My '08 M3 bumper

[richmondbimmer]

So I recently bought an '08 M3 and of course being an obsessive type I found something to annoy me. The rear bumper cover sticks out slightly below the left tail light (see image). I'm wondering if this is the result of an undocumented accident or just a factory defect. The right side is flush with the rear quarter panel. Anybody know if this is common? Is it an easy fix? All replies appreciated.

[sor]

My opinion, it signifies a minor fender bender, where the bumper might have been taken off, shaped, and repainted. Probably something small like a $500 job that was never reported to insurance/police. It could just be a defect, though.

[Kyoshi71]

Originally Posted by sor

My opinion, it signifies a minor fender bender, where the bumper might have been taken off, shaped, and repainted. Probably something small like a $500 job that was never reported to insurance/police. It could just be a defect, though.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree. When I got my 2010, the hood was way out of whack and I've seen several more where the body panels are just not true.

Maybe it was hit; but without scratches...you never know.

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by sor

My opinion, it signifies a minor fender bender, where the bumper might have been taken off, shaped, and repainted. Probably something small like a $500 job that was never reported to insurance/police. It could just be a defect, though.

exactly how mine looks after it was backed into by another car and had to be taken off repainted and refitted. mine came from very minor damage that was just a scrape in a parking lot that slightly bent the bumper. But like this pic the shop didn't do a great job of putting it back.

[sameh]

I'd say that was a minor accident ( Someone rear ended this car at a very slow speed) that pushed the bumper off alignment and the previous owner didn't want to fix it paying 500-1000 for a minor cosmetic issue. I'm saying this cause I had the same thing with my previous Infiniti. One way to understand this is to ask yourself if YOU will pay the $500-1000 to fix it or will you just let it go. Now you feel what the last owner felt.

[JCtx]

Definitely not factory. Could have been a very small hit or a larger one. At any rate, what happened IMO is one of the (very delicate) tabs broke, and either insurance or owner didn't want to buy a new one. The good news is that piece is separate from the bumper cover, and much cheaper. Doubt it can be 'fixed' without replacement, but you should remove the bumper and look around. If bumper cover is damaged, then the hit was a lot larger than we're assuming. Damage less than 10 grand is not always reported. My 'cosmetic' accident was a tad over that; these cars are expensive to fix well. And yes, a tab also broke on my car, which insurance replaced, but they didn't replace the cover, as it was not punctured or otherwise damaged; just scratched. Good luck.

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by GoGeo

probably the car was totaled at a track/racing accident and never reported to Insurance.

totaled? I think that guess is a bit extreme, although it could've been. more likely is similar to what happened to mine, and quite often it's much cheaper to just pay for the damage then put it through insurance, and depending on your deductible it might not go through insurance at all.

[valeram]

My guess is, it is was a minor bump that was never reported.

[NatAsp-M3]

small-kind fender bender

[Brosef]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Definitely not factory. Could have been a very small hit or a larger one. At any rate, what happened IMO is one of the (very delicate) tabs broke, and either insurance or owner didn't want to buy a new one. The good news is that piece is separate from the bumper cover, and much cheaper. Doubt it can be 'fixed' without replacement, but you should remove the bumper and look around. If bumper cover is damaged, then the hit was a lot larger than we're assuming. Damage less than 10 grand is not always reported. My 'cosmetic' accident was a tad over that; these cars are expensive to fix well. And yes, a tab also broke on my car, which insurance replaced, but they didn't replace the cover, as it was not punctured or otherwise damaged; just scratched. Good luck.

+1.

this is what it looks like to me as well. try pushing on it to see if there is any "play." My guess is that there is a retaining tab broken in there somewhere. Removing the bumper is an easy way to find out.

highly doubt that is a factory defect.

[BMWMFAN27]

Not Factory, sounds like a small/med accident.

[starkraven]

Obviously, the previous owner backed into a group of sea weasels, one of which courageously threw his body at the M3 to halt its course and protect his brethren. The doctor who repaired that sea weasel's cranium did a better job hiding his work than the hack who repaired the M3's bumper.

I'm just guessing.

[ferrari6891]

someone cldve easily leaned on your car or knocked their knee into it..go have a look...its not the sturdiest spots on the car. Im just saying you shouldnt automatically rule it as an accident. In my case, I hit it with my knee on mistake and I noticed it go in a little bit...I just wiggled it back into place

[M3 Esq]

Originally Posted by GoGeo

I've been a body and paint guy for 30 years. That's a classic rebodied, probably the car was totaled at a track/racing accident and never reported to Insurance. Now you have an answer, have a great Friday evening.

That was just wrong.

[positiveions]

look for an overspray if the bumper has been repainted. check underneath and stuff. The dealers use "cheap" repaint guys and they tend to make mistakes here and there.

[Race_Doc11]

I have a similar problem it doesn't line up with the lights and mine was never hit..take it to a bodyshop or even the dealer and see if they can adjust it ...

Originally Posted by richmondbimmer

So I recently bought an '08 M3 and of course being an obsessive type I found something to annoy me. The rear bumper cover sticks out slightly below the left tail light (see image). I'm wondering if this is the result of an undocumented accident or just a factory defect. The right side is flush with the rear quarter panel. Anybody know if this is common? Is it an easy fix? All replies appreciated.

[richmondbimmer]

Thanks for all the replies guys, and thanks for making me stare at the screen with a blank stare for about 2 minutes GoGeo

I took it to my BMW dealer yesterday and he opened the trunk and showed me some signs of previous (unreported) body work. There was clear coat over the boundary normally used by BMW and over some of the bolts. There was also a "grab" mark under the insulation strip that he told me is from "pulling the ass out". Looking through the gap it appears that the slot in the bumper that the clip goes through is intact. I'm taking it to a body shop this week to see if they can make an adjustment. On the positive side, he said the paint job was on eof the best he has seen...

[richmondbimmer]

So I removed the left tail light to see if the clips were broken and they were not. I ghettofied the clip/hook junction by adding a small piece of plastic and it did the trick. However, the bumper still appears to sag a bit on that side. I'm still going to take it to a body shop for their opinion.

Before:



Clip modification:





After:

[richmondbimmer]

As an aside, I opened up the trunk of my '07 e92 335i which is coming up on its lease and the clear coat was exactly as it is on the M3 contrary to what the dealer told me. The 335 has never been painted so now I'm second guessing the dealer's opinion that the rear end was repaired on the M3...

[spyderco10]

Originally Posted by starkraven

Obviously, the previous owner backed into a group of sea weasels, one of which courageously threw his body at the M3 to halt its course and protect his brethren. The doctor who repaired that sea weasel's cranium did a better job hiding his work than the hack who repaired the M3's bumper.

I'm just guessing.

+1 haha sea weasels

[Leozap]

Look closely at your rear bumper, there should be a sign of it being hit.