How much should it cost to replace a cracked taillight?

[phungi]

From this site it looks like you can replace the cover of the taillight with very little effort. Replacing the entire assembly requires removal of the bumper.

[ShadowFacts]

@phungi

From this site it looks like you can replace the cover of the taillight with very little effort. Replacing the entire assembly requires removal of the bumper.

If I can just replace the cover, I would definitely opt for that, but based on what I’ve seen online and what others in this thread have said, I have to replace the whole unit.

That Fit site you linked to site and what GaryT said above indicates that I need to remove the rear bumper to get at the taillight assembly. That’s probably above my pay grade, but I’ll look into it.

[ShadowFacts]

@Gary_T

No no no no no. That’s not how auto repair pricing works. The prices you’re finding are likely in the neighborhood of the wholesale price the dealer pays to buy the part from Honda. They’re in business; you don’t survive in business by selling stuff for the same price you paid for it. They’re selling you the part for its retail price; the labor charge is more likely half or so what you’ve calculated.

Maybe. I found another site that sells the assembly for $80-90 new with a 2-year warranty. I certainly don’t mind paying a little more for new factory parts and ease, which is why I always get my car serviced at the Honda dealer. But in this case the mark-up seems way too extreme.

[Mtgman]

There was Ford Aerostar minivan I owned that had a taillight assembly that had a chip out of it. Not a penetrative crack, no water could get into the assembly, literally a chip. At the bottom of the band of amber. All three lights were in one assembly. Inspector flunked it. Dealership wanted hundreds, went to a wrecking yard, pulled one for $65 and installed it myself. Was still furious. It’s a racket I tell you. Ever price parts for appliances? That’s a racket too. $150 for an oven rack. That’s one oven rack. The whole oven, new, might cost $600, and they’re telling me half that is the wire racks in the middle? Fracking rassle-fargers.

Enjoy,
Steven

[handsomeharry]

@ShadowFacts

I have a 2007 Honda Fit Sport. My wife recently brought it in for regular service and they pointed out that the passenger side taillight is cracked. It’s a noticeable crack, but the light works fine and it is in no danger of falling apart or anything. I didn’t even notice it until they pointed it out. Nevertheless, they said it might not pass inspection next time we bring it in, depending on how nit-picky the inspector is. The quoted us a cost to fix of $280.

Now, I know that repair costs at a dealership are typically higher than at just a regular body shop, but this struck me as ludicrous. It’s a piece of cracked plastic! I’ve done some searching around on the internet, and it appears that the light is sold as a whole unit, so that explains a little bit why it’s more expensive than one might imagine. But the prices I’ve seen trolling around are anywhere from $75-115 new for the part.

So, I’m looking for some advice. According to some how-to videos I’ve seen, it looks like something I could replace myself if I had the part. (I’m not a car person but I’m not an idiot, either). So, some questions:

[ul]
[li]Is $280 a reasonable price to replace a cracked but not broken taillight on a Fit? If not, what is?[/li][li]Is it as simple to replace as it looks for a layman? [/li][li]If so, where is a reputable place to order such a unit?[/li][/ul]

Many thanks to any car experts who can advise.

First things first:Do not take your car into the same place to have it inspected; you said you didn’t notice it until it was pointed out. Then, the salesman said 'Pay us 280 now, in case the other guy won’t be as easy on you as I am…" Or some such. I think you should wait and see if the inspector, from a place that doesn’t make a profit from selling you items that need inspection approval, decides if you need to pay or not.
Secondly, go to a local Pull-Apart. Around here, they’re danged cheap.

[ShadowFacts]

I’m still trying to confirm if I need to take the bumper off to get at the taillight assembly. I’ve seen some info that indicates that this is the case, but nothing official. Is there a place online I can find this info officially (i.e. not some random dude on a message board just saying it - yes, I realize the irony there).

Again, it’s a 2007 Honda Fit Sport.

