Car and Driver: Pay Up: GMC Hummer EV Taillights Cost $6100 to Replace

We love fun headlight and taillight animations, but if the Hummer EV is anything to go by, they sure are expensive.

One member of a GMC Hummer EV Facebook group announced they were quoted $4040 for a passenger-side taillight, not including the cost of labor.
GM lists the price of a replacement taillight at $3045.48 for the part alone. Replacing a set including taxes and labor could be over $7000, depending on your state and dealership.
GM confirmed the price to Car and Driver and explained that each taillight houses a microconductor to control animations and in turn, drives the price up.

Expensive cars are expensive. We understand that. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t massively taken aback by astronomical repair bills. The GMC Hummer EV SUT, in all its oversize glory and with its bulked-up resale prices, became the most recent vehicle to leave us leaning against a wall with the world spinning around us. The issue? The cost of replacing even a single taillight.

One rather unlucky owner in a Hummer EV Facebook group was quoted $4040 to purchase a single taillight—not including labor—as first reported by The Drive, which did the due diligence of finding GM’s list price for the part. As they noted, each individual light is priced at $3045.48. Factor in taxes, labor, and any other miscellaneous fees, and you are well on your way past the $6100 cost of parts. GM confirmed the price of the taillight to Car and Driver and explained the reason: each light has a microconductor in the housing that allows the individual lights to perform their respective animations. We also confirmed that should something go wrong, the taillights are covered for defects under warranty. Unfortunately, backing into the side of your garage would not be included.

GM recalled a tiny batch of 10 Hummer EVs in March for a software defect that specifically impacted the taillights of the truck, causing them to stay on or not work at all. Despite the nature of the recall being software, GM replaced the lamp assemblies.

The 9640-pound behemoth of a truck may tower over everything short of an 18-wheeler, but should you find yourself in need of replacing a taillight, or worse two, that gets pricey. Maybe that doesn’t sound like an obstacle if you can afford to own a Hummer EV pickup, which starts at $86,645, with the Edition 1 (the only model delivered thus far) starting at $110,000. Some examples have gone for double or triple that price in online auctions. Still, we’ve never met anyone who couldn’t complain about the price of parts.