Got joe in hand too
️. Take it to a body shop, let them look it over by removing the bumper cover. That means you’ll need a rental for a day or two.
I’d pull a Carfax on your truck and confirm it’s status. Here’s the other thing, depending on when your planning on selling your vehicle, Carfax will lovingly document this episode on their history. It’s a Catch 22. If you believe having a one owner, zero accident vehicle is paramount to selling your truck one day, don’t let the other party insurance document any damage. I’ll explain how I avoided that in a minute.
If you’re past that point, drop the car off at a shop, get a rental, have them pull the cover, verify the bumper behind it is’t damaged. Also have them verify the frame is straight and the tow hitch is not compromised in any manner. Have them DOCUMENT it’s inspected and undamaged or let them loose on the repairs while you have a rental.
Have any other body work that needs to be done? Stuff like peeling clear coat? Now is the time to negotiate with the shop to have if fixed while they have that color in the sprayer and they can pass a lot of the cost on to the insurance just because the car is already there.
Lastly, if the rear bumper cover is going to be replaced, remember the option of using the Cadillac Escalade Premium rear valence w/ dual exhaust tips. It’s just a little more than the OE cover but completely transforms the look of the truck. A muffler shop will have to rework your exhaust after it’s in but you can drive it out with the OE exhaust out the side until you do.
The Cadillac valence means you’ll lose your spare underneath and carry a kit like the Cadillac with a can of sealer and 12 air pump. Consider all the options based on your current and future plans. When our 08 Denali XL was bumped on its cover, it had to be replaced. I regret not adding the rear valence. I forgot about it in the hoopla. When I sold it a year later I had to send Carfax documents and a statement, including a map I drew up for my insurance company. They changed their report from “Rear End Collision!” to “minor parking lot damage”. My version of the accident was verifiable from the insurance company vs. “what the facts were I was informing them of”.
Not sure what state your in but you may want to call your Insurance company and verify if your insurance will not raise your rates if you have them handle the claim. This is what I did and that’s why I was able to have MY insurance companies documentation correct the Carfax reporting.
Good Luck!
Sorry, didn’t notice I was in the <06 forums. I guess I could mention substitute for a Denali monochrome style rear bumper
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