videos about this. There are a few techniques that yield better results - you want to limit overspray but not leave a noticeable edge. So tape off surrounding areas for sure but don't paint to the edge of your taped off area (unless there's an obvious border like at the end of a panel). More thin layers are better at achieving that feathered-in result than fewer thicker layers. Don't paint the base coat layer until there are no imperfections. Patience between layers is key. After the clear has cured (I prefer something like 5-7 light layers of clear) for a couple of weeks, you can lightly sand with 800-1000 grit, then 2000 grit, then a polishing compound. It requires patience but you can get (almost) professional looking results.

If you haven't done this before, I would suggest against doing it ... spray-painting over scratches of that scale is more likely to make it look worse than make it look better if you are inexperienced in it.

jansh84 wrote: ↑ Hi all,..

I would not DIY a lease return as inspections can be really picky.

It will cost a lot more $$$ if Honda doesn't like your DIY. They will charge you premium rates to both undo your DIY and then fix it properly

number17 wrote: ↑ If you haven't done this before, I would suggest against doing it ... spray-painting over scratches of that scale is more likely to make it look worse than make it look better if you are inexperienced in it.

Sure. But how do you get experience if you never try?

Thanks so much for all the input guys!

It seems consensus is that I should get inspection done first and go from there..
I'm still not sure if I would be able to fix it myself but depending on what Honda is going to charge can definitely help me decide if its worth to take a chance. Just hoping that getting the inspection done with damage does not go against me in any way after getting it fixed.


Has anyone used the Honda Self Inspection App to do the lease inspection themselves? It's called 'OPNVIN Honda Auto inspection'.
I couldn't find any review or experience of using the app on Google!

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ Sure. But how do you get experience if you never try?

On someone else's car preferrably

Seriously sure, you need to start somewhere, but if the OP is trying to fix a pain scratch so that it passes the lease return inspection, and he's inexperienced at this, then using spray paint can easily make it even worse than now and defeat the purpose. Now is not the time to experiment and master new technique

Bumping to seek experience with Honda Self Inspection App for lease return..