[Joey_P]

@Mtgman

There was Ford Aerostar minivan I owned that had a taillight assembly that had a chip out of it. Not a penetrative crack, no water could get into the assembly, literally a chip. At the bottom of the band of amber. All three lights were in one assembly. Inspector flunked it. Dealership wanted hundreds, went to a wrecking yard, pulled one for $65 and installed it myself. Was still furious. It’s a racket I tell you. Ever price parts for appliances? That’s a racket too. $150 for an oven rack. That’s one oven rack. The whole oven, new, might cost $600, and they’re telling me half that is the wire racks in the middle? Fracking rassle-fargers.

Enjoy,
Steven

Next time you need an appliance part, check out Repair Clinic.

[Mtgman]

RepairClinic’s listing for the rack my oven uses is also $150. Found one a couple years ago, when we moved in and discovered the previous owners had apparently taken the racks out of the oven to clean it and then misplaced them, for about $85. We bought one, and keep thinking about buying a second, but we rarely use both racks in the oven.

Enjoy,
Steven

[Jennmonkye]

Not an expert, but I just paid about $420 to have the tail light repaired in my car. They *had *to remove the entire back panel of the car and the billing was about 75% labor costs at the dealership. On the other hand, my car is a relatively rare model for the USA and I don’t trust any local garages to do it properly even though I probably could have found the part second hand somewhere. If the back end of the car has to come off to get to the light, you might be risking damage to your car to have someone do it who doesn’t have the right tools to fix it properly, but that is just my opinion. In the meantime, if you do go with repairs at the dealer, see if they can sweeten the pot with a tank of gas or a free wash/interior clean…doesn’t hurt to ask, right?

[kaylasdad99]

Is this the part you’re looking for?

If so, this could be the replacement process you’re looking for.

[Folacin]

It sounds like you have to buy a complete taillight assembly (probably true at the junkyard, also).

However, maybe you can pull the cover off the new one and use it to replace the cracked one? Not particularly eco-friendly (I’d hang on to the bulb), but might save you half or more of the quoted price.

If you do need to (or decide to) replace the whole thing, and the bumper pull is required - call a couple of body shops for quotes also.

[Gatopescado]

Seems to me you don’t have a problem until it fails to pass an inspection.

[digs]

@beowulff

…I’d pay it and move on with your life.

That’s what I did, when I realized I was going to spend a dozen hours finding the best deal, ordering, waiting… and I needed to fix it fast, so I spent $200. Arrrrgh!

Then I busted a different taillight. For that one, I had more time, so I checked out a junkyard, trudged a mile down dirt paths lined with junkers, found a similar car, took out a taillight. Paid $35. And it fit my car just fine.

[ralph124c]

If you really want to go cheap, you can glue the cracked pieces together, or cover with tinted plastic.
A repair kit will run you about $20.00.
I did this once on an old car-worked fine.

[ZenBeam]

@Gary T

@ZenBeam

Is this a real concern, or just something dealers say to sell you a new tail-light? What kind of inspection does it even have to passs where this is relevant?

A Missouri Vehicle Inspection, for one.

@ZenBeam

What if they “repaired” it with some model airplane glue, or a piece of clear tape?

I looked up the MO regulations (PDF), and it says

Reject vehicle if […] A lens is […] broken to the extent that moisture or contamination could enter the reflective area or light socket;

So tape is out (They’re on to me!), but it sounds like repairing with glue or epoxy should pass.

Massachusetts is more explicit:

Will a vehicle with a small crack in a tail light or missing reflector pass inspection?
No, the regulation clearly states that all lenses and reflectors must be intact, clean, unobstructed, and free from cracks. The use of adhesive tape to repair lenses is prohibited. If the lens has been repaired with an epoxy and is sealed from any water intrusion, it should pass.

So the OP should be able to repair it and have it pass.

Someone on another message board, that I came across when searching, had the following sage advice:

@Cutshaw

In the past when I was worried about minor problems (some that obviously should have failed the car but weren’t actual safety issues) I just went to a few inspection stations, pointed out the problem and flat out asked “will you fail me for this?”.

If the answer is “yes” or “I can’t tell you that” just drive to another station.