Front Bumper Cover Popping Loose

[TheFixer253]

I have a 2016 Legacy 3.6R with about 8,000 miles on it.

 

Twice now I have found the top corner of the passenger side of the plastic bumper cover to have popped loose and be sticking out. I push on it and it clicks back into place and stays that way for a while. This vehicle has never been in a collision or even kissed bumpers with anything.

 

This shouldn't be popping out like that. I know it's the bumper cover fasteners, but has anyone else experienced something like this? If so, what did you do about it? It's still under warranty, but going to the dealer is a PITA.

 

Thanks.

[leolfds]

Check to see if the clip that holds the bumper in came off. It is in the wheel well where the bumper tucks in. That will be my first guess.

Edited April 30, 2017 by leolfds

[The Grey Goose]

x2 what leoflds said above. If those clips are in there, then it shouldn't be able to physically pop out. They might have fallen out. If that's the case, these ones on Amazon are great.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZIS9AW8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[TheFixer253]

Thanks for the help. I'll give it a try when I get back into town and let you know how it goes.

[Jsmith]

With my 2010 Legacy, the seem from the wheel well to the head light assembly would pop out with all of the fasteners in place. There are tabs in that seem that click in that are VERY easily damaged. I learned that the hard way because I have to remove the front bumper to change the low beam. If those are damaged, the bumper will continue to pop out, but you have very little risk of it falling off because all of the clips are still in place. It is just aesthetically annoying as hell. I pop mine in once a week and its never enough. Not worth buying a new bumper cover at this point, but it has done it since +/-50K, 165K+ now...

[TheFixer253]

My problem sounds a lot like Jsmith is describing. I broke down and took it to the dealer and they confirmed that I would have to replace the entire bumper cover, plus paint job, at $700 to fix the problem. I'll just keep snapping it back in place when it pops out. I can do that a lot before it's worth $700 to replace.

[andrew_l_s]

Zip ties, duct tape, and a lil ingenuity oughta fix it!

 

I broke the upper tab on on one of my headlights while doing my retrofit, a zip tie currently takes its place:lol:

[IceWilly]

Bumping this thread because I was facing the same issue on a used 2015 I just bought.

 

Here's my solution.

 

 

I used a small binder clip and one of the metal ears. Put it in a vice and bent it over to the correct length (took 2 tries). Cut a slit in the bumper and squeezed the tabs inward to slide it in.

 

From here you can put a bolt through it, or do what I did and take a plastic clip and take a few of the ears off so its narrower to go through the available opening.

 

Either way you get the idea, just have to adapt it to your own purposes.

[Jsmith]

Bumping this thread because I was facing the same issue on a used 2015 I just bought.

 

Here's my solution.

 

 

 

 

That is exactly how mine broke on my 2010 I was referring in my previous post in this thread. Excellent fix! Wish I had thought of that years ago. That will save quite a few people some frustration. Thanks for the post

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[upstater]

I would pop the bumper off and reset it, maybe it needs to be aligned slightly better to keep it in place. Just because you don't see any damage, does not mean something hasn't bumped it, or it might have been slightly misaligned from assembly.

 

It is better as a two person job, but I did the bumper, multiple times off and on, while doing my headlight retrofit on the WRX.

[dawar]

Just joined. Gotta 2015 Legacy 3.6R. I looove this car. But, like some of you, the bumper keeps coming unclipped. At first I thought "What the---?!" I was pulling into my garage very slowly (I've a short garage and the car barely fits) easing forward 'til my bumper kissed the padded car stop I'd nailed up. I got out and was dumbfounded at how the slightest pressure had undone all those clips. All that to say: I appreciate the tips you've given on how to remedy this. Also, it's good to know I'm not the only Legacy owner dealing with this.

[YeuEmMaiMai]

yeah the locking tabs are fragile, broke one on my 14 legacy and i used some epoxy to fix it up

[mjlegacki]

Hopefully this is the right place. My bumper popped off a lot and I am trying to figure out what to do. 

Same on other side too. Not sure if I can patch it up, patch it until I get the whole thing replaced, or what. Right now it is on with Gorilla Tape and I got some zip ties in case I can use them. Any advice? 

[IceWilly]

On 9/23/2018 at 10:20 PM, IceWilly said:

Bumping this thread because I was facing the same issue on a used 2015 I just bought.

 

Here's my solution.

 

 

I used a small binder clip and one of the metal ears. Put it in a vice and bent it over to the correct length (took 2 tries). Cut a slit in the bumper and squeezed the tabs inward to slide it in.

 

From here you can put a bolt through it, or do what I did and take a plastic clip and take a few of the ears off so its narrower to go through the available opening.

 

Either way you get the idea, just have to adapt it to your own purposes.

Just wanted to loop back and say I totally forgot about this problem. My fix has been so bullet proof I totally forgot about it.