How to Repair a 2003 Nissan Maxima Rear Bumper

The 2003 Nissan Maxima rear bumper is made of a thick flexible plastic material and is painted to match the Maxima. The back and sides of the Maxima rear bumper are large, wide, flat and very straight. This makes repairing this bumper easier than bumpers that are more rounded and contoured. Since the material of the Maxima bumper is flexible, it is rarely dented. Most often damages are from punctures or gashes. These can be repaired in just a few hours using materials from an auto parts store.

Things You'll Need

• 80 grit sandpaper
• Flexible body filler
• Plastic squeegee
• 180 grit sandpaper
• 220 grit sandpaper
• 400 grit sandpaper
• Wax and grease remover
• Towel
• Primer spray

Instructions

1. Use the 80 grit sandpaper to sand the actual damaged area, along all punctured edges and up to 4 inches surrounding the damage. Sand until the area is smooth and the paint is gone.

2. Wipe a thick layer of body filler over the damage using the plastic squeegee. Make sure the filler covers the damage and there are no holes or low spots. If there are, add more filler. Let the filler dry for a full hour.

3. Use 180 grit sandpaper to sand the dried filler until it is smooth and level with the surrounding surface of the bumper. Sand the area again using 220 grit sandpaper and then again using 400 grit sandpaper. This smooths away any of the deeper scratches made by the previous grit sandpaper.

4. Wipe the repaired area and surrounding area of the bumper, up to the entire bumper, with wax and grease remover and a towel. This removes any dust, grease and wax particles from previous products used on the bumper's surface. The liquid evaporates very quickly and does not need to be washed off.

5. Spray a thick coat of primer over the sanded filler and allow the primer to dry for 30 minutes. The layer of primer will protect the filler from moisture in the air until it is painted. The area is now ready to be painted or can be brought to a professional for finishing.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to use flexible body filler, not regular body filler. Bumpers do flex and move while being driven. Regular body filler will crack.