How long does it take to replace a bumper at a 4S shop?
4 Answers
With prior appointment, replacing a bumper at a 4S shop takes about one hour. Below is detailed information about car bumpers: 1. Overview: The front and rear ends of a car are equipped with bumpers, which not only serve decorative purposes but more importantly function as safety devices that absorb and mitigate external impacts, protecting the car body and the safety of passengers. Car bumpers consist of an outer panel, cushioning material, and a crossbeam. 2. Others: The geometric shape of the bumper must consider both its consistency with the overall vehicle styling to ensure aesthetics, as well as meet mechanical and energy absorption characteristics to ensure vibration absorption and cushioning during collisions. From a safety perspective, bumpers provide a buffer effect during low-speed collisions.
Last time when my car got rear-ended and I took it to the 4S shop to replace the bumper, the whole process took three full days. On the first day, I dropped off the car for inspection and they prepared the repair order. The shop happened to be out of stock for my car model's bumper, so they had to order it from the manufacturer. The replacement part didn't arrive until the afternoon of the second day. The staff first did a trial installation to confirm the fit, then removed the old bumper to adjust the mounting clips on the car body. The most time-consuming part was the painting process - the new bumper needed to be sanded, primed, left to dry, then painted with the top coat, and finally baked in the paint booth. It wasn't until the morning of the third day that they installed it and did final adjustments, also helping me adjust the headlight height while at it. If the parts were in stock and there weren't other cars ahead in line, the fastest it could be done would still take most of a day, since just the painting and baking process alone takes five to six hours.
The time required to replace a bumper primarily depends on three factors: spare parts inventory, painting process, and the workload at the 4S shop. If the shop happens to have the part in stock, it can be done the same day. However, in most cases, they need to order the part, and waiting one or two days is quite normal. Last time I went for a replacement, the staff mentioned that the most challenging part is color matching. The bumper color must perfectly match the car body. They use a device to scan the car body for the color code, then computer-mix the paint, which alone takes half a day. Installation isn't complicated—a skilled worker can remove and install it in about two hours. However, an additional half hour is needed to adjust the radar and camera wiring. Remember to book an appointment in advance and avoid the end of the month when there are more cars to save a lot of time waiting for a service bay.
My neighbor recently had his bumper replaced at a 4S shop. His car stayed there for two days: the first day involved removing the old part and ordering the new one, and the second day was for painting and installation. The shop technician mentioned that the most time-consuming part isn't the installation but the 72-hour paint curing period after spraying. Their process is meticulous—they take care to avoid scratching the car body during removal and installation, and after assembly, they conduct a water spray test to check for leaks. It's advisable to confirm in advance whether the service includes paint curing. Shops that offer partial touch-ups might allow same-day pickup, but the results won't match the original factory baking process of a 4S shop.
