Please forgive me if this has been covered somewhere else before, but I sure couldn't find any info on it.

I tried installing some 98-99 tails in my 96 and found they let in water along the top of the light. I figured the set I bought was just broken so I bought another set only to find they have the same problem. It seems the top sticks out a bit from the trunk and water gets in the top:



Here's what the 96 light looks like; notice the tight gap:



And a top view of the 98 light:



It seems like either there is a pattern failure in the 98-99 lights or the 96-97 trunk is different than the 98-99 trunk. I've tried pushing the black backing against the tabs that would lock it in place, but it doesn't budge. I've thought about disassembling the whole thing and re-pressing all the tabs, but I'm not quite sure what this entails. What do you guys think?

 

Yeah that popping out is a common issue that I've noticed on A32s. My old one did it and I just sealed it with some black silicone. Worked good (kept the water out) and looked good from afar but it was far from good...

Then one day that car got rear lightly rear ended and had to have the rear bumper and bumper cover replaced. They replaced that center lens with a brand new unit from Nissan...all courtesy of insurance

 

So it sounds like this is a common problem. What year was your car Samonela?

 

98...

I may be mistaken....but I think there was a TSB for this issue as well...