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How to replace tail light taillight assembly lens 2006 Highlander Hybrid

7.8K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  CDR S.  
#1 ·
Busted my taillight tail light assembly lens. Bought a new aftermarket for a hundred bucks and change vs triple that for Toyota part. Very satisfied with the quality. Made in Taiwan. I opened the little door in the cargo area behind the light assembly, unhooked the light sockets and wire harness, used a deep 10mm socket to remove the two nuts, then pried the light off from outside using a flat blade screwdriver. There is a harness on the bottom of the light assembly for a tiny side bulb. The connector for that harness is attached into the saturn shaped hole (the planet with the rings, not the car) in the taillight assembly. (The saturn shaped hole looks like an O with a slot through it poking out on both sides.) I popped that harness out with the same flat blade screwdriver. Apparently in my case, the harness socket is stronger than the old assembly, because the assembly broke and released the harness. No big deal because the taillight assembly was trash anyway. Better to break the already broken part than the good one. (Should I have broken the harness socket, I'd have used a zip tie.) Harness snapped into the new taillight assembly no problem. Lined up the seal on the back of the new taillight assembly, and pressed it in place. (It had come loose in a few places and migrated around during shipping.) Got it to stay in place long enough to put the new assembly into place and get the nuts back on it. Snugged it with my socket. Not too tight because after all it's just plastic.

Two notes:
1. I DID NOT HAVE TO REMOVE ANYTHING ELSE - NO BUMPER REMOVAL as I have seen mentioned in other posts.
2. IF YOU DROP YOUR NUT(S) AND/OR TOOL(S) DOWN INSIDE THE CREVICE, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CUSS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD END UP.

It ain't hard to do. Half hour.
 
#2 ·
Great explanation above and very helpful!

A couple of clarifications I discovered today while searching for a mysterious water leak into my rear quarter panels.

First, those tiny bulbs were housed in a Figure 8 type socket that needs to be twisted 90(ish)deg to remove from the assembly.

Second there's a grey double prong clip type thing just above the backup light socket to hold (prevent?) the assembly from falling out once the two 10mm nuts are removed. Broke on prong by trying to get the assembly "unstuck" when removing.

The rubberized foam "gasket" showed signs of mud/water leakage past it and consequently into my quarter panel compartments where the rear sunroof drain lines exit thru a grommeted drain hole.

Hope this helps others!