Light covers

Does anybody have a stock driver side tail light cover? Apparently i hit something and it cracked

 

I have a new 2012 Tacoma and both front and taillight covers have cracks running from the top to bottom. When I first saw it on one tail light it looks like an extrusion seam for the plastic, but looking closer it was a crack that started at the top and it ran as a hairline crack all the way to the bottom. I check the other taillight cover and it has the same type of crack starting from the same position on the top of the light cover and a hairline all the way to the bottom.

I then checked the front light covers and they have cracks starting at the same position on each cover with a fine hairline crack running all the way to the bottom. This has got to be a design defect to crack in the same relative place on the covers. I haven't notified the dealer yet.

Other 2012 Tacoma owners should check their light covers. The crack is obvious near the top, it looks like an extrusion line, but it is a crack that becomes a hairline, just visible if you look closely, running all the way to the bottom of the cover.

I have just over 2,000 miles on the vehicle and it is garaged when it is not driven.

 

So your truck with 2K miles Both Tailights and Both Headlights are cracked?

 

I would love to see this as well.

 

Have uploaded pictures. I put a black marker line on both sides of where the crack starts at the top. It is easier to see the markers lines on the front covers, but visible on the rear covers when you click on the thumbnails. I aligned my pictures so the start of the top crack is in the middle of the pictures

The right front cover crack starts at the top and then it curves parallel with the outside of the major inside curve. The hairline goes all the way to the bottom. The other front cover crack starts at the same position and curves parallel to the outside of the inside curve in the same manner with a hairline to the bottom.

The left rear cover crack starts in the middle of the picture at the top just above the lower inside horizontal lines and past them, eventually becoming a hairline that goes all the way to the bottom. The right rear crack starts at the same position to the top and right of the inside horizontal lines and eventually becomes a hairline going all the way to the bottom.

This has got to be a design flaw in the light cover extrusion process for the cracks to start in the same relative place. I am away from my dealer location at the moment but they will get my attention as soon as I get back.

 

I looked at your pictures and then went outside and looked at my 2012. Guess what? I have these same marks. I went and got a magnifying glass and inspected them again under a 20X magnification. Those are injection molding seams. I work with automated injection molding machines all the time > 17 years experience. They are most def not cracks. I'm sure the dealer will tell you the same.

Edit:

I checked my wife's Highlander 2010 and her lights have these same mold marks. She thought hers were cracks also.

 

I took a 20x and looked at the cracks/seams. Their positions are identical right relative to left, thus is could be an injection molding seam. It sure looks crappy. I can't feel anything on the outside, but I will keep watching the seams to see if they are a weak point.

Anyone that has a cracked light cover should check to see if the crack follows the injection molding seam line. Anytime I am close to a late model Tacoma, it will get a light cover look-over.

I don't buy new vehicles very often. This 2012 v6 is an upgrade to my 1988 S-10 with a 4.3 v6, which is still in good condition, and I have kept. This is my first experience with a Japanese vehicle, and yes, I know it has more parts made in the USA than some so-called American cars.

 

Well, You made me go look. Very easy to mistake for a crack. The key is the seam is exactly the same on each light. You couldn't do that with a crack.

 

Ahh, to resurrect a thread. I did a double-take on the lines the OP is talking about, too. But those are definitely from injection molding.

BUT, that's not the point of my post. I have a 2011 and it most definitely has a cracked tail light cover, meaning there's actually a hole and broken plastic bits sitting between the outer light cover and the light itself. Someone (not me!) backed into a trailer on a work site. Oops. At least he handed me cash to fix it.

Anyway, I can tell only the exterior cover of the light is damaged, not the LEDs and such behind it, but I can't tell if it's all one piece so I need to get a new tail light assembly or I can just pop the exterior cover off and replace that. Anyone know?

Sorry if it's a stupid question, I don't have much knowledge of truck parts.

 

*nudge* Anyone?

 

I'd assume it's assembled similarly to the headlights. Just a guess on my part though. Can you use super glue?

 

WRONG


http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/51435-black-taillight-mod-btlm.html

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/2327-blacking-out-headlights-how-9.html#post1050230

Hope that helps

 

Hmm... thanks. After reading that I'm kind of worried that Dremel + me = new tail light assemblies. No idea if I can get them off there without doing serious damage to the tail lights. Thanks for the info, that's pretty much what I needed to know!

I had a Corolla a few years ago that I took out on a jeep... *ahem* Tacoma trail and managed to knock the headlight cover off. Looks like these won't come off that easily.