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Rear impact: what hides behind the bumper and in the boot floor

Rear End on Copart and IAAI: the reinforcement bar, rear panel, spare wheel well, rear chassis rails, blind spot radars and parking sensors.

VinWind · Updated · Illustration: 3D model, not a photo of a real car

A rear impact is usually cheaper than a frontal one: there is no engine or cooling at the back. But the rear panel and boot floor are welded parts of the body, and damage to them turns a bumper replacement into body repair.

What sits behind the rear bumper

  • The bumper cover with parking sensors and blind spot radars in the corners.
  • The reinforcement bar (beam) and energy absorber.
  • The rear panel (between the tail lights), welded to the body.
  • The boot floor and spare wheel well.
  • The rear chassis rails running under the floor to the rear axle.
  • The boot lid or tailgate, tail lights, reversing camera.
  • Exhaust, tow bar; on some models the filler neck or parts of the fuel tank.

Signs in the photos

  • Creases in the boot floor or spare wheel well (visible if the boot is open in the photos).
  • Uneven gaps around the boot lid and rear wings.
  • Rear doors do not close or are out of line: the impact reached the side area.
  • The wheel has shifted forward: the suspension or a control arm is damaged.

Radars and sensors

Blind spot radars sit behind the corners of the bumper. Even an undamaged radar has to be calibrated after an impact. Prices using the CX-5 as an example are in Part prices in Ukraine, and calibration is covered in ADAS radars and cameras.