To work on vehicles made in 1997 or later, start by taking off the grille and headlight trim. Unplug the negative battery cable after that. The following procedure must be followed: take off the grille opening reinforcement panel by removing plastic rivets and air deflector on either side of the radiator, plus the front bumper cover. In addition to removing the running board and front rocker panel trim, take off the side panels if they exist. First, use the front door to remove the bolt that holds the fender, then for 1997 and later models, also disconnect the fender from the radiator core support. When possible, remove the radio antenna from the right-side fender. Unfasten the four bolts running across the fender's top from inside the hood, and if the model has speed control, pull it free from the right-side fender. Take out the bolt that holds the underhood fuse/relay box on top of the left fender. To remove the inner fender panel, lift the vehicle, put on jackstands, then unscrew the panel from the bottom using screws or plastic rivets. Doing this with a wheel and tire taken off is much easier. Unscrew three bolts: one at the bottom of the front fender and two where it connects to the rocker panel below. Afterward, gently pull the fender off the auto. Follow the directions backwards during reassembly, but only partially secure the bolts first. Last, make sure the fender meets the door edge and hood at the correct distance, then tighten the bolts firmly.
