Is it better to fix a dented rear bumper, or just forget about it?
 

Long story short, I just bought a used 2007 Honda Civic and discovered that the rear bumper is damaged. The Honda dealership is willing to fix it for free [as it was their fault], but they suggested that it would be better to just leave it, mainly because the new paint will not be as durable as the factory paint. I don't know whether to believe them or not.































The scratch is about five inches long and a half an inch wide. Along its length there are three small dimples where the bumper has cracked and something [rebar?] is slightly poking through. I guess it will require sanding and repainting. I don't know anything about this stuff. Can anyone tell me if the finished product will likely match the rest of the glossy paint job well? Would it be a bad idea to leave these small exposed cracks/dimples in the bumper unfixed? Considering that the work would be done for free, is it worth it, or might the finished product be worse than what I have now? What would you do?

Personally, if the dealership is at fault I would let them fix it, if the paint is scratched you may wind up with a rust problem, and down the road will have to repair it yourself with your own money. Have them fix it.

Definatly get it repaired, for free. If worse comes to worse and the dealership won't help you contact the better business bureau.