Rear Bumper: Saloon And Estate

Shared Work Before The Bumper Comes Off

Work through the openings in the rear wheelarch liners and remove the two bumper bolts on each side. On the lower edge, undo the centre screw and lever out the three plastic expansion rivets. Undo the fasteners and lift off the boot sill trim. Prise the clip and peel the rear edges of the boot side trims forward each side.

If the car has rear parking aid, unplug the wiring at the base of the control unit. Where a bumper loom plug is fitted, disconnect that too.

Saloon

Inside the boot sill the bumper is held by two screws each side and four nuts across the sill. With an assistant holding the cover, undo those fasteners and draw the bumper straight back.

Estate

Undo the screws that hold the rear section of each wheelarch liner. Through the liner apertures, remove the bumper bolts: two on the left, three on the right. Carefully prise the inner trims off the rear light assemblies.

Where a CD changer or navigation module sits in the load area, undo its fasteners, lift the module and bracket, and unplug it. Remove the bumper retainers in the left and right corners of the luggage bay. If a right-hand subwoofer is fitted, free it and disconnect its plug as it comes out. Parking-aid cars: disconnect the lower plug on the side of the control unit. Some cars also have two fasteners on the rear lower bumper edge.

Have an assistant support the cover. Undo the four nuts on the inside of the tailgate sill and walk the bumper rearward. Unclip the fuel filler overflow pipe from the right-hand side of the bumper as it leaves the car.

Refitting

Reverse the strip. The front edge of the bumper must seat in the plastic guides before the bolts and nuts go tight. Check every loom plug and the overflow pipe before you close the boot or tailgate.