What Are Bumper Covers And Why Are They Important?

Your Subaru has two bumper covers. One bumper cover is on the nose of your vehicle. The other bumper cover is on the rear of your vehicle. A bumper cover is a lightweight piece of molded plastic that's affixed to the car with clips. Typically, a bumper cover is painted to match the body of the car.

The Components Of A Bumper Cover

A bumper cover is a large part that has several components:

• Bumper cover: This part is a piece of molded plastic that's painted to match the body of the vehicle. It's the only visible part of the bumper cover assembly.
• Bumper cover clips: The bumper cover assembly comes with several bumper cover clips (such as these). All the bumper cover clips keep the bumper cover securely attached to the vehicle.
• Lighting mounts: Some bumper covers are equipped to be able to mount fog lights or turn signals in the bumper cover.

The Difference Between A Front Bumper Cover And A Rear Bumper Cover

Front and rear bumper covers serve the same purpose. Yet, they’re not interchangeable. You can’t install a front bumper cover on the rear of your vehicle, and vice versa. It’s because a front bumper cover is designed differently from a rear bumper cover. For instance:

• Front bumper covers are usually taller than rear bumper covers.
• Some bumper covers have built in parking sensors.
• Rear bumper covers are designed to make the trunk lid or lift gate more functional.
• Front bumper covers are designed to fit the shape of the headlights. Rear bumper covers are designed to fit the shape of the rear lights and/or trunk.

Older Cars Have Bumpers And Modern Cars Have Bumper Covers

Image Credit: TheOriginalMechanic

Older cars have steel or aluminum bumpers that kind of stick out. Modern cars have bumper covers that are lightweight and more visually appealing. On modern Subaru cars, the bumper cover is styled to look like a part of the car body. The real “bumper” is the impact bar behind the bumper cover.  Sometimes called a reinforcement bar, an impact bar is a large metal bar. It connects to the frame of the vehicle. It absorbs the impact in an accident. The bumper is mainly there to cover the impact bar.

Why Your Subaru Has A Bumper Cover

Bumper covers have two main jobs:

• Provide a good looking way to cover the impact bar.
• Improve aerodynamics at the front and rear of the car.

Bumper covers are actually not capable of absorbing anything more than a minor impact. Made of soft plastic, they are also easily scratched, scraped, or cracked. If you’re looking for a replacement bumper cover for your Subaru, look no further than our site. We carry genuine OEM Subaru parts, including bumper covers, at wholesale pricing.