Bumper Cover Repair With ADAS: General Motors

Posted on 07 May 2019

A simple bumper repair on a modern vehicle may not be as simple as it seems. New technologies like blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) utilize sensors behind the bumper covers. The ability for these sensors to be able to see clearly normally requires special caution when considering a bumper repair. Many OEMs have different levels of warnings when it comes to repairing bumper covers with ADAS. So, what does General Motors (GM) say on the subject?

A document from GM titled Bumper/Fascia Replacement with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) describes what is and is not allowed for repairing bumper covers with ADAS. The document states, "Any repairs such as gouges, tears or damage that requires the use of substrate repair material or reinforcement tapes must be avoided." They go on to show an example of what a substrate repair is.

So, no substrate repairs can be made, but what about refinishing? The GM document says "Paint repairs can be made, provided that the total paint mil thickness on any portion of the Bumper/Fascia does not exceed 13 mils."

These are just some examples of bumper repair restrictions from GM. Always be sure to reference the vehicle-specific body repair manual and training materials prior to performing any repairs.

For additional GM information, check out the following pages:
Chevrolet OEM Information
GMC OEM Information
Buick OEM Information
Cadillac OEM Information

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