Front license plate bracket holes

[travislipe]

Im planning on doing this as well. Unfortunately we live in IL which they require a front plate, but they normally don't mess with it too bad so I am ditching mine. I chewed the salesman out when I seen it on the car, I was like why don't you put the bracket on when the sale is done if they want it, esp on new cars. But they put it on all of them. I am going to attempt this over the weekend & grab some plugs of some sort & put in there to see how it looks.

Another thought I had was just to get some spray paint mixed up the color of the car & spray the bracket that color. My wife didn't like that idea, she just said take it off there!

 

[Schumi]

My car came without the front plate holder in place. It was in the trunk. My state requires front plates. I just pushed in the bracket and it clicked in place. No holes, no screws. It seems to hold the plate just fine. Anyone else done this?

 

[50pascals]

FYI - The factory bumper cover has no holes. I had the dealer leave the front plate off after a collision repair involving a new bumper cover. Now just have a smooth bumper - with no holes.

 

[compu_85]

I found you can attach the plate frame to the lower grille with zip tires.... no holes required.

-J

 

[BPofMD]

...but then you get flop and movement thereby scratching/marring whatever it touches.

 

[Scrounger]

if your window sheet says that the tag bracket was listed then you probably wont have a leg to stand on with the dealer.BUT! if it was NOT, then I would make them give me a new bumper.You did not ask for this bracketand should not have it.kind of like when they put their DAmn advertiement dealer sticker on the paint-OH nO you didn`t!! ticks me off, I asked the salesman how much was he going to pay every month for the ad going down the road.he had the detail guy remove.

I dont any dealer would ever cough up a new bumper no matter what the window sticker said.

 

[popeye304]

The Dealer will fix it

I'm a salesman at a VW dealer and we did a dealer trade where the dealer installed a front license plate mount. The customer did not desire the plate (Florida is a rear only license plate state). As we lacked the skill to properly repair, we contracted a local body shop to make the repairs, at no cost to the customer. Not every dealer is a stealer. Well, not in this example.

I picked up my 2013 SEL and it had the front license plate mount already installed by the dealer (I'm sure it was on their PDI checklist). However, I live in a state that does not require a front plate and I prefer the look of the car without the front plate bracket. No problem I thought, I'll just remove it. But come to find out the plate bracket is mounted by drilling two large (.5 inch) holes in the front bumper cover. So that doesn't look good with the bracket removed.

I ended up removing the front bracket, and reinstalled the black plastic pushpin inserts back into the holes (sans bracket) just to fill the holes. This looks better but still a little odd.

Has anybody encounterd this? Possible solutions I've thought of;

1. Have dealer repair/replace the holes in the front bumper cover. Ya right, I'm sure they will gladly do this... not. Expensive fix.

2. Get some tungsten silver touchup paint and paint the black plastic pushpin inserts to try and get a color match. But I bet this would end up looking not much different, and possibly worse if the paint looked ugly (metallic paint hard to match).

3. Reinstall the front plate bracket and put a nice fancy VW or TDI logo or vanity plate on the front.

4. Get a euro plate mount and somehow affix it so it covers the holes on the front of the bumper, with an interesting euro vanity plate.

5. Juts keep it as is, it isn't that bad, but I know it will eat at me over time..

Any other ideas or has somebody dealt with this problem before? I have to say the front plate mount is a poor design when it requires drilling large holes in the front bumper cover.

Tx

 

[PaulB]

But come to find out the plate bracket is mounted by drilling two large (.5 inch) holes in the front bumper cover. So that doesn't look good with the bracket removed.

There's an old saying, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." I would be so thrilled to live in a no-front-plate state that I wouldn't even see the holes. Think of them as cooling passages.

 

[Volcombug]

i did #4 with a mk6 gti euro plate holder( you have to trim the little feet of the back of the holder.). just drill holes in the holder to match the bumper and insert the plastic rivets, best pic i have of it.. sorry

I don't know why I didn't think of just using the black chips that came on the old frame to hold the Euro frame on in the same holes! Genius! Thanks IRISHpride!

 

[Copperhead TDI]

I know this doesn't matter NOW,......
But,... why in the world would you purchase a brand new car with the plate bracket installed if your state doesn't require it?

It's not like these cars are rare or anything that special.
Just like a certain exterior or interior color. Buy what you want, not what a certain dealership has available on the lot.

I told my dealer that those dealer mounted brackets are a deal breaker for me. I got a deer in the headlights look from him. I said there was no way I'm buying a brand new car with holes drilled in the bumper cover.


I can understand when buying a used vehicle,......but new,.....please?

 

[kjake]

Just do what I did, crash the car and get a new bumper without the holes

 

[Scrounger]

I know this doesn't matter NOW,......
But,... why in the world would you purchase a brand new car with the plate bracket installed if your state doesn't require it?

It's not like these cars are rare or anything that special.
Just like a certain exterior or interior color. Buy what you want, not what a certain dealership has available on the lot.

I told my dealer that those dealer mounted brackets are a deal breaker for me. I got a deer in the headlights look from him. I said there was no way I'm buying a brand new car with holes drilled in the bumper cover.


I can understand when buying a used vehicle,......but new,.....please?

Well for me it was they did not have the car I wanted nor did any PA dealers so they had to go to MD for mine and they require a plate. Sorta didnt have a choice in the matter.

 

[Ptplayers]

A lady backed intot he front of my Passat and broke the license plate holder .

After taking out the 2 tabs on the top , is there an easy way to release the bottom of the holder ?

I tried but did not want to break anything .

Thank you

 

[dubStrom]

You can just pull the plate holder off- screws are optional, but take them out if they are there. It chips a bit of paint when it comes off though. If you are covering it with the VWVortex DIY method or Bumperplugs, it doesn't show anyway.

I like the DIY method. This means I'll have the paint if I get a parking lot fender scuff on the bumper. Paint shop will charge over $200!

 

[Verbosity1]

Hi there,
First time poster, just recently purchased a 2015 Golf TDI (manual, S-trim). I've always liked the clean look of no front plate/bracket on all of my cars.
Much to my dismay, upon removal of the front bracket (had already purchased 2 bumperplugs) I find not just 2 holes (like my other cars), and not JUST 4 holes (factory on the 2015 US golf TDI), but...6....6 holes... 4 factory, and 2 from, what I would consider, improper installation of the license plate frame at the dealership (see attached, 2 of the LP frame screws passed into the bumper cover).
I've only owned the car for a week, and am reaching out to the salesman/his manager (haven't filled out the dealer survey yet), and if they won't do something about it, going to go to VW of North America. This is rediculous for a brand new car....

 

[BarryT82]

I went to Napa Auto Parts and purchased some trim retainers which are the same as these plugs. I paid less than $5 for 20 of them and purchased some touchup paint as well. Sand the heads of the plugs a little, get a cardboard box and make some holes it in to hold the plugs in place, paint the plug, spray it with clear, and use some scratch remover to polish it. Mine match great and I have about $15 into them plus plenty of extras.

 

[compu_85]

If your state requires a front plate I don't see the dealer doing very much for you...

-J