So I replaced a taillight (passenger). Got the trim off no problem, got the old light out and new light in no problem. But when I go to reinstall the trim piece I can't get the top right and middle right clips to snap back in. I thought it was a bad taillight assembly the first time, so I sent it back and got a different one (different vendor), and still had the issue. Then I bought a new trim piece and am still having the same issue. Am I just missing a secret technique? I've watched a bunch of videos and it seems like it should just easily snap back on, but I can't get mine to snap completely back in no matter what. Any help or advice?

 

You need to remove the light unit again and screw in the top screw fully, you'll see it sits too far out so spray some WD40 on the thread and screw it back in. If the gap between the head of the screw and the body is still too much you'll need to keep screwing until the thread is showing less. As soon as it's screwed in enough remove/ refit light/ fit screws back in and you'll find the surrounds are flush to the body.

I had the same problem with both my lights and both were down to the top screw on each light not going in enough - weird?

 

That's super weird. I'll give it a shot in the morning and report back. Since you had the same issue though, I'm going to go ahead and say thank you now!

 

Yep - 1st time i removed the lights it was the left unit that would fit flush due to the screw not going in all the way, right was perfect, 2nd time i removed the lights the left went in perfect and the right didn't sit flush due to the screw

 

Okay, so I went back and tried this. Pulled out the light housing, and ran the screws all the way in. They bottomed out, and the head was sitting flush against the body. Once I reinstalled the housing and put the screws back in I made sure they were as tight as I could get them (broke two harbor freight drivers tightening them up!) and....the trim still wouldn't snap on. I'm sort of at a loss here. I put a picture below of the two clips I'm having trouble with.

As a side note, the harbor freight torx drivers are really not very good. Even by harbor freight standards.

 

Ah - my surround was left with a big gap at the top and outside top
Have you checked the tabs on the surround to make sure they haven't broken off?
Try removing the light again and fit the surround on the light while it's off the car to make sure it sits flush to the unit

 

That was actually what I did before I started reordering parts. The trim fits onto the light housing fine when it's not on the vehicle. It's only once I install it that it won't snap on. This is true for both the OE trim piece and the replacement that I bought. The tabs on the taillight itself don't seem to have a large overhang (like the ones on the inside of the light do) but I can't seem to even push the trim piece far enough on for it to pop over the tabs. It feels like it's physically impaired by something.

Edit/idea: Maybe I'm tightening the taillight housing in too much, and it's warping it, making it so that the trim can't snap in?

 

Have you tried fitting the side that doesn't sit flush first then working your way around the unit and then see if the other edge sits flush?

 

Yeah, the top right refuses to snap in at all, and the middle right will snap on, but immediately pops back off once I let go. This is when I try to put that side on first. I think once I grab some new torx drivers that I'll loosen the housing up a little, and see if that helps.

I have to say to, I really appreciate your help. I feel ridiculous having this problem. Of all the things I've been able to work on, this is what's giving me the biggest headache....

 

seems strange? i couldn't figure mine out until i removed the unit and made sure the trim fitted flush, then realised it was the unit not fitting flush to the car which was the problem, then figured it was the top screw not going in fully
I was going insane trying to figure it out, as you say it seems such any easy 2 min job?

 

Haha, yeah. I guess once I get those new drivers I'll just spend some time going through every possible thing, step by step.

 

Let me know how you get on

 

Good info here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html