What Is the Difference Between a Fender and a Bumper?

Knowledge of the different parts, part locations, and how the various parts of your given car model function can have many impacts on the type of car and parts service you receive, shop and part costs, and the quality of your vehicle care. The best quality vehicle care allows your car to run better, be more reliable, and have a longer lifespan. In this article, we’ll discuss fenders vs. bumpers, what the difference between a fender vs. a bumper is, and the differences between a bumper cover vs. a bumper for more quality, time-efficient, and cost-efficient car services and care throughout your car’s lifespan.

Fender vs. Bumper

What Is a Fender?

The part of a car referred to as a fender is the portion of the car that curves over the front, to sit over and hold the wheels. Each fender appears as a metal frame for a car wheel. The purpose of a fender is to house the wheels and keep rocks, mud, road debris, and other harmful elements your car may encounter on the road contained, not thrown around against your car by the tires or otherwise deeply damaging the vehicle during various motions and road events. In this way, the fenders not only serve to protect the car from debris the car encounters and kicks up on its own but from the various types of debris it encounters from other cars on the road.

The fenders are also able to absorb the impacts of minor accidents and collisions. In this way, the fenders also act as extensions of the bumper in their ability to effectively absorb the energy of a given collision or accident. There are four fenders, each either at the front or rear car side by one of the doors. Vehicles with tires that are large or oversized often must also have fender flares installed on their vehicles as required by law. A fender flare is an extension of the fender to give the oversized tires more coverage and protection, keeping the SUV or truck compliant with Vehicle Equipment Laws, and lowering the risks of fines.

What Is a Bumper?

The part of the car referred to as the bumper is the portion of the car that extends across the bottom front and bottom rear sides of a vehicle. Each bumper appears as a horizontal bar extending across the front and back sides. The purpose of a bumper is to reduce damage by absorbing the impacts of minor and low-speed accidents and collisions and to trim the vehicle, which is a major similarity between fenders and bumpers. There is often much confusion and interchangeable references made toward bumpers and fenders due to their proximity to each other and their similar purposes to provide important protection to the car and its passengers.

The components of most current bumpers are plastic components, such as polycarbonates, thermoplastic olefins, polypropylene, polyesters, and polyurethane, among others. There is one front and one rear bumper on most cars. In early automotive history, bumpers were more distinct parts of cars and more noticeably separate from the other parts of a car’s body. With technology advancements, bumpers are now more integrated parts of a car’s body while the purpose of bumpers remains the same.

Bumper Cover vs. Bumper

Just as there are some similarities and specific distinctions between fenders and bumpers, there is also some similarity and ultimate distinction between a bumper cover and a bumper. Many people have the mistaken idea that the bumpers are the visible, most outward part of the front and rear sides of a typical car. However, the bumpers are the structures hidden behind the bumper covers. Only a few vehicle types, including heavy-duty pickup trucks, still have visible bumpers. A bumper cover is a visible fiberglass or plastic cover of a bumper, designed for aesthetic appeal, to enhance aerodynamics, and improve fuel efficiency.

Bumpers serve the important function of absorbing many road impacts and collisions in the front and back sides of a car and offer decent impact protection to the car, passengers, and internal car parts. Essentially, bumper covers only function to provide modest coverage and offer little to no protection by themselves. There are typically two bumper covers on most cars, one to cover the front bumper and one to cover the rear bumper. However, bumper covers do help bumpers serve their functions, decrease damage to the bumpers, and increase the lifespans of the bumpers.

Benefits of FitParts Bumpers and Car Service

Your bumpers and other external car parts can face many different kinds of damage and accidents, including dents and scratches on the road or even pulling out of the driveway. When you need new car parts, there are many impactful benefits to using FitParts for your car parts and knowledge. Some of the top impactful benefits of FitParts include saving much time and money, avoiding scams, avoiding extra labor and costs, enjoying quality parts for your vehicle, and enjoying increased assurance of the quality, consistency, and reliability of a car company that has your car needs and desires as top priorities of their business practices.  

Save Time and Money

You can save time and money by using an aftermarket parts company instead of an OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

Avoiding Scams

FitParts always provides impactful car knowledge, attendance, honest service, and car parts.

Avoid Extra Labor and Costs

Experience the time-efficiency and cost-efficiency of FitParts’s shipping and aftermarket pricing.

Trust FitParts for Honest Car Work

Increasing your car knowledge including knowledge of the differences between fenders, bumpers, bumper covers can help you know the right parts company. The goal of every car owner is to have a quality, reliable, and long-lasting vehicle. To achieve this goal, experience the right hassle-free, informative service, and car parts by trusting FitParts with your automotive needs. To see the difference made by their trustworthy, quality, time-efficient, and cost-efficient parts service, visit the FitParts website today for quality, cost-efficient car parts.