Hyundai Tucson Right Front Fender

Not automatically. The Tucson sold in South Africa as JM, LM, TL and NX4, and the LM Tucson and the ix35 are the same vehicle sold under two names in different markets, so ix35 stock is a legitimate source for LM-generation parts and vice versa. Send us the generation code off your VIN plate and we will confirm it either way before anything is dispatched.

The VIN is the single most useful thing — a photo of the plate is fine. Failing that, the generation code and the engine code off the block. The Tucson ran as JM, LM, TL and NX4, so the generation is what narrows the search.

The paint code and whether the car is pre- or post-facelift. The code is on the plate in the door jamb and takes ten seconds to read; the facelift question matters because Hyundai changed front-end panels inside a single generation without changing the model name. Get both right and the panel bolts straight on.

Used Hyundai fenders start around R700 for a Getz, R757 for an i20 and roughly R1,581 for an Accent through our SA supplier network. Fender liners run around R721. Send us your colour code and we will match a painted panel rather than sending bare metal for you to pay a booth for.

The fender is the painted metal panel you see from outside. The liner is the black plastic or felt arch liner bolted behind it, keeping mud and water out of the engine bay. They replace independently, and a torn liner is both far cheaper and a far more common cause of a rattle than people assume.

Small dents with the paint intact are usually cheaper to pull with paintless dent repair. Creased metal, a torn arch lip or rust perforation are better replaced — and a used painted fender beats a new panel plus respray on price nearly every time. Photos with the enquiry get you a real answer rather than a range.

Anti-perforation cover, where a car still carries it, applies only to rust that has worked through from the inside out. Stone-chip surface rust and post-accident corrosion are not that, and owners of older cars generally report a hard time claiming. Treat it as a repair question rather than a warranty one and you will waste less time.