Moved to the MkIII section for comments.

Basic answer is VERY expensive between bumper and possible damage underneath, along with painting to match.

Small nicks & dings are usually touched up, but once it's loose it actually needs to be removed before a final estimate is possible. You could get a rough one from a collision shop, they'd probably figure it based on full replacement as an insurance job.

I may be WAY off compared to people with more recent experience, a thousand plus wouldn't be a surprise.

 

I was hoping you wouldn't say that! Thanks.

Just the confirm though, the bumper is not loose at all, just the cover seen in the picture.

 

Nomenclature on cars is often an issue to internet communications as things can be called many names.

I see a hatch lid/license plate over a bumper cover with a trim panel as part of that at the bottom.

LARGE plastic piece that covers most of the rear is usually called the bumper cover now, as it extends over some crash pad material on top of a metal bumper beneath it.

Large section still well connected would be very good (they're always a bit flexible) as then some surface repair could be done to that panel.

Reflections interfere, it looks like a scrape mark on an edge of that cover down and to the left of the SE emblem on the hatch.

 

Yes, some small dings and scrapes, most could probably be easily removed. Car is a workhorse, has 25k miles already and was keyed in Baltimore so not too worried about this. Thanks for your help.

 

For now you can at least push back in the lower black plastic part "valance" in, it will take away 1/2 the damage.

 

Valance - that is the word I was looking for. Some of the clips are broken and it won't stay in, thinking of buying the valance only and having it replaced (part seems to cost around $120).

 

For a "workhorse", I think those tabs are accessible from the rear so maybe something like glue/silicone sealant would hold on the ones with bad clips well enough so they stay in place.

Try whatever is at hand on an inner section (invisible area)to see if it sticks.

 

Most of cover held on with one time use pop fasteners which loosen when worked more than once. The underlayment under cover at least on the earlier cars is a form-fitted piece of styrofoam and you will never pay more for a piece of it than that piece if you have to have it. Sometimes they break up but if you recover the pieces before they blow/fall out to be lost you can glue them back together to make a good tight cover again. BTDT. The light metal 'bumper' (a joke) that supports the foam can mash in too but pretty easy to rework them to make a tight bumper cover too unless really mangled up. While doing that work I pretty much replace all the pop fasteners with positive screw down bolts or other but you have to size them out for yourself, there is NO list and I'm not going there.

My cost maybe up to $20 for the various fasteners used there, I did not paint as car was old and only cracked paint, it's still there. The cover though is in good shape and tight, in fact better than OEM. After TWO hits from the rear.

That on like '02 model, the later one will use many of the same techniques with varying details. All unibody/outer panels essentially the same.

FYI, back in the working life day of the '02 a simple unpainted bumper cover alone went for like $350-$500.

 

Not aerodynamic of attractive but I miss the bumpers on my 84 Escort. Did the job and easy to replace.