A Toyota owner disclosed the lengths he went to save money on repairing his bumper after receiving an expensive quote from a mechanic.
In a viral video that has racked up over 174,000 views, TikToker @thepresidentm5 (@bigdbm5) showed off how he saved big with his DIY bumper fix.
“POV: the auto company said it’s $1,500 for a new bumper because the clamp broke,” text overlaid on the clip read.
What steps did he take?
The video began with a shot of the broken bumper. The following shot included the things the TikToker said he used to fix it: painter’s tape, a pair of scissors, a bowl, and two tubes of J-B Kwik.
J-B Kwikweld is an adhesive that can be used to repair metal.
“Apply painters [sic] tape onto the bumper where you’ll add the JB Kwik,” text overlaid on the clip explained.
Next, the TikToker explained that he mixed the two tubes of chemicals.
“Once mixed up, apply to the lower clamp that’s detached and hold it together for 8 min,” more text said.
According to its website, the glue “sets in 6 minutes and is fully cured in 4-6 hours.”
The TikToker showed off his seemingly fixed bumper at the end of the video.
@bigdbm5 #fypシ゚viral #foryou ♬ one of wun – Gunna
What else can you do?
In the comments section, many expressed how they deal with their own bumper issues.
“This happen to me but in back of my car I just started hitting it back in,” user Isela wrote.
Similarly, user Leo Kardashian wrote, “I just popped mine back in,” while user AM said, “I used zip ties on an old eclipse.”
Additionally, user Edith Diaz suggested, “You could have bought a plastic welder and welded the clip back into its shape!”
Meanwhile, other viewers criticized Toyota’s bumpers.
“Them Toyota bumpers gone be the death of me,” user L wrote. “Mine popped off on the side a little bit too lol. But my dealer is fixing mine for free.”
Car troubles often inspire viral content on TikTok. One mechanic went viral after issuing a warning that cost-cutting attempts often lead to more costs in the end. Another mechanic racked up views for explaining how he helped a customer save hundreds on repairs she didn’t need.
The Daily Dot reached out to J-B Weld and Toyota via contact form and to TikToker @thepresidentm5 by TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
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