I did the tail light swap on my XLE last month. You can tap into the license plate lights but I decided to tap into the trailer hitch harness which already has power for the tail lights. It’s located in the same area as the spare tire and there are plenty of wiring diagrams on the internet for trailer hitch wiring. Then I fished the power lines up the rear quarter into the Sienna roof behind the end trim piece which comes off easily and finally through the right rubber boot into the hatch. I used T-taps to ‘bite’ into the trailer hitch wires and into the new center tail light wires so I didn’t have to find the connectors that fit. The OEM tail lights were the only thing that I didn’t like about my XLE. I really like the upgrade but I also found that the original tail lights seemed under lighted for a van. I feel safer with the new tail lights.
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About a month before I made the decision to make the swap I went on a site called copart that sells totaled vehicles. I counted fifteen 21-22 Sienna LE & XLE models with rear end collisions versus 3 of the higher trim models with the better LED tail lights. To me, that confirmed my safety concerns and prompted me to make the change…Sounds very resourceful and although it didn't make any sense to me as I am not that good with these things. Having said that, I totally agree, the lights are not adequate and LEDs should be standard at least on an XLE and above.
That’s a great question. I wondered the same thing. Around us in CT, I see more XSE, Limiteds and Platinums than I see XLE and LE models. Logically it should be the other way around. In general, there aren’t that many around yet… Generally the XLE has always been considered the sweet spot for value among the Sienna trims for all the gens so far so it would make sense that there are more of them out there and therefore more exposure to accidents. All I know is that I feel a lot safer with the full LED tail lights nowFor the sake of argument, what are the % of various trims on the road? Could it explain some of the difference? IIRC, Limiteds and XSEs also have 3 bar LEDs.
Looks like the XSE is the most popular trimFor the sake of argument, what are the % of various trims on the road? Could it explain some of the difference? IIRC, Limiteds and XSEs also have 3 bar LEDs.
Yes EBay. Fishing wires: Yes straight shot up through the quarter panel into the roof to the rubber boot between the hatch and top of the Sienna. Used a $10 wire fishing tool from Harbor Freight to fish the wires to the boot. Pull the ends of the boot out of their holes and then it’s easier to feed your wires through the boot into the hatch. I used about 15’ of 20 gauge wire and T-Taps from Amazon so I didn’t buy any connectors. Also, finding the right connectors is very challenging. The side lights are super easy, the connectors match up so no wiring to do, 10 minutes each and done. I had them in for 2 weeks before tackling the hatch lights. The hatch is more work. Figuring out how to put the new hatch lights in, removing the hatch inner cover and subwoofer. Installing the lights, fishing the wires, and tapping into the right ones to get power to the hatch lights took me 2.5 hours. Knowing what I know now, I could easily cut that time in half. There is definitely a learning curve to this process… it helps if you’ve done wiring in cars before. I’ve upgraded sound systems and put in half a dozen stealth dash cams so I’m ok with removing panels and fishing wires so that everything is hidden and looks ‘stock’This sounds like a promising option. Did you get the inner and outer lights on eBay or elsewhere? Do you know the specs on the connector and wire you used? Also assume it was a straight shot with the fish to the light housing from the top of the trunk?
thanks for the info! I’m also not too familiar with trying anything like this, if you can’t tell.
Actually, you need all 4 light assembly's to do it correctly (2 for hatch and 2 for sides). You can get all four brand new from a Toyota dealer for about $830 retail. I assume you can save a bit if the dealer is discounting but I'm guessing you'll still come in around $700. The stereo shop idea is a good one, the average cost per hour for them in the U.S. is $77 an hour. They'll need 2 hours if they haven't done it before...If you look around, the inner lights can be purchased brand new from dealerships for about $100 shipped for each. I wouldn't get the inner lights from ebay unless they were significantly cheaper in price. If you are unsure on how to install the inner rear lights, I'm sure you can take it to a car stereo shop or car repair shop and they will do it. The outer lights can easily be done and is totally plug and play.
I also was surprised to find I didn’t have the rear tail lights that the other higher models had. That’s exactly why I upgraded my ‘22 XLE to the premium tail lights. Without them I feel I’m more exposed to being rear ended. Shame on Toyota for choosing a few dollars more profit over the added safety/visibility on the LE & XLE models for their customers. I really think the LE and XLE Siennas are under lighted from the rear…Just bought a 22 XLE Sienna and was very upset when I noticed the dim tail lights and especially the fake tail lights mounted on the hatch that don't even light up. I feel Toyota pulled a slick trick on me and others by not mentioning this difference in any of their printed material concerning the differences between the XLE and upper trim levels. They may feel good about it but I don't! If someone rear ends me at night, then it may become a serious issue!
Based on Toyota Press pictures, the Woodland comes with the preferred LED tail lights...
Actually, even though the 2022 Toyota Press pictures show the Woodland with the 3 strip LED tail lights, it apparently ships with the single light like the LE and XLE trims...Based on Toyota Press pictures, the Woodland comes with the preferred LED tail lights...
I also swapped my rear lights on my 2022 XLE. I didn’t feel safe driving day or night with the original extremely small rear lights. I did it for both the safety and esthetics… It was more work than I thought but tying into the trailer hitch lighting connector simplified the wiring connections. I routed all the wiring through the top frame and through the existing rubber boot hose at the top of the hatch. That took longer than installing the lights themselves but now everything is tucked away and hidden away and works flawlesslyLooks really nice.
Did you buy it from Toyota dealer and change it there? Or you did it all by yourself?
I bought mine on eBay, the complete 4 piece set for $450…
On eBay: redmondsworldwidellc. They don't seem to have any sets right now. You should be able to buy from anyone on eBay as long as you get the 3 LED bar version. The LE, XLE don't come with the 3 bar LED taillights. The Limited and Platinum have them. I think the XSE has them too. The eBay ones will all come from totaled vehicles so check carefully for cracks or missing tabs. Mine were in perfect brand new condition. The hardest part will be making sure they have the 3 bar LED light system... Some of the listings on eBay say 'w/o LED' which is pretty clear
I did it on my XLE: it’s not plug and play, the light assemblies fit exactly physically the same as the existing ones but you have to do some additional wiring to power the LED bars on the light assemblies on the hatch. I tied into the trailer hitch plug that’s located under the s-are tire area. Popping off the interior trim near the hatch is easy. Fishing the wires through to the hatch takes time. You do have to remove the trim on the hatch itself. If you’ve installed a car stereo with new wiring you should be able to do it, otherwise get help from someone with that type of experience…Thanks! Great info. I have never done any electrical work on a vehicle before. So just to clarify, i’d be looking for LED inner and outer tailight for either XSE, Platiunum, or Limited? Does the new setup require additional wiring?
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