Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent $135–$380 · Chain / Franchise $145–$400 (the headline above) · Dealership $173–$455. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
How the price estimate was built
What it shows: Our default range is $145 to $400; 2 of 2 published ranges overlap it.
How serious did it get for owners?
1% of the 1,398 complaints report fire, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
Outcomes owners reported in complaints about this part. Fire reported: 19; Crash reported: 11; Injury reported: 11.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is under 50,000 (47%). The biggest difference from all complaints is 50,000-100,000: 47% against 29%.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 3-5 years (54%), against 35% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
1,398 owner complaints name this part.
What it shows: Recall mentioned is the largest at 21%, followed by Dealer could not fix or repeat repair at 12%; the smallest shown is Stalled or lost power at 3%.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
25-44 mph is the largest group at 38%, out of 256 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at town speeds. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2015 is the most common model year in 1,398 complaints naming this part (35%); 2 model years account for 53%.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 484 (35%), followed by 2016 at 257 (18%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 20 (1%).
When in the year do owners report it?
NHTSA owner complaints about this part run furthest above the usual seasonal share in January: about 37% more of them name an incident that month than complaints about any part would predict. A complaint is a report, not a measured failure.
What it shows: January is the largest at 12% (all: 9%), followed by February at 10% (all: 8%); the smallest shown is September at 6% (all: 8%).
What do state inspectors fail cars for?
Among 8,738,476 initial safety inspections in North Carolina in 2017, lights caused 5.2 failed items per 1,000 inspections, second among the four parts the state reports.
What it shows: Tires is the largest at 8.5, followed by Lights at 5.2; the smallest shown is Brake components at 1.9.
Do tail light replacement problems track registered cars and trucks per resident across states?
Registered cars and trucks per resident
Complaints against what the makes sold would predict (1.0× = expected)
left map: lower to higherright map: green fewer complaints than expected, red morefurthest from the pattern: AZ, CO, FL, IA, KS, LA, NJ, NM, NY, OH, SCfewer than 10 complaints
This describes states, not any one car, and it does not show that the left measure produces the right one.
Every state with 10 or more complaints, most over-reported first: state, registered cars and trucks per resident, complaints against expected, complaints filed.
- LA 1 · 1.59× · 35
- NM 1 · 1.56× · 12
- SC 1 · 1.54× · 41
- OR 1 · 1.48× · 20
- CO 1 · 1.34× · 34
- AL 1 · 1.30× · 32
- NH 1 · 1.28× · 10
- NY 0 · 1.28× · 78
- NJ 1 · 1.25× · 46
- MN 1 · 1.20× · 26
- PA 1 · 1.13× · 59
- TN 1 · 1.08× · 35
- CA 1 · 1.07× · 147
- KY 1 · 1.06× · 20
- WI 1 · 1.05× · 26
- VA 1 · 1.05× · 41
- MI 1 · 1.02× · 59
- MO 1 · 1.00× · 29
- MA 1 · 0.99× · 26
- WA 1 · 0.98× · 27
- NC 1 · 0.97× · 47
- IN 1 · 0.95× · 27
- IL 1 · 0.95× · 47
- GA 1 · 0.94× · 49
- UT 1 · 0.93× · 10
- IA 1 · 0.92× · 11
- NV 1 · 0.92× · 13
- OK 1 · 0.91× · 15
- TX 1 · 0.90× · 118
- MS 1 · 0.88× · 11
- MD 1 · 0.87× · 24
- CT 1 · 0.87× · 12
- KS 1 · 0.83× · 10
- OH 1 · 0.82× · 41
- FL 1 · 0.70× · 75
- AZ 1 · 0.65× · 22
What it shows: States with more registered cars and trucks per resident tend to sit higher on the chart across 36 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- A moderate pattern, probably real but not certain: about 1 in 7 patterns this clear turn out to be false alarms. Dropping any one state leaves the registered cars and trucks per resident pattern intact.
Are the parts for this repair getting more expensive, or only the labor?
The federal producer price index for new vehicular lighting equipment rose 10.1% from December 2019 to August 2026, while the consumer price index for motor vehicle repair, labor and parts together, rose 55.2% (BLS, national).
Prices of new vehicular lighting equipment, as shops buy them from makers, since December 2019, against consumer prices for motor vehicle repair. New vehicular lighting equipment: +10.1%; All motor vehicle parts: +17.4%; Motor vehicle repair, labor and parts together: +55.2%.
Has the replacement part I am buying been recalled?
