So I come out to my car one morning, which I keep garaged, and I notice that the little circle plug on the front bumper that cover the towing screw is popped ajar and just barely hanging on. I try to put in place but the plug just falls out when I touch it. I played with it for a while but couldn't get it to go back in. When I took it to the dealer, they tell me that there is a piece on the inside of the bumper that the plug snaps into that is missing and I will have to replace the entire bumper to fix it. I can only assume that a rock or some other road hazard hit the plug and knocked it ajar, although the plug has no sign of impact. The car currently has 38K miles on it. I understand that a warranty should not cover body damage as a result of road hazards, but I also expect the car's front bumper to be able to withstand a rock without having to replace it entirely. This seems like very poor design and the service manager agreed. If I have to file an insurance claim over this, I'm sure they won't be happy about it and I may risk being canceled for a frivolous claim. Otherwise, I live with a big hole in the front of my car. I am awaiting a response from the regional service manager at this time, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or similar problems with the front bumper plug cover?

 

What is your deductible on your insurance policy? Depending on what state you are in, and what your policy language is....sometimes when an object "flies" up and strike your vehicle, it would consider a comprehensive claim instead of a collision claim. Filing a claim will and should not have a risk of being dropped by your insurance company.

 

$500 deductible. Oklahoma.
Bumper cover plus labor I'm guessing is much more than that.
Would rather avoid insurance. I guess I just think that it is poor design that a small hazard could cause this much damage. And why the hell is that thing even there to begin with? My friend's Accord doesn't have one of those. Seem unnecessary.

 

If there's no signs of damage to the plug, then file it under bumber to bumber warrantee. The plastic was designed bad from the interior. The plug still remains intact, but not the internal bumper. That's more than enough to have Acura replace it on their dime.

Shawn