I have a large crack on the left rear corner of my white '05 Prius bumper from when my wife bumped into a another car in a parking lot when the temperature was around 4 below. I also have a large dent/scrape on the front left bumper from when someone took a corner too sharp pulling into an alley and my car happened to be parked at that corner. (ugh, Chicago drivers)
Q1: Anyway, I'd like advice on whether to fix or replace these bumpers. I have seen some people say that once you have a crack in the bumper its structural integrity is shot so you should replace it. Is this true?
Q2: It seems to cost several hundred dollars to replace a bumper at a dealer or a body shop, but I feel like I should be able to do it myself if I could get the right parts. Is this replacement something I can do at home? Is there more complexity to replacing a bumper than just removing the old one and installing the new one?
Q3: I am also more confident in my ability to remove a bumper and install a new one than I am in my ability to fix a bumper with epoxy or bondo. I can get cheap, great condition parts from a junk yard. When selecting a bumper from a junk yard, what should I watch out for?