NHTSA lists 5 equipment recalls that name tail since 2015 (exterior lighting and electrical system), covering 5,611 items sold as parts rather than whole vehicles; the largest, by Harbor Freight Tools in 2026, covered 3,832.
| Year | Maker and product | NHTSA component | Defect | Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Harbor Freight Tools: 12v Submersible Lights, 12v Led. | tail lights bulbs | certain Kenway 12V LED Towing Light Kits with part number 64282, manufactured November 13, 2019 to December. | 3,832 |
| 2020 | Ecco Holdings Corp.: Code 3 | exterior lighting | certain Code 3 7x9 Stop-Tail-Turn Reverse All-in-One LED stop, tail, turn, and reverse lights sold primarily. | 761 |
| 2022 | Chrysler (Fca Us, Llc): Tail Light Assembly | tail lights | certain Mopar Lamp Assemblies, tail light right with part number 68421132AD, and tail light left with part. | 668 |
| 2026 | Ford Motor Company: Integrated Trailer Module Kit | tail lights | certain ITRM accessory kits with part number RL3Z-19H322-AA, ML3Z-19H322-AA, AB, BA, BB, CA, and CB that were. | 315 |
| 2026 | Jerr-Dan Corporation: Xlp Carrier Kit | tail lights | certain XLP Carrier kits. The reverse and brake light assemblies may have been installed in the wrong. | 35 |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 5 foreign recall campaigns that name tail with NHTSA since 2015; the latest, from Tesla in 2023-10. These are recalls abroad, and they apply to U.S. cars only if the same model is sold here.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10 | Tesla. | 201 | Manufactured in Germany with a Center High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL) that has elevated input capacitance, which may cause certain right rear tail lamps on the vehicles to enter an overcurrent safe mode, which may further cause the tail lamp to stop illuminating. |
| 2020-06 | Mercedes-Benz | 107 | MBAG has determined that on certain MY20 GLA-Class vehicles (H247 platform) the luminous intensity of the tail lamp direction indicator might not meet current production specifications. |
| 2018-12 | Subaru. | 232 | Circuit structure design, when the trailer's brake lamps are illuminated (ON), the trailer's rear lamps (registration plate lamps and tail lamps) will be deactivated (OFF). |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 8 NHTSA recalls that name tail filed 2015 to 2024, 94.3% of the 692,466 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 39,677 vehicles still carrying the defect.
| Year | Vehicles | Recalled vehicles | Repaired | Component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tesla Model Y, Model 3 | 321,628 | 98.3% | tail lights |
| 2024 | Ford Maverick | 242,669 | 92.5% | tail lights |
| 2022 | Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, Grand Cherokee | 99,186 | 85.9% | tail lights |
| 2023 | Land Rover Range Rover | 12,922 | 92.1% | tail lights |
| 2020 | Audi S5, A5 | 5,426 | 95.7% | tail lights |
| 2022 | Jaguar F-Pace | 5,297 | 94.9% | tail lights |
| 2023 | Ford Maverick | 2,716 | 81.6% | tail lights |
| 2021 | Land Rover Defender | 2,622 | 100.0% | turn signal |
What do owners who wrote down a dollar amount say they paid?
Among 52 NHTSA owner complaints about this part that name one component and one repair, the middle dollar amount an owner wrote was $800, with a quarter at $750 or less and a quarter at $990 or more; these are selected owner reports, not a representative price.
| Measure | Amount or count |
|---|---|
| A quarter of owners wrote this much or more | $990 |
| Middle amount owners wrote | $800 |
| A quarter of owners wrote this much or less | $750 |
| All complaints naming the part with any dollar amount, before the filter | 93 |
| Complaints with one component, no repeat or tow wording, and a dollar amount | 52 |
Which U.S. counties get hail that damages cars?
NOAA Storm Prediction Center logged hail of 1 inch or larger most often in Cleveland County, OK, Oklahoma County, OK and Tarrant County, TX, about 30.2 reports per 1,000 square miles a year from 2000 to 2024, against 2.6 in the median U.S. county; reports also reflect where people live to see and call in hail.
What it shows: Cleveland County, OK is the largest at 30.2, followed by Oklahoma County, OK at 28.4; the smallest shown is Denton County, TX at 20.3.
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 29 recall campaigns for parts matched to a tail light replacement since model year 2015, covering about 5,823,530 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a tail light replacement since model year 2015 | 29 recall campaigns covering about 5,823,530 vehicles |
How often does this part fail a real inspection, by car age?
In 2,091,272 New Jersey initial inspections in 2025, 5.1% of cars aged 16+ years failed the lighting test against 0.3% of cars under 3 years, about 17 times as often (record counts, not a sample).
What it shows: 16+ is the largest at 5.1%, followed by <3 at 0.3%; the smallest shown is <3 at 0.3%.
