Citroen C3 Front Bumper: Fitment, Sensors & Common Damage

On the C3, a real cost figure worth knowing: genuine parking sensors run around £117 each — plus a distinct fault where sensors disable themselves when the ignition turns on.

Illustration for editorial purposes

Find Citroen C3 Front Bumper Here!

Opens live listings in a new tab.

OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front bumper (aftermarket) Prasco CI3281001 / Van Wezel 0937570

Accuracy note: Covers the Citroen C3 (2016-) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. A front bumper is a body-coloured plastic skin, so what you buy is a primed cover that still needs painting to your paint code, and the right one depends on body style, trim, facelift date and the holes moulded into it for parking sensors, fog lights, headlamp washers or a tow eye cover. A cover without the right holes cannot be drilled accurately at home. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand with the fitment details the catalogue gives; carmakers rarely publish the genuine number against these, so order a genuine cover against your VIN if you want a guaranteed match. The splitters, outer sections and trims listed separately are the parts most often sold on their own after a car-park knock.

Front bumper covers (aftermarket)	Prasco CI3281001 (primed); Prasco CI3311021 (primed, with parking sensor holes); Prasco CI3311011 (primed, with parking sensor holes); Van Wezel 0937570 (with fog light holes, with tow eye cover hole); Van Wezel 0993574 (primed, facelift)
Splitters, outer sections & trims	Prasco CI3281031 (lower section); Prasco CI3281011 (primed, upper section)
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in the catalogue listings — the genuine cover varies by body style, trim, parking sensors and fog lights, so order it against your VIN
Fitment notes	Match body style, trim, facelift date and the holes for parking sensors, fog lights and washer jets; covers come primed and need painting to your paint code before fitting.

A Genuine Cost Figure Worth Knowing Before Ordering Sensors — Citroen C3 Front Bumper

Worth knowing before pricing up a repair: genuine Citroën/Peugeot parking sensors have been quoted at around £117 each from the dealer — a significant cost if more than one has failed. Quality aftermarket alternatives claiming compatibility with the genuine OEM part number are available considerably cheaper, though it's worth confirming with the seller that colour-coding and genuine fitment compatibility are accurate before ordering.

A genuine, distinct fault pattern worth knowing about: one documented case saw parking sensors that could be manually enabled with the engine off, but automatically reverted to disabled the moment the ignition was turned on — a specific pattern pointing toward a module logic issue tied to ignition state rather than the sensors themselves. If you're experiencing this exact pattern, describing it precisely this way to a technician narrows down the likely cause considerably.

It's also worth knowing that a single faulty sensor can sometimes cause the entire system to log a fault without pinpointing which one — a genuinely useful, free test worth trying: with the sensors switched on, listen closely to each one for an audible buzz or click as it pulses; a sensor that stays silent while others respond has likely failed.

Citroen C3 Front Bumper: More Than Just a Plastic Panel

There's more hidden in the Citroen C3's front bumper than most people expect: parking sensors, adaptive cruise control radar, and fog light housings are all routinely integrated, complicating what would otherwise be a simple replacement after minor impact damage.

Citroen C3 Front Bumper: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: C3 Front Bumper Cover Removal

Watch on YouTube ↗

This video is of an earlier generation of the same model; the job is similar but the clips and fixings can differ slightly.

Before you buy: bumper specification varies significantly by trim, particularly around parking sensor cutouts, radar mounting points and fog light provisions. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Citroen C3 Front Bumper: What It Does

Beyond absorbing minor impacts, the front bumper on higher trims of the C3 often houses parking sensors, the radar sensor used for adaptive cruise control, and fog lights. A bumper that looks compatible can still be missing the correct cutouts or mounting provisions for your specific trim's equipment.

Citroen C3 Front Bumper: Generations, Derivatives & Colour

Standard trims	Polar White, Perla Nera Black, Platinum Grey, Cumulus Grey
Feel 3 special edition (2016, UK-only, 250 units)	A genuine limited-run special edition combining a Sports Red roof with a Polar White body, exclusive to this 250-unit run
Two-tone bi-tone models	Perla Nera Black bodies come with a white roof as standard on most trims; Polar White cannot be paired with the Opal White roof option — check exact spec before assuming any colour combination is available

Find Citroen C3 Front Bumper Here!

Opens live listings in a new tab.

Citroen C3 Front Bumper: Common Damage, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Front Bumper Guide for common damage types to check for, confirming fitment against your VIN, and the sensor-calibration risk with cheap aftermarket covers.

More Citroen Front Bumper

The same part, covered across other Citroen models.