Third brake light alternatives?

So I've been doing some poking around, and I haven't found anyone talking about that melting third brake light assembly issue...

For those who don't know, the standard incandescent bulbs are capable of getting hot enough to melt the plastic housing if left on long enough. If you work out of your truck like I used to do, you find yourself leaving the door open a lot while grabbing tools and whatnot. Most of you probably know that if the doors are open, the cargo lights are on. Although most of the damage done to my housing is in the cargo lights, its the center third brake light that has given up entirely. The heat has damaged the bulb socket to the point that the bulb just kinda slides in and out with no resistance. I currently have LEDs in the cargo lights to keep the heat down, but that doesn't change that fact that I need a new assembly in order for the brake light to function. You cannot buy just the wiring harness or housing direct from Toyota, you have to replace everything. I was quoted around $160. That is far more than any aftermarket I have found.

So my question is this: Does anyone have a aftermarket third brake light that they really like? I haven't seen anything that I like with reviews that inspire confidence. I would really like a somewhat OEM look but unfortunately most of what I have found it super tacky and ricer looking (lots of god awful chrome). And the ones that look pretty close to original that I've found have pretty bad or mixed reviews. Have I hit a dead end? Is there actually something good out there?

Thanks to everyone for reading and all input is greatly appreciated!

 

I experienced the same melted housing but switched over to leds before it got too bad. Aftermarket options are hideous in my opinion. Here’s the complete oem assembly for $98: https://parts.toyotaofcoolsprings.com/oem-parts/toyota-high-mount-lamp-815700c010/?c=Zz1lbGVjdHJpY2FsJnM9aGlnaC1tb3VudC1sYW1wcyZpPTgxOTE1MzU1JnI9MSZhPXRveW90YSZvPXR1bmRyYSZ5PTIwMDAmdD1zcjUmZT00LTdsLXY4LWdhcw==

Maybe @Roman has a promo code you can use.

 

Welcome from CA btw.

 

Changing the whole assembly is a PITA and you have to drop the rear headliner inside the cab to do so. I just went the same route you did and put LEDs, i have not looked for aftermarket options. Good luck with your search and journey of swapping it out. Also.

Welcome to the party!!

 

Forum20

 

I replaced with LEDs as well. Kept the original housing which looks fine. You can’t tell any damage unless you pull your cover. The LEDs work great. One thing I would recommend is your caulk up/water proof the light assembly where it dives into the cab.

Pull it out slightly (do not force it all the way out as it will not go) and put a bead of silicone where the deteriorated rubber gasket is and then push back in. Once its in then put a bead along top and two sides making sure to not caulk the lens cover to assmbly body.

The LEDs messed up my key fob distance of operation. I now need to be right up next to truck when operating lock/unlock.

 

1st gens don’t have a switch but a button that you need to remember to hit every time you open a door.

 

Mine is melted pretty bad. Found the fuse today and gonna unplug it to see if that works. I never once have used that cargo light anyhow, it's been nothing but an annoyance.

LED swap is the smart move but mine is already melted to hell.

 

I changed out mine to this setup. Got it here.

https://www.vividracing.com/dirt-kartel-3rd-brake-light-mount-toyota-tundra-0718-p-152364922.html

 

Thanks for the reply and the link. I'm currently trying to find a used one in good shape, but I might just end up buying this if I can't find something decent. Much cheaper than the quote I got.

I agree that pretty much all of the aftermarket options are awful. I found one made by Anzo (never heard of) that looks almost OEM, but the reviews suck and they use incandescents for the cargo lights. Not that it's a huge deal since you can just swap them for LEDs, but it just proves that the manufacturer scipms on materials. https://www.jcwhitney.com/details/T...00/SR5/8_Cyl_4-dot-7L/A1R531040.html#plpslot2

 

Yeah, the cargo light is pretty useless with the incandescent bulbs. Swapping for LEDs is a huge improvement though. About a year ago I swapped all of them for some cheap LEDs from Amazon that failed after a couple months. So I put the incandescents back in and just kinda forgot about it. Until I noticed one of the cargo lights was only working intermittently... and then noticed the third brake light also doesn't work anymore. Luckily putting good LEDs in has worked fine so far, but they are far less important than the brake light.

This is what I get for putting it off.

 

Damn I wish they put that in the 1st Gen. I guess I could rig up a bypass. If I actually wanted to do that.

 

I want this!
https://youtu.be/v42g1tmdTWo

 

I thought the same thing after posting that but it’s not high up on the list. Would be the cheapest on the list though.

 

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. Unfortunately the cargo lights have melted all the way through the housing so I have to pull the whole thing out anyways to get a water tight seal. Will definitely be caulking the new one in though. It is already letting water in with heavy rain or when washing it. Man, this thing light is a pain in the ass.

As for your key fob situation... The hell?!? What kind of witchcraft is that? Have you tried pulling them out and testing the fob again? I have no idea why LEDs in the brake light assembly would affect that. I sadly don't have a keyless entry system which kinda blows my mind that a TRD didn't come with it.

 

I want that!

 

I didn't know Tacomas had this issue too... Pretty disappointing for a Toyota. Could be worse I suppose.

Its pretty cool lookin', much better than the other aftermarkets out there. I think it would look a little out of place on my minimally modded truck though. lol

 

Thanks again to everyone thats chiming in. I'm glad I finally joined the community!

 

Keep us posted on your findings. Bummer on yours burning all the way through. Mine only burned into the first reflective shield. The outer assembly housing is still intact. Being a keep things standard guy I just did a restoration. These other guys are on top of the top mod stuff. I’m more into optimizing what I have originally.

 

Wish that company https://mesocustoms.com/ would venture into making some tundra stuff.

 

what baja lights did you go with? have you had any issues with PD asking where the 3rd brake light went?