How to remove the front bumper and grille on 2005-2010 VW Jetta

difficulty: 1/5
back to 1000q: mk5 Jetta "how to" list

Introduction

This article shows how to remove the front bumper on your VW Jetta 2005, 2006 through 2009, 2010 and VW Golf '06-'09 (VW Rabbit).

Although the bumpers are slightly different in the Jetta vs. Golf, they are completely interchangeable.  You can also use this article to remove the front grille.  Popular modifications are to put on the GTI or GLI grille which replaces the chrome with a black honeycomb pattern.  You must remove the front bumper to install or remove headlights when swapping OEM VW HID headlights from a GTI or GLI onto your Jetta or Golf / Rabbit.  See 1000q: HID retrofit on VW Jetta for more details.

For the VW Jetta TDI cup edition thunderbunny body kit front bumper removal or mk5 Rabbit, see 1000q: Cup edition bumper removal.  The procedure is different because they don't have the chrome shield grille.

Parts

T30, T25 torx screwdriver/bit
phillips screwdriver

Procedure

Remove the front grille

Open the hood and remove the 2x T25 torx screws (yellow arrows) holding the grille to the bumper.  The green arrows are clips that you will remove later.

Remove the 2x phillips screws holding the grille.  Note - they are at an angle to the bumper.

This is what will come off.

Release the clips holding the grille (green arrows shown in the first picture) and it will come off.  There are also little hooks at the corners shown below (yellow arrows) that will snag the bumper.  Release them and gently pull the bumper off starting at the top.

Remove the bumper

Remove the 2x T30 torx screws under the grille that hold the bumper (green arrows in the above picture).

Remove the 8x T25 torx screws along the bottom lip of the bumper.  4 of them are shown below.

Remove 5x T25 torx screws along the front wheel well that hold the bumper.  One of them is at the corner and is vertical, all others are horizontal.

Slide the bumper forward.  As it comes forward, wiggle the side marker lights out.  The bumper should come off easily.  If it doesn't there are still torx screws holding it somewhere.  The only other possibility is if you have headlight washers but this should be obvious.

Bumper installation

Installation is the reverse of removal.  Make sure that you slide the bumper onto the alignment brackets on the sides, highlighted below.

If the bumper can't get back on, feel free to post in the forums linked at the top to see if anyone else had this problem.