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26V-104 | Ford Expedition 2022–2027; Lincoln Navigator 2022–2027; Ford F-450 SD 2022–2026 and 6 more | 4,381,878 | Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 19V-256 | Acura MDX Sport Hybrid 2017–2019; Acura MDX 2015–2019 | 322,897 | Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash. |
| 22V-844 | Tesla Model Y 2020–2023; Tesla Model 3 2023 | 321,628 | A taillight that fails to illuminate may reduce the visibility of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V-293 | Ford Maverick 2022–2024 | 242,669 | Rear tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 25V-543 | Ford Explorer 2025; Lincoln Aviator 2025 | 213,121 | Trailer tail lights that do not illuminate as intended can reduce visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V-544 | Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 2022; Jeep Grand Cherokee 2021 | 99,186 | A tail light side marker that does not illuminate can reduce vehicle visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 25V-006 | KIA Sorento 2024–2025; KIA Sorento Phev 2025; KIA Sorento Hybrid 2025 | 74,469 | A loss of headlights and taillights can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 19V-839 | Ford Ranger 2019 | 72,718 | Intermittent or inoperative tail lamps can result in loss of stop, turn, rear position, and reverse lamp functions, which reduces the vehicle's visibility and may not fully alert other drivers that the vehicle is braking, turning. |
21 more recalls name this part, on smaller fleets. The car finder at the top checks yours.
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche | 911 2025–2026; 911 Carrera 2025–2026 and 1 more | 6/25 9431 | Jun 8, 2026 | Exclusive design tail light installation instructions. |
| Subaru | Solterra 2023–2026 | 12-277-26 | Apr 20, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin announces a design change to the tailgate rear taillight assembly. |
| MINI | Cooper Convertible 2025; Cooper 2025 and 1 more | M630126 | Jan 16, 2026 | On rare occasions, a check control message may be displayed indicating a malfunction in the rear lightingfunctions, including the brake light, taillight, side light; or turn indicator. |
| BMW | 230i 2025; X5 2024–2026 | B630725 | Sep 3, 2025 | The check control message(s) for the (brakelights, taillights, side lights, turn indicator,daytime driving lights) taillamps (highlightedin orange in the photo) is intermittentlydisplayed. |
| Porsche | 911 2025–2026 | 6-25 | Aug 29, 2025 | Installation and conversion instructions for the exclusive design tail. |
| Volkswagen | Id.4 2021–2025; Jetta 2021–2025 and 10 more | V9422012066639_5 | Jul 14, 2025 | What to do if customer mentions water droplet within tail lights. |
55 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (1)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche | Cayenne 2018–2019 | Jun 1, 2020 | No. 64 | Tail light. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
It's unbeleivable that I was faced with an $1,100 bill for my tail lights not working when the problem was due to poor engineering.
Then after 50k miles, I started having odd lighting issues…both headlight bulbs had to be replaced within 3 weeks of each other and one high beam bulb, and then my tail lights went out!
Rear tail light assembly allows water to enter which cause the race track taillights to blow and forces consumers to spend over $1000 to fix this issue.
The repair involves replacing the entire taillight assembly for about $800.
Check your car
Tail light replacement cost runs $145–$400 with our calculator's default settings: an aftermarket assembly at a shop charging $120 an hour. A bulb swap alone is $5–$25.
How much does tail light replacement cost?
Tail light replacement cost depends mostly on one thing: bulb or whole assembly. The calculator's numbers, copied exactly:
| What changes | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default (aftermarket assembly, $120/hr) | $145–$400 |
| Bulb only (halogen / LED swap) | $5–$25 |
| Tail light assembly, OEM | $190–$570 |
| Car / sedan (aftermarket assembly) | $125–$320 |
| Pickup truck (aftermarket assembly) | $155–$440 |
| Independent shop ($100/hr) | $135–$380 |
| Dealership ($175/hr) | $173–$455 |
Quoted well above these ranges? Ask what else is on the ticket, and whether it's a bulb, a socket or the whole assembly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a tail light?
$145–$400 typically in our calculator, with a bulb-only swap at $5–$25 and an OEM assembly at $190–$570. Pickups run higher, at $155–$440. Your quote depends on the vehicle and shop rate.
Can I replace just the tail light bulb?
Often yes, if your assembly takes replaceable bulbs. Some sealed LED assemblies don't. One Yukon Denali XL owner told NHTSA the whole assembly had to be bought at $700 (complaint #11114026). Check before you order parts.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- North Carolina Division of Air Quality, Vehicle Safety and Emissions Inspection Frequency Study data from 2017
- FHWA Highway Statistics 2023 Table MV-1 with Census 2023 population, joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- BLS Producer Price Index, commodity data for motor vehicle parts (series WPU141205141); BLS Consumer Price Index item SETD for the repair row downloaded August 2026
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center, Severe Weather Database (hail reports 1955-2024); county land area from the Census Gazetteer downloaded 2025 (file covers through 2024)
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Vehicle Inspection Data downloaded 2026-10
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
Owner complaints quoted
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against 2 established price guides on 2026-10-13: our default's midpoint is 41% below the middle of the median of 2 published guides. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology