I've got a 2006 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL and someone hit me (gently) on the rear bumper. It somehow managed to bend my fuel door's hinge and now the door doesn't open and close smoothly. I have to pry it out when I need to open it and I have to push on it (towards the front of the car) to get it to fit back in each time.
Is this an easy fix/replacement?
Are you sure it's the hinge, and not the body panels? Remember that modern cars are designed with crumple zones to absorb energy. If the gap around the fuel door is not even, and matching what it was originally like, I would have the car checked out by a body shop.
I believe that modern shops will have a frame straightening device that can measure certain points on the body to see exactly how the body has been deformed.
I spent an hour playing with the hinge; bending it and moving it until it finally fit properly. It seems to work pretty good now. It doesn't quite open all the way but it closes smoothly which was the main concern.
