AI DamageVideo guide · 02:45
Front End: 12 layers behind the bumper
Subtitles: full voice-over text. An English version with its own audio track and subtitles is available.
A Front End label on a lot only tells you where the impact was. Behind the bumper cover there is also the absorber, the reinforcement, crash boxes, radiator support, radiator pack, headlights with sensors, chassis rails and SRS.
What to ask for before you bid
- Photos with the bumper off: reinforcement and crash boxes.
- The radiator pack from above: condenser, radiator, intercooler.
- Bonnet and headlight gaps from two angles.
- The instrument cluster at start-up: SRS and sensor faults.
3D illustration: VW Golf 8 GTI, GT Cars: Hyperspeed (CC BY). The cover and headlights are from the model; internal parts are schematic.
A general layout of a passenger car front end, not an estimate for a specific lot. The set of parts depends on the model and trim level.
Read more in the guideOn-screen text
Text from the checked video frames. The time marks the observed frame, not the exact scene boundary. Translated from Ukrainian.
00:00
FRONT END A lot labelled Front End. The photos show only the bumper and grille. But behind them are twelve layers of parts. Let's go through them one by one: what suffers after a frontal impact, and which photos to ask for before you bid.
00:16
01 · Bumper cover The first layer is the bumper cover. The plastic you see in the photos. Cracks and broken mounts often mean replacement, because plastic welding does not hold well.
00:28
02 · Energy absorber The second is the energy absorber, foam or plastic honeycomb. It is single use: after an impact it compresses and does not recover.
00:38
03 · Bumper reinforcement The third is the bumper reinforcement, a metal beam. If it is bent, the impact went deeper than the photos suggest.
00:47
04 · Crash boxes The fourth is the crash boxes between the beam and the chassis rails. They crumple first to protect the body. Crumpled crash boxes are normal after an impact, but this is no longer cosmetic.
01:01
05 · Radiator support The fifth is the radiator support panel. It holds the radiators, headlights and bonnet latch. If it has shifted, the bonnet and headlights will not sit in place.
01:13
06 · A/C condenser The sixth is the air conditioning condenser. It sits first in the radiator pack and gets punctured even in a light impact. The sign is oil or refrigerant traces on the fins.
01:25
07 · Radiator The seventh is the cooling radiator. A coolant leak and overheating can appear on the road, after you have bought the car.
01:34
08 · Intercooler The eighth is the intercooler, if the engine is turbocharged. It is also in the pack, and damage to it usually does not show in the photos.
01:43
09 · Fan shroud The ninth is the fan shroud with the fans. A cracked shroud and broken blades are a familiar sight when the radiator pack has been pushed back.
01:53
10 · Headlights · ADAS The tenth is the headlights and the driver assistance sensors: radar, parking sensors, camera. After a bumper or radar replacement they are calibrated, and that is a separate cost item.
02:05
11 · Frame rails · Strut towers The eleventh is the chassis rails and strut towers. This is the body's load-bearing structure. Displacement shows only when the geometry is measured, and the repair is done on a jig.
02:16
12 · SRS The twelfth is the safety system. Front impact sensors, airbags, seat belt pretensioners. If the airbags have fired, the estimate will include a whole group of parts and diagnostics.
02:30
Before you bid What to ask for before you bid: photos with the bumper off, the radiator pack from above, the bonnet and headlight gaps, the instrument cluster at start-up. What to check on a specific lot: at vinwind.com.