Rear cargo area leak driving me crazy - passenger side corner wet

[IslandCruiser808]

Hey beautiful people of ih8mud,

I’m trying to track down a water leak in my 2002 LX470 and could use some advice.

I’m getting water pooling in the rear cargo area corner (passenger side). The carpet and that side panel area get noticeably wet, especially after rain.

At first I thought it might be the 3rd brake light, since mine is cracked, but the water is showing up more on the side rather than directly in the center. That’s making me think it could be something else. Also if anyone found a good third break light, please send the link.

A few thoughts I had:

* Side tail light gasket/seal?
* Rear hatch weather seal?
* Water coming in from the 3rd brake light and traveling?

I haven’t done a full hose test yet but plan to soon. Before I start pulling things apart, I wanted to see what’s most common on these trucks.

For those who’ve dealt with this:

* Where did your leak end up being?
* Is the tail light gasket a common failure point?
* Did you replace the gasket or just reseal it?
* Anything else I should check while I’m in there?

I’m trying to fix this properly before it turns into rust inside the hatch. That being said, I was changing my third break light (couldn't because the one they sent me had different bolt spacing smh) and I could not see anything close to being rusty, this car spent most of her life in TX and CA so maybe the leak dried out fast but still.

If anyone has pics of where their leak came from or how they sealed it, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Try looking at your roof rack. I am dealing with this exact issue right now. My leak is in the same area. At first I thought it was coming from the weatherstripping on the rear window.

 

[YazBurak]

Try looking at your roof rack. I am dealing with this exact issue right now. My leak is in the same area. At first I thought it was coming from the weatherstripping on the rear window.

Were you be able to solve it from the roof rack?

 

[IslandCruiser808]

Were you be able to solve it from the roof rack?

Not yet. I’m having a hard time with one of the bolts rusted out the torx area so I’m going to have to drill that out to get a bolt removal tool in there. Haven’t been able to get the time to do it yet. Also my plastic footing and gutter cover look a bit weathered and slightly shrunken from all the years and heat which is probably the reason water is coming in. The bolts need some silicone to help seal the water out also. I seem to only get water in the cargo area when it has rained extremely hard and lots of wind.