Engine splash guard keeps breaking

[Silas1066]

I have a 2009 Vibe GT, and the front engine splash guard (under the front bumper and lights) keeps coming loose and dragging on the road. It has been repaired a couple times by screwing it back in, but now it is so badly broken that the mechanic at the dealership tells me the whole front bumper needs to be replaced. The cost would be $1700!

How important i this front splash guard? (if that is what it is called). Is it necessary to protect the engine? Can I do without it?

[Rayven01]

Wow.. they don't call them stealerships for nothing! The MSRP on a new front bumper cover is $430 (can be had online direct from a GM dealer for less than $300), and getting it painted another couple hundred. Replacing it is a 15 minute job. Even if they doubled everything and charged an hour labor it wouldn't cost $1700...

On top of that it's almost certainly unnecessary to replace it. More than likely the tab that the guard screws into has ripped off the bottom lip of the bumper cover. All you need to do to repair it since it's under the car and out of sight anyway is bridge the gap with something (I would suggest acrylic.. you can get squares of it at someplace like home depot and cut it to shape) and screw or bolt it to either side of the hole(s), then screw or bolt it to the guard. Even if you don't want to do the work yourself a body shop would probably charge a couple hundred bucks at most to do a similar repair.

Leaving the guards off probably wouldn't hurt anything but they're there for the one in a million chance something bad bounces up under there into your engine, not to mention keeping down on the water splashing up there.

[09vGT]

Same happened to mine. The dealer just took mine off. He told me there wasn't much need for it and that I could replace it if I wanted to, but it would likely break off again.

The ones under the fogs are still there, the one that broke off was in the middle. I've been driving without it for over a year.

[trb]

Mine has been missing for over 2 years. The prior owner really scraped up the front of the bumper cover on parking curbs and tore the splash shields right off. About the only thing it does is hold the bumper cover more in place when driving, but it is not necessary at all.

[hotbug1776]

use heavy zip ties, been keeping mine on for a long while now.

[Doug14]

use heavy zip ties, been keeping mine on for a long while now.

x2

[wiresbringit]

Used some thick stainless steel wire I had myself. I understand the underside stuff helps with MPG's so I'd like it to stay if it can.

Been considering replacing it with an aluminum under panel/skid plate as I drive off road and at construction sites as part of my job. Would have to create an oil filter hatch though.
$275 Skid Plate: http://www.kamispeed.com/BEATRUSH-Alumi ... 512140.htm