2004 Prius - Replacement Tail Light Assembly doesn't press into clips

Usually I use the piece of foam that's sitting there but usually stays on the car and doesn't come out with the tail light take the new piece off the new tail light put the new tail light right through the foam from the factory Make sure the pin holes in the body are clear nothing is stuck in those holes The tabs from the other tail light didn't break off in those recesses or holes and then it usually takes a pretty good smack to get them to see Don't worry you're not going to break the tail light You need to give it a good smack usually you put them in first and then the nuts so you line up the tabs that you're going to smack in and then you make sure the threaded pieces that are going to go through the holes are lined up and then you give it a smack on the side that you need the two little tabs to push into and they will drop in to place and then the nuts go on You need nothing but your hand You're giving it a good push when you feel everything is lined up You should feel the two tabs sitting right over the holes that they need to go into you'll feel that in your hand I have aftermarket tail lights and original tail lights lay them side by side everything should line up I haven't run into any that are ill made and the tabs are incorrect or anything like that.

 

Well I'm very sorry. That's how all of mine are installed here and all of mine are using the original pieces of foam that went with the original tail light because it's already squeezed down and the lines match up so I just use it usually that is actually stuck to the car side of the hole and yes I still smack mine because I know by feel that the little tabs are lined up with the little holes and boop they pop right in . Now aftermarkets plastic tabs and things may not be exact If you look at the plastic tab sometimes they need to be dremeled a little bit or whatever they need That's the joy of the aftermarket I guess. But I do find that interesting because I'm tend to use some of the very cheapest light fixtures that you can buy or at least when I buy them they are because they're just starting to be used or just coming online so on and so forth so I'm usually a guinea pig and I haven't broken any of these things headlights neither changing from HID to H4 and what have you so I can't imagine what happened it just broke oh well. Any of the sellers I've usually bought from online will replace them without question of course I've usually order from them before and all of that sort of thing.