SR-5 rear bumper damage.

[KCcarguy]

I hate to submit another complaint thread, but I have to vent my frustration. My SR-5 is about 6 months old with about 10k miles. I have used it for hauling furniture, landscaping supplies, and camping/ fishing gear. I use my truck, but don't abuse it by any means. Each time I wash it, I notice an increasing number of knicks/ gashes in the rear bumper. It's pretty frustrating. Did it occur to Toyota people might be using their Sport Utility Vehicles for Utility?

I worry if this looks bad now, what will it look like in 5 years??? I know the black plastic bumpers on the TE wouldn't have this problem.....Maybe Toyota thought all the SR-5's and LE's would be mall-crawlers? I came from a Tacoma, and I was used to a truck that could take anything you could dish-out, get a good wash and look good as new. Maybe the Taco set the standards too high.

 

[KCcarguy]

Another of many spots on the bumper:

 

[emsmatt]

Looks like mine. I pulled a couch out of the back and it scratched/gouged the hell out of mine in the same place.

 

[westwind77]

I too wish they would have designed the rear bumper a little better, like bringing out the flat black 'step piece' another couple of inches so when/if you drag something it does not impact the painted, less durable, plastic. Now all that being said, to avoid this I simply slide out the tray a few clicks so it clears and I have not had an issue since my first mark with a suitcase. Obviously depending on what you have in there that may not always be an option though. This is not a truck bed though, you can just drag stuff in and out and expect it to be perfect.

 

[KCcarguy]

I'm not dragging stuff across intentionally. I do occasionally step up on the bumper to climb into/ out of the back or to reach the roof. Again....I realize I could be more careful, but you shouldn't have to always be tip-toe around and be careful with an SUV. After this issue, along with the lack of access to recovery points, I'm thinking about doing the TE body-trim conversion. That's big $$$ though.

 

[chetJ]

Have not really experienced this issues despite loading and unloading some heavy stuff back there. The only related problem that I have had so far is the dog scratching up the paint on the bumper when he was getting in and out. However, I put some of the 3M tape on there right after the first scratch and that took care of that!

KCCarguy- Where in KC are you located? I used to live in KC for about 6 years!