Crash Bumper damage

[skullmunki]

I have owned my FR+ for just short of 2 years, and never had a problem....until now.

Whilst modding the airbox ( a few weeks ago) and putting a large airfeed on I noticed the two adjuster brackets on top of the headlights had snapped. Fair enough I thought, it might have had a slight dink but seeing as it had passed its 1st MOT didnt really think anything else of it.

After removing the front centre grille, to my absolute horror I found this.....

Holy ****!!! Now, i'm not the most car proficient person in the world so I don't know exactly what that part is or how serious it is. (does it need replacing pronto? or even more serious?) HELP!

A SEAT main dealer sold the car to me in that condition, but it's now out of warranty and how the heck do I prove they sold it to me like that?

 

[FLK]

I might be wrong but to me it looks like the front crash bar and yes it'll need replacing, your radiator might also be damaged as well, though it could be superficial if the car's been fine for 2 years.

 

[DPJ]

Yes, that's your crash bumper. The plastic front needs to come off to assess the extent of the damage.

 

[skullmunki]

would it be worth going along to the dealers and show it them (seeing as they sold it to me like that?)

 

[Black TDI Turbo]

Its the front crash bar so looks like your car has had a quite bad front end crash at some point and the bar hasnt been replaced when it was repaired, crash bar takes the impact in an accident and is designed to take the force hence why it bends. If your car has been fine for 2 years id say its only superficial, id take it to the dealer you bought it from and say to them "did you know it had had previous crash damage when you sold me it?" id just ask them to check it over whilst you are there with them to see if the chassis legs arnt bent or there is any other damage. If its just the damage to the crash bar yes i would replace it as i said it takes the force if ever you may have an accident.

 

[UncleFester]

I'd guess that was a towbar on the back of a high 4WD - you do need to get the bumper off to inspect properly, however you may not have much luck with a dealer as it was probably never recorded and fixed for cash.

 

[skullmunki]

why wouldn't they have replaced it during repairs? would an impact like that not of set off the airbags (which makes me think if they havent replaced that crashbar, would they have replaced airbags?)

im just fretting (and bloody furious) that I had been driving my wife and baby son around in a car that might be unsafe.

 

[DPJ]

As Pat said, a 4x4 with a towbar reversing could easily have done that at low speed - airbags wouldn't go off.

Get it inspected.

 

[skullmunki]

As Pat said, a 4x4 with a towbar reversing could easily have done that at low speed - airbags wouldn't go off.

Get it inspected.

I am

Just spoken to the mechanic I use (ex Jaguar man and an MOT inspector!) and he's going to have a good look at it next week. I realise I would probably be p*****g in the wind if I went to the stealers, so will get him to replace it and hopefully there won't be any other nasty suprises when he gets the bumper off.

Thanks chaps.

I always thought it was in good nick seeing as the previous owner was female .......how wrong i was

 

[Willie]

I've got a spare crash bar if you want it?
£20
PM me.

 

[skullmunki]

pm sent

 

[Husbandofstinky]

I hope its nowt more than that.

Not what you want to come accross unexpectantly.

Hopefully a cheap and easy fix.

 

[Colin C]

Looking at the amount of damage to the crash bar it was a very low speed impact and like unclefester said possibly a towbar. The crash bar has done it's job and there would not of been any chassis damage or airbag's deployed. The only obvious damage at the time would most likely of only been a broken front number plate as the bumper would of most likely deformend and then sprung back into shape leaving the crash bar bent behind. The car is definately not unsafe or dangerous and it would of been very hard for the dealer to of seen the damage. If it was my car I would remove the front bumper and replace the crash bar and broken headlight, refit and forget about it.

 

[skullmunki]

I hope its nowt more than that.

Not what you want to come accross unexpectantly.

Hopefully a cheap and easy fix.

I hope so too...was a bit of a shock to find that

Looking at the amount of damage to the crash bar it was a very low speed impact and like unclefester said possibly a towbar. The crash bar has done it's job and there would not of been any chassis damage or airbag's deployed. The only obvious damage at the time would most likely of only been a broken front number plate as the bumper would of most likely deformend and then sprung back into shape leaving the crash bar bent behind. The car is definately not unsafe or dangerous and it would of been very hard for the dealer to of seen the damage. If it was my car I would remove the front bumper and replace the crash bar and broken headlight, refit and forget about it.

Already go a replacement crashbar sorted but getting it properly checked out next weekend.

Thanks for your help everyone

 

[Willie]

Looking at the amount of damage to the crash bar it was a very low speed impact and like unclefester said possibly a towbar. The crash bar has done it's job and there would not of been any chassis damage or airbag's deployed. The only obvious damage at the time would most likely of only been a broken front number plate as the bumper would of most likely deformend and then sprung back into shape leaving the crash bar bent behind. The car is definately not unsafe or dangerous and it would of been very hard for the dealer to of seen the damage. If it was my car I would remove the front bumper and replace the crash bar and broken headlight, refit and forget about it.

How can you say the car is not unsafe.
The main crash structure of the front end has been compromised.
If its not unsafe why would you change this?
I take it your a salesman

 

[skullmunki]

car now back safe and sound.

nothing damaged apart from the bar which has now been replaced thanks to Willie

 

[Willie]

Easy enough bud?

 

[skullmunki]

Easy enough bud?

put it this way, he had done it inside an hour and a half

 

[Willie]

put it this way, he had done it inside an hour and a half

Excellent, no radiator damage then?

 

[skullmunki]

Excellent, no radiator damage then?

luckily, nothing else was damaged plugged into into the diagnostics and ran a few tests including the air bags.

breathed a huge sigh of relief I can tell you