{"id":85348,"date":"2023-06-30T02:12:33","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T09:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=85348"},"modified":"2025-08-28T18:11:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T01:11:20","slug":"have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Have No Tail Lights When Headlights Are On? Here\u2019s Why"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column85348_6f8937-f2 inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-1ddf76  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-9b55d2\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading85348_1f5c91-b9\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Although tail lights and brake lights use the same bulb, there are some cases where the brake lights are working and the tail lights are not.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A blown fuse, bad tail light bulb, and a faulty tail light socket can prevent your tail lights from turning on along with the headlights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Faulty tail lights are a safety hazard. Driving without them increases your risk of getting rear-ended by another vehicle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>A vehicle&rsquo;s tail lights are supposed to turn on when its headlights are activated, while the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/brake-light-replacement-causes-of-brake-light-failure-costs-and-faqs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brake lights\">brake lights<\/a> are supposed to illuminate when you step on the brake. However, there are situations where your vehicle&rsquo;s brake lights work, but not its tail lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tail lights function similarly to a vehicle&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/headlight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"headlights\">headlights<\/a>, allowing other drivers to see your vehicle in low-light situations. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/broken-tail-lights-where-to-get-them-replaced-quickly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Without functioning tail lights\">Without functioning tail lights<\/a>, your vehicle will be at risk of being rear-ended by other vehicles. If your vehicle has faulty tail lights, then you&rsquo;re also at risk of being pulled over because tail lights are mandated by law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some vehicles, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/tail-lights-vs-brake-lights-are-these-two-the-same\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brake lights and tail light\">brake lights and tail light<\/a>s use the same light bulb. Although brake light and tail light problems are similar, the root causes could be different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are possible causes of malfunctioning tail lights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"close up shot of an automotive tail light\" class=\"wp-image-85401\" style=\"width:1024px;height:683px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-tail-light.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Without functioning tail lights, your vehicle will be at risk of being rear-ended by other vehicles. You&rsquo;re also at risk of being pulled over because tail lights are mandated by law.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Blown Fuse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Vehicles are equipped with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/car-fuse-facts-what-you-need-to-know-about-automotive-fuses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fuses\">fuses<\/a> that protect the tail light bulbs and brake light bulbs from voltage surges. If the fuse that corresponds to your tail lights bulbs has burned out because of a voltage surge, then the circuit will be broken and your tail light won&rsquo;t activate. Your vehicle&rsquo;s brake lights can still work even when its tail light fuse has been blown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rsi-card\">\n  <div class=\"rsi-thumb\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/d_noimage.jpg\/b_white\/e_sharpen,e_auto_brightness,e_auto_contrast\/f_auto\/q_auto:eco,dpr_auto\/w_873,h_873,c_pad\/images\/set-repd730139_1\">\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"rsi-info\">\n    <span class=\"rsi-title\">The Best Affordable Tail Light Assembly Brands<\/span>\n    <span class=\"rsi-desc\">See which tail light brands are best for your vehicle. Learn about fit, build, and budget, and find reliable replacement brands.<\/span>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/the-best-affordable-tail-light-assembly-brands-quickref-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Discover Your Options\">Discover Your Options<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad Tail Light Bulb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicle&rsquo;s tail lights and parking lights are not working, a faulty tail light bulb might be the culprit. The brake light and tail light often use a single dual filament bulb. This means that there are two filaments in one bulb. One filament illuminates when the driver presses on the brake pedal, while the other illuminates when the tail lights are activated. There are situations where a faulty dual filament bulb can still allow the brake light to illuminate when the filament that corresponds to the tail lights is broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can determine whether your vehicle has this issue by closely observing the tail light bulb. If there&rsquo;s a filament that isn&rsquo;t illuminating, then you should replace your tail light bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faulty Tail Light Socket<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A faulty tail light socket can prevent power from reaching your vehicle&rsquo;s tail light bulbs. Water, dust, and air can enter the tail light assembly when it isn&rsquo;t properly sealed with silicone.&nbsp; These elements can allow rust and corrosion to form, which can affect the socket&rsquo;s ability to conduct power to the tail light bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the socket or connectors has signs of heat or melted plastic, which can be brown, blue, or white discoloration, then it likely has a problem. The headlight assembly could also have faulty pins, which can cause connection issues with the wiring harness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"mechanic checking tail light sockets\" class=\"wp-image-85403\" style=\"width:1024px;height:683px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-socket.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water, dust, and air allow rust and corrosion to form, which can affect the tail light socket&rsquo;s ability to conduct power to the tail light bulbs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faulty Ambient Light Sensor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some vehicles are equipped with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/ambient-light-sensor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"ambient light sensors\">ambient light sensors<\/a> that detect outdoor lighting conditions, allowing headlights and tail lights to activate when it&rsquo;s dim outside. When this sensor develops issues, the tail lights might not activate when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faulty Wiring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your vehicle&rsquo;s tail lights use wires to connect to the battery. If the tail lights and parking lights aren&rsquo;t working, then there&rsquo;s a chance that your vehicle has faulty <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/car-wiring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"wiring\">wiring<\/a> or a damaged electrical ground wire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, your tail lights can stop functioning because of several possible reasons, such as a faulty bulb, a blown fuse, or a rusted light socket. While you can attempt to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-replace-tail-light-assembly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fix your tail lights\">fix your tail lights<\/a> yourself, it&rsquo;s best to leave it to experienced mechanics because the process will likely involve a thorough inspection, which might require some components to be disassembled. Fixing your vehicle&rsquo;s tail lights without the right know-how is risky because you run the risk of creating new issues. Good thing there are helpful online resources that can help you replace your tail light yourself if you feel like you&rsquo;re up to the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get Replacement Tail Lights and Bulb Sockets Online<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tail lights are an important safety feature, as they allow your vehicle to be seen from behind. Without functioning tail light assemblies or tail light bulb sockets, you risk being rear-ended at night. You shouldn&rsquo;t drive with malfunctioning tail lights because it&rsquo;s a risk to you and your passenger&rsquo;s safety. Luckily, finding the right components to restore your tail light assemblies and bulb sockets is easy and convenient here at CarParts.com.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a wide range of replacement tail light assemblies and bulb sockets. Our components are built following the original part&rsquo;s specifications, ensuring perfect fit and function. Aside from high-quality parts, we also take pride in our strategically located warehouses that allow us to ship our products fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what are you waiting for? Shop for replacement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/tail-light\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"tail lights\">tail lights<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/bulb-socket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"bulb sockets\">bulb sockets<\/a> here at CarParts.com today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>A vehicle&rsquo;s tail lights are supposed to turn on when its headlights are activated, while the brake lights are supposed&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":85400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3745,52],"tags":[191,1279],"ppma_author":[2607,3742],"class_list":{"0":"post-85348","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-car-lights","8":"category-diy","9":"tag-headlight","10":"tag-tail-light-2","11":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Have No Tail Lights When Headlights Are On? Here\u2019s Why - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are your tail lights not working even if your headlights work fine? Learn about the possible causes of this issue in this article.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Have No Tail Lights When Headlights Are On? Here\u2019s Why - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are your tail lights not working even if your headlights work fine? Learn about the possible causes of this issue in this article.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-30T09:12:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-29T01:11:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tail-light-of-a-car.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1001\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team, Anthony Harlin, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/have-no-tail-lights-when-headlights-are-on-heres-why\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. 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