They're supposed to limit damage in minor collisions, but many don't.
January 24, 2012
Bumper mismatch is easily fixed
Simple modifications to the bumpers of SUVs could save consumers thousands of dollars on repairs after low-speed collisions between SUVs and cars.
December 2, 2010
Bumper mismatch is still a problem
SUV and car bumpers don’t line up with each other, and that leads to expensive damage in low-speed crashes.
November 3, 2010
Aftermarket bumper standard works well
Tests show aftermarket parts can work well if they are correctly reverse-engineered.
April 24, 1999
Better bumpers on most vehicles the Institute tested
May 9, 1998
New Beetle bumpers ace Institute low-speed tests
April 4, 1998
Pickup bumpers perform poorly in Institute low-speed tests
August 30, 1997
Saturn's bumpers are stellar compared with other small cars
May 10, 1997
Luxury car bumpers flunk low-speed impact tests
Bumper performance varies among cars from same automaker
November 9, 1996
Bumpers on passenger vans vary widely in how well they resist damage in low-speed impacts
March 2, 1996
Utility vehicles perform poorly in 5 mph crash tests
Damage repair costs for six 1996 midsize four-door utility vehicles
Mounting spare tire on back adds considerably to repair costs
February 25, 1995
Best, worst 1995 four-door midsize cars in low-speed crash tests
More winners and losers among 1995 four-door midsize cars
Costs to repair damage after a series of four impacts at 5 mph
Some automakers try to improve their cars when it comes to bumpers