Trim tape around upper brake light

[In-House Bob]

Hi all,
I tried searching for this but had no luck. Today I heard a POP sound come from the rear deck area and then noticed that the rubber "tape" that surrounds the upper brake light housing was sagging. It seems with the hot (Very Hot) weather and parking outside, the sticky backing has come unstuck. More importantly, the rubber is badly deteriorated and crumbling apart. Have others experienced this and is there an easy replacement? Is this strip of rubber really doing anything productive? I suppose will get by the dealer eventually but thought I'd check in here for possible simple solutions. Thanks!

 

[BenGenesis]

Same thing has happened to mine. I’m waiting for it to cool down a bit (NY) then clean it with wd40, dry and glue it back.

 

[In-House Bob]

Same thing has happened to mine. I’m waiting for it to cool down a bit (NY) then clean it with wd40, dry and glue it back.

MIne is crumbling pretty bad along one edge so I guess I'll try to find a replacement or just remove it. Do you see that it does more than just cover the gap?

 

[JK8]

Topic: Rear brake light trim sagging and possibly breaking loose.

This happened to my 2015 3.5 sedan. The rubber tape (portion directly under the brake light) crumbled, drooped down, and one side broke as I adjusted to see what the issue was. So I just gently pulled and the entire portion under the brake light came off. In retrospect, had I realized what was going on, I would have been a bit more gentle- many applied some rubber treatment, done some research to see what kind of adhesive it needed, and then finagle it back into place.

Because without it, it will have effect on night time driving. The red light from the brake light leaks through the gap, and reflects off the inside of the back window. This causes the back window to glow red every time you step on the brake, and you cant really see through it.

I Went to dealer, and this was not covered by my external warranty, and only suggestion was over $600 for new brake light. I just need the trim replaced or repaired, without it looking like a second grade art project. I figured they would have a "trim guy" or something. I will look around for someone that does trim.

 

[Dbeckwith]

Experienced the same, and a few pieces of electrical tape sealed it back up nicely and are hardly noticeable. Not ideal, but better than $600 light assembly

 

[Andyj]

Same boat. A new light assembly is around $130 but replacing it appears to be daunting which probably explains the $600 dealer quote. Not thrilled about using black Gorilla Tape. Has anyone replaced it as a diy?

 

[G-389842]

Experienced the same, and a few pieces of electrical tape sealed it back up nicely and are hardly noticeable. Not ideal, but better than $600 light assembly

How is the tape holding up over the period of time? Mine has just failed as well and I need a fix/hack to get it right.

 

[Andyj]

Search the forum for third brake light for the $120 part and DIY replacement instructions. Not that bad.

 

[In-House Bob]

Mine was covered under the extended warranty I got when buying used. Your results may vary.

 

[dcrob95]

How is the tape holding up over the period of time? Mine has just failed as well and I need a fix/hack to get it right.

I've used a 3M product and it has held up for probably about 2 years now. Cost was about $10 and cosmetically you cannot tell from the outside or inside that anything was done.

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[surprisinguy]

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[dcrob95]

Do you remember what 3M product you used? It might help another member

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