Home › Car clip guides › Jobs by area of the car

Replacing grille and garnish clips

4 min read · Jobs by area of the car

Grilles, badges and garnish strips are held on by clips that are designed to be hidden. When one breaks, the part rattles, sits crooked or lifts at one end.

Grille clips

Most grilles clip to the radiator support or the bumper. Some also have screws or bolts at the top. The clips are often shaped plastic tabs or retainers that the grille pushes onto.

Garnish and moulding retainers

Door garnish strips, pillar mouldings and handle trims usually sit on retainers that push into the body. The strip clips over the retainers.

Taking it off

1. Look for screws or bolts first, especially along the top of a grille.
2. Find where the clips are, often by looking through gaps with a torch.
3. Release near each clip with a plastic tool, not in the middle of the part.
4. Note which clips stay on the body and which stay on the grille or strip.

See how to remove car trim clips.

Fitting new clips

Fit the new clips the same way round as the old ones, then press the part on evenly. Our grille and garnish clips range covers several makes. For other body mouldings, see trim clips.

Why grille and garnish clips break

These clips live at the front and sides of the car, so they get sun, heat from the engine bay, road grit and the odd car wash brush. Over the years the plastic gets harder and more brittle. A clip that held firmly when new can snap the first time the part is removed, which is why it pays to have new clips ready before you start.

Checklist before you order

• Take out one old clip, or a broken piece of it, so you can see its shape.
• Measure the head, the stem and the hole it fits. See how to measure a car clip.
• Count how many clips the part uses, and order a few spare.
• Note the colour if the clip shows from the outside.

Common mistakes

• Pulling the grille from the centre, which bends it and snaps the tabs.
• Missing a hidden screw at the top or behind the badge.
• Using a clip that is slightly too small, so the part still rattles at speed.
• Gluing a loose grille instead of replacing the clip. It makes the next repair much harder.

Is it the clip or the grille?

If the tab or boss on the grille itself has broken off, a new clip has nothing to hold. Check the back of the part before you buy clips. A small broken tab can sometimes be repaired, but a badly damaged grille may need replacing.

Where grille clips sit

• Along the top edge, where the grille meets the bonnet slam panel (often with screws too)
• Behind the headlights at each end
• Along the bottom, into the bumper or a support bracket

Many grilles also have small locating pegs that are not clips. If the grille will not come out after the clips are released, look for a hidden screw or a tab that needs pressing in from behind.

Garnish, pillar and window mouldings

Garnish strips on doors, pillars and tailgates use retainers that slide or twist into the body, then the moulding snaps over them. When a moulding lifts at one end, the retainer under that end has usually broken or come out of its hole.

Grille and garnish clips in our range

These are the grille, garnish and moulding clips in our range with the sizes marked on each product photo, so you can compare them with your old clip.

Sizes are approximate, read from the measurement marks on our product photos. Always compare with your original part.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my grille rattle at speed?

A broken or missing clip, or a broken tab on the grille itself. Check both before buying parts.

Sizes and fitting steps in our guides are general. Check your vehicle's manual for anything specific to your car. Questions? Call 0499 001004.