tail lights in 10 minutes, costing you between $35 and $75. Replacing your lights yourself will save you money and won’t affect your insurance premium.

Your Toyota’s tail lights are an important feature on your car for making sure you are visible to other drivers at night. If one of your tail lights goes out, you may immediately think about how you could use your insurance to fix it—but you likely can make the repairs yourself!

The

car insurance

super app

Jerry

has put together this guide to replacing Toyota tail lights. We’ll talk about how to replace your tail lights, why they may be malfunctioning, and if using your insurance is the right move.

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How to replace a Toyota tail light

Cost: $35 to $75

Time: 10 minutes

Tools needed: Safety glasses, gloves, socket wrench, screwdriver

Difficulty: Easy

Before you begin unbolting and removing, you will need to know what is causing the malfunction, if possible.

If it’s not as clear as an obviously cracked light from that fender-bender last week, it can be difficult to determine the source of the damage. You can always take it to a certified mechanic so they can identify the issue if you’re unsure what’s wrong.

Or, maybe you’d like to troubleshoot the issue yourself! If you notice that both tail lights are dark, it could be an issue with the fuse. However, if just one light is out, it could just need a simple bulb replacement.

After determining the cause of your tail light outage, you’ll be able to figure out which part needs replacing. Consult your Toyota’s owner’s manual to make sure you

order the correct part

for your Toyota’s model and year, like a

Camry

Corolla

Now, you’re ready to make the repairs! Grab your safety gear and tools, and follow the steps below to replace your Toyota tail lights:

Disconnect the battery before you begin. Working with live wires will introduce the potential for electric shock, so you’ll want to eliminate that possibility at the beginning. Starting with the negative cable, simply unscrew both cables from the battery.

Open the trunk or tailgate so you can access the tail lights.

Locate and remove the tail light assembly covers. These can be plastic or fabric.

Remove the bulb socket of the problem light by giving it a ¼ turn counterclockwise, or to the left. Discard the faulty bulb.

Replace it with a new bulb. It’s a good idea to wear gloves while replacing bulbs since the glass can be delicate and has the potential to break.

If you’re working on a Toyota truck, like the

Tundra

, the instructions are fairly similar, but you may have to unscrew a few more clips that hold these lights in place.

Once you replace the bulb and reinstall the assembly covers, you should be good to go! Just make sure you test out the lights before you hit the roads again.

Key Takeaway It can be fairly easy to replace your Toyota’s tail lights if you make sure to order the correct part.

Common reasons for Toyota tail light malfunctions

If you accidentally backed into a streetlight, the cause of your tail light’s malfunction could be obvious. In other cases, though, the cause may leave you stumped. Consider these potential causes:

Dead bulb: The issue may simply lie in a burnt-out bulb.

Blown fuse: This problem won’t be able to be solved by just changing the bulb, and may involve some wiring work.

Faulty or damaged socket: If there’s a problem with the socket, it could be a loose wire or you may need to replace the whole thing.

Does car insurance cover broken tail lights?

Whether or not your car insurance will cover your Toyota’s broken tail lights will depend on the type of insurance you have and how the lights were damaged.

If you have

comprehensive car insurance

, your tail lights would be covered if they got damaged in a natural disaster or by vandalism.

Collision insurance

would cover a broken tail light in the event of an accident with another vehicle or object (re: streetlight).

But before you use your insurance, it is worth looking into how much a repair or a DIY job will cost—it might be cheaper! Keep in mind that when you use your insurance, you will have to

pay a deductible

, and you risk increasing your premium when you file your claim.

Deductibles can cost you anywhere between $250 to $500 and sometimes more, but changing your Toyota tail lights on your own will cost just $35 to $75!

So, yes, your insurance can cover a broken tail light, but it might be cheaper to make the repair yourself.

MORE:

When should you not make a car insurance claim?

How to find affordable Toyota insurance

The insurance rate on your Toyota will vary depending on the model and year of your vehicle, but on average, Toyota drivers are paying $1,705 a year on their

car insurance

. If you have a 2021 or 2022 model, you likely are paying more.

If you want to save money on your Toyota’s insurance, the

Jerry

app is a good place to start. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.

And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price. This level of service is why Jerry earned a 4.6/5 rating on the App Store and made it the top insurance app in the country.

“When using
Jerry
, I just put in a bit of information, and they found lots of different quotes for me. I was paying $305 a month for 2 brand-new cars, but now I’m paying $150 a month for both with full coverage!” —Robin U.

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FAQs

How much does it cost to replace a Toyota tail light?

Depending on your specific model and if you undertake the repair yourself, replacing your Toyota tail light can cost between $35 and $75.

Can you replace tail lights yourself?

Sure! Replacing tail lights requires minimal work and the use of tools you can probably find in your at-home tool kit. It can be intimidating if you’re new, but check out this guide for tips and have patience with yourself.

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