Third brake light

A third brake light, also called the third brake lamp or centre high-mount stop lamp (CHMSL), is an extra brake light mounted high on the back of the car to make your braking clearer to drivers behind you. Set in the rear window, tailgate, or spoiler, it lights with the main brake lights and cuts the risk of a rear-end shunt. When it fails, you lose that warning, a safety and legal problem.The signs the lamp needs attention:

• Dead lamp: no light when you brake.
• Flickering or dim: failing LEDs or a poor earth.
• Water in the lens: condensation corroding the contacts.
• Cracked or faded lens: dull or split with age.

If your car was built with a 3rd brake light originally, it has to work; a failed lamp fails the MOT. If only the bulb has gone, changing a third brake light bulb is quick: unclip the lens, swap it, refit. Many newer cars use a sealed third brake light LED unit, replaced whole. Either way, a used lamp is the budget route, with the right one scattered across countless sites.Parthunt24 rounds up used third brake light listings from marketplaces like Ovoko, ProxyParts, eBay, and TotalParts, laying 974 offers out together so price, condition, and fit are easy to compare before you pick a seller.

A third brake light is tied to the exact body shell, so a lamp from another shape rarely sits right or wires in. Match the make, model, year, and body style first, then the OEM part number, since hatchback, estate, saloon, and SUV versions differ. Check whether it mounts in the window, tailgate, or spoiler, whether the car is pre- or post-facelift, and whether it is a bulb or a one-piece third brake light bar. The connector has to match the wiring too, or the lamp simply won't light.Use the make-and-model filters down the left of the Parthunt24 results, and lamps that don't suit your shell drop out. Open a listing to land on the marketplace it came from, where the description and the checkout sit together.

• Vehicle compatibility: Match make, model, year, body style, and OEM part number.
• OEM part number: The most reliable way to ensure correct fitment.
• Body style: Hatchback, wagon, sedan, SUV, and van versions often use different lights.
• Tailgate compatibility: Many third brake lights are built into the tailgate or rear spoiler.
• Facelift compatibility: Pre-facelift and facelift models may use different designs.
• LED vs. bulb type: Verify the correct lighting technology.
• Connector type: The electrical connector must match the vehicle wiring harness.
• Mounting design: Verify fixing points, clips, and screw locations.
• Rear spoiler compatibility: Some lights are specific to cars with a rear spoiler.
• Market version: EU, UK, and US versions may have different specifications.
• Lens colour and design: Must match the original appearance and legal requirements.

Open the seller's page and the lens and connector reveal most of what matters; cracks, fogging, and broken clips cut a lamp's life short. A photo of the lit lamp proves it works before you buy a third brake light you can't return.

• Photos: the lens, connector, clips, and the lamp lit if possible.
• Seller reputation: a seller with strong ratings and a steady stream of recent reviews.
• Compatibility: the OEM number and body style checked against your car.
• Included parts: the lamp alone, or with gasket, bulbs, and clips?
• Condition: no cracks, water marks, fading, or broken mounts.
• Testing: a note the lamp was checked and lights evenly.
• Warranty and returns: a clear policy if it arrives faulty.
• Shipping: a rigid, padded box so the lens survives.
• Documentation: the car it was taken off, where noted.

When you've been through the listing and everything looks right, place your order with the seller.

A third brake light price tracks the car, the lamp type, and how it mounts. A used bulb-type lamp for a common car sits around €10-€30, an LED or spoiler-built unit €30-€80, and premium or low-volume lights can pass €150. On Parthunt24, the lowest third brake light price starts at around 5.00.What moves one third brake light price above another:

• Type: LED and spoiler-built lamps cost more than a bulb unit.
• Body style: lights for rarer shapes and trims are harder to find.
• Brand: an OEM lamp sits above an aftermarket one.
• Condition: a clear, crack-free lens with working LEDs costs more.

With those factors swinging the third brake light price, a single price-sorted view on Parthunt24 surfaces the cheapest lamp for your car first, making the best deal obvious.

A third brake light is only one of the lamps that keep you visible and legal, so a fault here is a cue to check the rest. While the rear is apart, run an eye over these on Parthunt24:

• Rear lights: the main brake and tail cluster, where most faults start.
• Tailgate light: shares the tailgate and wiring with many third brake lights.
• Rear bumper light: low lamps that catch road spray and knocks.
• Rear corner parking light: easy to overlook until it fails a test.
• Rear fog light: a legal must in poor visibility, so test it works.
• Reverse light: often on the same circuit and simple to check.

Chasing a third brake light across breaker sites repeats the same search, with no easy way to tell if you're overpaying. Parthunt24 brings the major used-parts marketplaces together on one screen, with the type, condition, and price of every listing side by side, for hatchbacks, estates, SUVs, and more.Pick your make and model, line up third brake light prices across sellers, and let the cheapest lamp that fits float to the top. Compare prices, find the best deal, and buy a third brake light for your car today on Parthunt24.