Question about repair

[macandal]

So this week I noticed that the back reflector was loose. I tried to see if I could put it back on but no cigar. I called my dealer because I figured this would be covered by my warranty (my car is 7 months old) and made an appointment. I went to my appointment yesterday and right away the attendant said that it wouldn't be covered by the warranty. He said that someone must have hit me and loosened the reflector. He said that is easy to do (it doesn't require a hard hit) because it was only glued on. He called a body shop nearby and explained the problem: the reflector came loose, it needed to be glued on, and the bumper area needed a buffering to get rid of some minor scratches. He had told me not to pay more than $150 to get all this done. Well, the body shop owner, a friend of his, told him he would do it for free. Cool. I went there but the owner wasn't there. The mechanic saw it and said that to fix it properly, the bumper needed to be changed. I told him what the Mazda dealer had told me, about the reflector only being glued on, and he said that they said that because they don't know. He said that the reflector is not glued on, it is held by screws. When I said that replacing the bumper seemed like, well, overkill he said that he could glue it on but didn't know how well it would hold. He said that I needed to bring it another day, he would take the bumper out, glue the reflector, and put the bumper back in. The whole ordeal would take about 1 hour.

Anyway, so that's where I am right now.

1. So, who's telling the truth? Are the reflectors glued on or screwed on?
2. Is replacing the bumper really the best alternative here?
3. If I go through my insurance, is this going to ding my record even though I wasn't at fault here (in fact, this must've happened when my car was parked)?
4. Anyone had one of these reflectors come loose? If so, what did you do?

Thank you.

 

[7eregrine]

Wow, that's crazy. Got a picture?

 

[macandal]

Wow, that's crazy. Got a picture?

I do. I'll post them when I get home.

 

[Kaps]

If by reflector you mean the black plastic at the bottom that is held by clips. You can only buy that part and clamp it on.

 

[CX5Nut]

What reflector is this exactly? I would doubt it is glued on

 

[Anchorman]

It*s hard to believe that a dealer gave you this advice. He only needs to go to the parts computer and look and he would see that it*s held on with screws from the inside. You certainly don*t need a new bumper unless you are unhappy with the appearance (a photo would be helpful). Mazda have conveniently added an access panel at the back of the wheel arch so you can change the reflector with the bumper on. You might need the wheel off.

 

[macandal]

Here are two pictures. You really can't see the scratches because of all the reflections, but frankly, I don't care about having those buffered. In reality, unless you get really close, you can't see them. I figure, if we take a look at our cars, perhaps only a handful of people will have immaculate bumpers.

 

[Anchorman]

Yes, so if you go inside the wheel arch by the tire, there is a little door you can take off which will let you get at the fixing screws. You might be able to re fasten it - I think its just pushed through.

This is the back of the reflector from the door;

 

[paris1]

Here are two pictures. You really can't see the scratches because of all the reflections, but frankly, I don't care about having those buffered. In reality, unless you get really close, you can't see them. I figure, if we take a look at our cars, perhaps only a handful of people will have immaculate bumpers.

And not a one of those live in "The City"!

 

[Anchorman]

Well I think that there will be a lot with an immaculate bumper unless you have a very relaxed attitude about taking care when you park. I*ve just had a look at the parts catalogue and the reflector is actually very much like a lamp but with no bulb in it. I can*t give you a part number because ours has regulation *E* markings on but I can tell you it is circa $100. I*m pretty sure that one of the 3 fixing screws has just pulled out of the plastic and it should screw back in with a bit of care.

 

[CX5Nut]

I would just try to push it back in place from the other side. It looks like there is a clip it should attach to in your second picture to the left

 

[mazdaParts2018]

I believe the issue is that the part the reflector screws onto is what most commonly breaks in this situation. That part is actually part of the bumper. So a proper fix would be to replace the bumper, whereas a quicker fix would be to glue in the reflector.

 

[Anchorman]

A good look is what*s needed. The bumper could be off in 10 minutes and if the reflector can*t be replaced by picking up on an unbroken part, I*m sure I could hot glue some plastic in place to screw in to.