When you drive a 2005 – 2010 Suzuki Swift you’re driving a fantastic car, I’m sure you did! As with any car, the Suzuki Swift from this generation has it’s own (short) list of common problems. One of those issues is an appearing gap between the side of the front bumper and wheel arch panel near the headlights. If you work on your own car, and move your front bumper on & off a lot, you might face the issue in the near future. This article explains if and how to solve the front bumper gap of a Suzuki Swift and how to prevent it from happening.
The problem
So let’s focus on why this issue appears so often first. As this generation of the Swift is getting older many have had their fair share of maintenance. In many cases this means the front bumper has gone on & off at least a couple of times. Have a look to your front bumper near the headlights, in many cases there is a gap just behind the headlights bottom corner. If you have this gap, there are two things that can be wrong. The clip that holds the bumper is (partly) broken or the bumper is broken and cannot be held by the bumper holder clip anymore. If the first is the case I have good news; there is an easy fix. Keep reading!
How to fix it
Your front bumper has multiple holes where 4 clips on the body of your car fall into. As you can see in the photo below, these holes can easily break. And if this is the case, you might have a problem.
If you can ABS weld yourself you might be able to fix it, but it’s a thin area to work with. If you can’t weld it yourself costs for having it done might be unjustified. Other options are either a new bumper, or an external quick-mount. This is a popular option for those that want to make their swift look more like a racecar, and it makes removing the bumper a lot quicker. But on a stock car it might not be the look you are after.
If the bumper holes are fine there is good news; you can fix the issue by getting a new bumper retainer support bracket. The job of replacing it is very straightforward and can easily be done by yourself. You need to remove the bumper, and replace the retainer bracket behind it. The bracket is shown below, with all 4 clips intact.
Howto prevent it
So let’s say you have now solved the bumper gap in your Suzuki Swift. Or maybe you are removing the front bumper often; how do you prevent the front bumper gap issue to return? The key is very simple; it is all about how you remove the front bumper. First you remove all screws and clips, than the bumper is hanging in place by two clips at the top near the engine bay; and by the bumper clips next to the headlights on the left and right.
So here comes the solution, also clarified in the photo below. You have to detach the bumper sides one side at a time. When you do, place your hand at the bottom of the bumper and push the bumper upward slightly (1). You do this before pulling the wheel arch side outwards (2). Because you are applying this upward force, the bumper is lifted out of the clips gently. This way the bumper clips will not get torn, which would be the case when pulling outwards first.
Part numbers
If you are about the remove the bumper retainer support brackets on the front, here are the part numbers you need:
- 71732-63J00 (Left)
- 71732-63J00 (Left)
So there you have it, I hope this helps to solve the front bumper gap issue, or prevent it from happening in the future.
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