Front fender — removal and installation
Warning: The models covered by this manual are equipped with a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), more commonly known as airbags. Always disable the airbag system before working in the vicinity of any airbag system component to avoid the possibility of accidental deployment of the airbag, which could cause personal injury (see Chassis electrical system).
1. Place the vehicle on a smooth flat surface with plenty of room to maneuver the fender, bumper, and inner liner off the body of the car. Raise and support the hood.
2. Loosen the front wheel lug nuts. Raise the vehicle, support it securely on jack stands and remove the front wheels.
3. Remove the front bumper cover (see Bumpers and bumper covers — removal and installation).
4. Remove the headlight housing (see Chassis electrical system).
5. Remove the cowl paneling (see Cowl cover and vent tray — removal and installation).
6. The remaining Steps for the removal of the fender should be followed in sequence of the photos (see illustrations 12.6a through 12.6n).
i. 6a Fender well splash shield fastener locations (rear fender well splash shield similar)
i. 6b Remove the fender end cap screws. . .
i. 6c… then, at the inner end, disengage the square clips with a screwdriver to remove the cap
i. 6d Remove the pushpin clip. . .
i. 6e… disengage the 3 clips inside the fender well with needle-nose pliers …
i. 6f… then lift up and remove the plastic upper fender cover
i.6g Remove the fender upper bolts
i.6h Pry out the plastic fender guard enough to remove the lower fender bolt
i. 6i Open the front door and remove the exposed bolt
i. 6j with the door still open, disengage the clips for the inner plastic shield (1 of 3 shown).
i. 6k… then guide the shield out from the fender well…
i. 6l . and remove the exposed inner fender well bolt
i.6m Remove the fender end bolts
i.6n Pry off the small panel with a plastic trim tool, remove the
bolt and carefully guide the fender off the vehicle
7. With the aid of an assistant, support the fender while it’s being moved away from the vehicle to prevent damage to the surrounding body panels.
8. Installation is the reverse of removal.
Check the alignment of the fender to the hood, door, and the rest of the surrounding body before final tightening of the fender fasteners. It also helps to align the bolt head indent markings cast into the fender when tightening the bolts.