Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

On the RAV4, never block a tail light's vent holes, even though it seems like a sensible way to keep moisture out.

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — tail light (aftermarket) TYC 11-12634-01-2 / Van Wezel 5473933

Accuracy note: Covers the Toyota RAV4 (XA40 2013-2018) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Tail lights are handed (left and right are different parts) and the right one depends on whether your car has bulb or LED units, whether the cluster comes with its bulb holder, the body style and the facelift date. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand with the fitment details the catalogue gives, and shown for the left-hand light with its right-hand pair where the catalogue names one. Carmakers rarely publish the genuine number against these, so order a genuine light against your VIN if you want a guaranteed match; if the unit on your car has a separate inner light on the tailgate, that is sold as its own part.

Tail lights (aftermarket)	Van Wezel 5473933 (left, without bulb holder, to 2016, inner section, right-hand pair 5473934); Van Wezel 5474923 (left, LED, with bulb holder, inner section, right-hand pair 5474924); TYC 11-12634-01-2 (left, without bulb holder, outer section); Diederichs 6687693 (left, LED, inner section)
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in the catalogue listings — the genuine light varies by trim, bulb or LED type and facelift date, so order it against your VIN
Fitment notes	Left and right are separate parts; check LED or bulb type, whether the bulb holder is included, body style and facelift date before ordering.

A Genuinely Important Warning Worth Knowing Before Attempting a DIY Fix — Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights

Tail lights have small, deliberate vent holes built in specifically for pressure balance — never block or seal these, even if it seems like a sensible way to keep moisture out, since doing so can cause severe deformation or cracking of the housing instead. Light fogging that clears within a few hours, particularly after a wash or temperature change, is normal physics rather than a fault; only persistent water pooling or corrosion on the internal reflector genuinely needs addressing.

A genuinely useful, documented drying technique worth knowing: if you do need to dry out a genuinely wet tail light, place the light inside a cardboard box with the bulb opening facing outward, cut a hole for a hair dryer or heat gun on the opposite side, and use indirect heat through the box rather than pointing a heat source directly at the plastic housing, which risks melting or warping it.

It's also worth knowing that a broken seal, rather than the light unit's design, is the most common genuine cause of persistent water ingress rather than simple condensation — worth distinguishing between the two before assuming a full replacement is necessary.

Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights: More Wiring Behind There Than Most People Assume

The Toyota RAV4's tail light units do a lot in a small space, typically bundling brake, indicator, reversing and rear fog light functions together — so when something goes wrong electrically, more than one function can fail at once, and "faulty tail light" is rarely a precise diagnosis on its own.

Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: How to Replace Inner Tail Light Assemblies 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4

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Before you buy: tail light design and bulb type vary by trim and facelift status. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights: What It Does

Beyond basic rear visibility, tail light units on the RAV4 typically integrate brake lights, indicators, reversing lights and rear fog lights into a single housing. Higher trims may use LED units with a distinct light signature, which are not interchangeable with standard halogen units even if the physical mounting looks similar.

Fitment & Compatibility

Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights: Generations, Derivatives & Tail Light Type

Standard trims	Halogen reverse/back-up light with reflector, paired with LED for other functions on many examples — confirmed as a mixed setup rather than fully one technology or the other
Hybrid, higher trims	Full LED outer tail light assemblies are available, genuinely a different part from the halogen-inclusive units on lower trims
Fitment note	North American-built units are specifically listed separately from other-market parts — confirm your car's build origin as well as trim before ordering

Tail light design changed between generations of the RAV4, and facelifted versions within the same generation often use a revised light signature that isn't interchangeable with pre-facelift units. Always confirm the exact part for your specific model year before ordering. Whether you're sourcing a replacement tail lights for your Toyota RAV4 from a dealer, specialist, or online marketplace, always check compatibility against your registration or VIN before buying, and confirm you're ordering the correct side — driver's side (RH in the UK) or passenger side (LH in the UK) — since these are not interchangeable.

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Toyota RAV4 Tail Lights: Common Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Tail Lights Guide for diagnosing which circuit has failed, how easy this job is to DIY, and aftermarket advice.

More Toyota Tail Lights

The same part, covered across other Toyota models.