Brake Light change, repair & replacement made easy

Usually you will have at least two brake lights on your car, most modern cars will have a third brake light somewhere in the middle on the back of the car. The brake lights, of course, come on when the brake is activated.

There are two types of brake lights, those that are a unit on their own, which is rare these days, or it is part of the “cluster” of other lights, such as fog lights, rear lights, reversing lights and indicators. These are referred to as rear light clusters.

However for the point of this article, we will refer to both the single and “cluster” units.

Please note this article and its links are not for brake light bulb replacement.

• Mechanic will inspect the brake light system (like the bulbs, wiring as well as sockets).
• If necessary, the mechanic will replace the faulty brake light parts.
• Mechanic will advise if any other parts need to be replaced.
• Mechanic will test the lights again to ensure the lights function properly.

Unless you are a qualified mechanic with the required skills, training and equipment to do the job, we strongly recommend a brake light or tail light replacement is only carried out by a professional mechanic. ClickMechanic can help get you a vetted and local mechanic to carry out the work. Just enter your postcode and your car's registration number at the top of this page and select the work needed to get an instant fixed price up front.

• If you have replaced a bulb and the light still does not work.
• If there is physical damage to the brake light lens.
• There is water evident behind the lens

A brake light or tail light replacement usually takes under 1 hour, but can take more time. Ultimately, the time that the job will take will depend on a number of factors, like your vehicle's make and model, year, as well as other factors. Select your car at the top of this page for information on job time and cost for your vehicle through ClickMechanic.

It is vital that your brake lights work correctly to warn following motorists that you are slowing down. Therefore if you notice any physical damage to the unit, or water in it, it is likely to cause issues sooner rather than later.

Obviously driving with defective brake lights can endanger yourself and others, on top of that you run the risk of getting fined when driving around with defective brake lights.
Should you experience problems with the brake lights then it is important you have the defective brake light replaced timely and professionally.

There is no regular interval for a brake light replacement, but the job is more common than you may think. Because the light clusters or brake light units are often wrapped around the back and side of a vehicle, they are prone to physical damage. Even the slightest low speed knock can destroy a light unit!

They can also become contaminated by water ingress and dirt build up, to the point where they start to fail at the connection points.

No, UK law states that you cannot drive a vehicle unless all lamps are in good working order and are clean. For that reason if you know that your tail light cover is broken then do not drive the vehicle and make sure to replace the cover as soon as possible. Book a professional mechanic if you need assistance with a broken tail light cover replacement.

Remember, if pulled over, police can issue a fine and you will receive penalty points on your licence.

If you have a cracked tail light it is common that the light unit will need replacing. Cost to replace a tail light is on average £130, but can range from £120 to over £180.

Brake lights can last anywhere between 5 to 10 years. How long a brake light will truly last depends on a number of factors, including the quality of the bulb, the frequency of use, and the conditions in which the bulb is used

Brake lights can go off due to various reasons with the most common being a blown fuse, bad brake light switch, or something wrong with the wiring.

Yes, brake lights are checked during an MOT. If brake lights are found to be faulty or not in good condition, then it can result in an MOT failure.

Yes, faulty or broken brake lights are one of the most common MOT failures. Before going for an MOT test, make sure you check all brake lights work when pressure is applied to the brakes and get it fixed if found faulty.