Vehicle front end assembly

A vehicle front end assembly comprising:

• a vehicle bumper fascia panel having an inbound facing surface and an exterior surface;
• a headlamp disposed above the vehicle bumper fascia panel;
• a headlamp support bracket disposed below the headlamp with the headlamp support bracket including a first locating structure;
• a bumper fascia reinforcement bracket fixed to the vehicle bumper fascia panel to overlie an end section of the inbound facing surface of the vehicle bumper fascia panel to reinforce the end section, the bumper fascia reinforcement bracket including a second locating structure mating with the first locating structure to position the vehicle bumper fascia panel with respect to the headlamp;
• a front end support structure with the headlamp being attached to the front end support structure at an upper attachment point and the headlamp support bracket being attached to the front end support structure at a lower attachment point that is separate and distinct from the upper attachment point;
• and
• a rigid bumper assembly attached to the front end support structure with the lower attachment point being at least partially formed by the rigid bumper assembly.

A vehicle front end assembly method comprising:

• installing a headlamp support bracket having a first locating structure to a vehicle front end;
• positioning a headlamp to the vehicle front end adjacent the headlamp support bracket;
• installing a bumper fascia reinforcement bracket having a second locating structure to a bumper fascia panel such that the bumper fascia reinforcement bracket is fixedly attached to the bumper fascia panel at a location spaced apart from the second locating structure;
• and
• installing the bumper fascia panel to the vehicle front end and inserting a locating tab of the bumper fascia reinforcement bracket into a recess of the headlamp support bracket such that the first and second locating structures operatively engage one another to position the bumper fascia panel relative to the headlamp and the inserting of the locating tab of the bumper fascia reinforcement bracket into the recess of the headlamp support bracket causes a projection of the headlamp support bracket to extend into an opening of the locating tab upon insertion.

A vehicle front end assembly method comprising:

• installing a headlamp support bracket having a first locating structure to a vehicle front end;
• positioning a headlamp to the vehicle front end adjacent the headlamp support bracket;
• installing a bumper fascia reinforcement bracket having a second locating structure to a bumper fascia panel such that the bumper fascia reinforcement bracket is fixedly attached to the bumper fascia panel at a location spaced apart from the second locating structure;
• installing the bumper fascia panel to the vehicle front end such that the first and second locating structures operatively engage one another to position the bumper fascia panel relative to the headlamp;
• and
• the installing of the bumper fascia panel to the vehicle front end is initially accomplished by as snap-fit between the first and second locating structures.