Leaky Roof? 3rd brake light?

Hey ya'll, wanted to start this conversation up incase anyone on here have dealt with something similar. Last week I was driving around town and faintly heard water moving around behind the drivers seat, didn't think much of it. Few days later I see my interior and windshield is extremely wet. Did some investigating this afternoon and found water on the carpet underneath the backseat carpet. The roof carpet has water on the left and ride side as well.

Where can the water be coming from? It's hard for me to look back there because I have a topper on the rear. I'm assuming rear taillight seal went bad and water is traveling to the left and right during turns. Also maybe the window trim? But the water seems to be above that point.

Has anyone had leaking issues from their third brake light?

Thank you

 

Here’s my experience.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-brake-light-journey.768181/

 

Thanks for the reply. Glad Toyota made that all right. I've seen a ton of these threads on the 3rd gens. I'm hoping just a replacement of the brake light and it'll be fine.


Can anyone recommend a quality 3rd brake light? Curios if anyone has bought an OEM on Amazon and good experience with it. Not sure if a gasket comes with this one.

$120 Toyota Stop Lamp - 81570-04030

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyota-81570-04030-Stop-Assembly/dp/B00FZPHQQQ

 

It’s that water that made it inside I’d be worried about. Keep an eye on that. Hope you get it worked out.

 

Many have had issues with the third brake light. I was convinced I had the same issue but had to keep investigating after I replaced the third brake light and kept having water come in. Figured out that it was coming through a tiny hole in the window glue in the top corner. Hard to tell but there is a small bead of water right under the white clip.


I ended up getting window sealer from napa and getting at it from the outside (had to pull the roof or window molding back slightly to access the area). No issues since.

 

Thanks for the reply and glad you found your issue. It's hard to visualize that spot. You added this sealant around the whole back window? I might pick this up today and put this around my brake light and window and see how it goes.

 

Its not the best picture; its at an angle looking towards the passenger side, and up. I had pulled my plastics out, and the headliner down. That white clip is easily visible if you pull the headliner slightly where it meets the plastics.

When I identified the area it was coming from, I waited for a dry day; on the outside I started searching for the spot by pulling back the rubber window trim. Where that trim meets the roof molding, underneath there is a small piece if foam. The pinhole was directly behind that. I pushed the foam aside for some clearance; cleaned up the area with an isopropyl alcohol pad, let it dry and went at it with the sealer, just in that spot.

 

silicone around the 3rd brake light fixed my leak

 

Had water in/on passenger floor mat, also between door and body of truck. Toyota did air/water pressure test and found a small hole (needed to pull back headliner etc to seal) wish me luck :/

 

There is also 2 weatherstrips on the top of the cab covering the mounting holes for a roof rack to be mounted on. Other than that the 3rd tail light. Hope you figure it out. I hate leaky roof, especially the leaks I got on the roof of my house.

 

I will check those out, thank you. Drove a musty jeep for 15 years, this Taco CANNOT do this to me

 

no problem

 

Is there actual holes under those weather strippings on the roof? I assumed it was a blank channel and drilling would be required for a roof rack. Thanks for your reply

 

Thanks for all the input, guys. I've noticed that the lower weather stripping of my sliding (portion) of the rear window molding slid out of place. So lots of water came in through there while I was away for a week. Silconed and threw some tape over it, but it still leaking slowly. I'm having a hard time finding this weather stripping on a Toyota OEM parts website. Anyone have a part number by crazy chance?