Replaced tailgate around Christmas after a collision, and now noticing condensation inside a taillight. Body shop says they’re not responsible and are quoting $250 to replace. Please advice.
Edit: Thanks for all your advice. I’m going to ask my insurance if they’ll cover this as part of the original collision claim. btw, I posted the same thing to /r/mechanicadvice at the same time, and haven’t received a single reply there till now. Happy to see lemmy doing great as a reddit replacement.
Update: Thanks for all your advice. I spoke to my insurance and asked them if they would cover it as part of the original repairs, and they’ve agreed to do so!
I’ve never seen the lights like this glued in. The lights have studs in the back, they go through a hole and you put a nut on them.
Depends on manufacturer, maybe a misuse of words on my part… They do use studs and nuts but the sealant is often a rubberized sealant (similar to windshield adhesive) that acts like a glue. Some manufactures use foam gaskets, which suck balls.
Personally I use silicone glazing sealant (dow 1199) when I reinstalled my Honda tail lights and it works fine.
Yeah they’re off a bit on the description as the taillight is simply bolted in but consists of two halves of plastic glued together (inner shell and outer lens).