Houston crime: Vehicle tail light thefts on the rise, auto repair shop owner says expensive to replace

David McCarver said ABC13 thieves stole the tail lights not only of his own Ford F-250 pickup truck, but also from another vehicle, Thursday morning on Edloe Street in Greenway Plaza.

“It’s frustrating as you can imagine,” McCarver said.

He said he quickly discovered how expensive these tail lights can be to replace.

“I’ll be honest. When I first saw it, I thought it wasn’t a big deal. It’s not a big expense,” McCarver said. “After doing my research and telling people about the parts at the local dealership here, it’s $ 1,083 per taillight.”

At Poutous Collision and Mechanical near Rice Village, owner Michael Poutous said he has yet to hear of tail light thefts. He figured it would be a matter of time. He said these tail lights are expensive for a reason.

“Nothing surprises me anymore. If they can steal it, they will steal it,” Poutous said. “They have a built-in lane departure module, so you get a computer with your taillight.”

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