Hi guys,

Looking at the rear of my new Blackline the bottom of the rear bumper isnt entirely straight, car is brand new and there is no evidence of any impact having had a look underneath, all bolts are in place.

I suspect its just how it is and that perhaps being white in colour makes it more obvious but would appreciate any other vRS estate owners (particularly those in white) taking a look at theirs. Just want to put my mind at rest and avoid embarrasing myself at the dealers.

Not sure exactly what you mean, but the gap between the bottom of the tailgate and the top of the bumper in both my brother's vRS and mine is not entirely uniform. It sort of looks as though the bumper is squint but everything on the body work lines up perfectly!

Sarge.

A picture might help ?

Basically if you look at the bottom line of it from the exhaust exit across to the towing eye cover its not entirely straight across the middle section. Its completely fine at the top, panel gaps between the rear wings and tailgate lip are fine.

I think its just v mild deformation of the plastic in how its been moulded and how it bolts to the underneath of the car.

Edited 2 February, 201313 yr by pipsyp

A picture might help ?

+1

Just stuck a pic up on Dropbox

http://db.tt/uioZn5aX

Not really obvious in the photo but if you trace right along the bottom of the bumper midway between the exhaust exit and the towing eye cover you should be able to notice where it doesnt look straight.

Im pretty convinced now its just how it is; i initially wondered if something may have happened to it in transport but there is no evidence of this; no paintwork damage or breaks/cracks in the bumper; white paintwork probably also accentuates it.

Edited 2 February, 201313 yr by pipsyp

I see what you mean. I have the same car (white estate). Just been out to have a look at mine and its not like that (or as dirty!).

Gonna get it looked at bur expecting them to tell me its just how it is. Appreciate anyone else who can check their and let me know. Photos would be handy.

I can see it too.

I'm assuming there has never been a towbar fitted?

yeh i can see it, can also see it needs a clean :p

Me too now you've put a pic up. I'd be asking questions.

Yeah no towbar, cars just over a week old with 500 miles on the clock. Interestingly is evident on a photo my sales guy sent me before I collected it; put it down to the angle of the photo at the time.

I dont think its right either; either the bumpers slightly misformed or its been badly attached to the bottom of the car at the factory, definitely no visible evidence its been pranged in transit but then again im not an expert.

Its going in Monday for warranty work already so will be raising it then.

Guys would really appreciate some detailed pictures of other FL vRS estate rear bumpers, more for my own peace of mind and evidence in case dealer SUK kick back. Anyone with a white car even better. Much obliged. BTW no time to clean it yet; will get done by dealer Monday.

........just been having a look around and found another white estate on auto trader with exactly the same problem and it got me thinking..........that particular car has rear parking sensors as does mine. Difficult to tell on other darker colour cars and most of the photos in Auto Trader are low res or bad angle but am wondering the following........do estates with rear PDC actually have slightly different bumpers on them to non PDC cars? No other white estates I could find without PDC seemed to exhibit the problem.

Probably a red herring but I noticed when looking underneath the bumper earlier today that there is quite a large section cut out of the bumper underneath allowing you to see up into the bumper housing; maybe done to assist the wiring of the PDC harness as the cars pass through the production line? Of course the non PDC cars may be the same; I really don't know.

In any case this cut out would probably be enough to reduce the rigidity of the bumper and allow the flex/distortion; particularly if not bolted down with much care.

Does anyone on here with a FL vRS estate with rear PDC have the same issue? Appreciate any comments/picture evidence.

Added a few more pics

http://db.tt/jveHTFau

I cant see any problems underneath.

Some feedback from other FL vRS estate owners would be appreciated.

Edited 3 February, 201313 yr by pipsyp

The cut out is on every bumber so if anyone fits a tow bar no bumber cuting is nessery. And bumbers pdc and non pdc are esactly same just holes drilled out on a pdc.

Thanks Mattytemp that makes sense.

My guessing is that some are like mine, some arent but the white paintwork probably makes it stand out more than it would on a darker car; possibly something you wouldnt even notice on a black or blue blackline estate.

I'll see what the dealers say about it tomorrow. Unfortunately im a bit OCD about these things!

For anyone thats interested transpires there is in fact nothing wrong with the bumper. Its been looked at and its just some minor shape change with how its been moulded (obviously some manufacturing "tolerances") and how it ends up looking having been attached to the car; absolutely no evidence of rear end damage, bumper is completely unmarked and no damage to the mounting brackets or spare wheel well. I'm told many vRS estates are like this to some degree its just alot more pronounced with a candy white car.

Just to prove the case in point, dealer also had a nearly new white vRS estate (without sensors) sat on the forecourt and the bumper was identical to mine. I have also found a different white car on autotrader with the same thing.

Ive also seen a nearly new non vRS and its rear bumper was all over the place at the bottom with no evidence of damage (also had daft fill in on the double exhaust bumper for the single exhaust).

So there we go OCD paranoia over just going to get on with enjoying the Blackline now! Anyone noticing the same thing on theirs just learn from my obsessive compulsiveness and ignore it!

Edited 16 February, 201313 yr by pipsyp