Hello everyone! I just noticed that the black rubber part under my rear bumper is coming off. I am not sure if it's due to my Prius being old or if someone hit my bumper while parked. I'm not even sure what the correct name is for this rubber piece. Can it be fixed? If I leave it alone, does it affect safety or anything else? Sorry if those questions are stupid. I'm still considered a new owner for my 2005 Prius that I purchased back in February 2017. Thank you for any help that you can provide.
You probably bottomed out the back end going through a big dip. There's a metal bracket inside of the rubber molding piece, probably got bent. To fix it, you would have to remove the plugs that hold that piece together. They will break and you'll need to have new ones on hand to remount the black molding piece back onto the bumper. After you remove the molding piece, you'll see the metal bracket that'll be bent. Either try to bend it back to the original shape or buy a new one. FYI, even with a new metal bracket installed, there could still be a chance the molding won't fit flush against the bumper. Looking at the picture you have posted, you can probably just fix it by bending the metal bracket back into shape and reinstalling the rubber molding.
