I live in the car and people hating state of Massachusetts. Today I failed my state inspection because "I removed my 3rd brake light". I'm pretty sure my liftgate isn't original, my jeep is blue but when the lift gate is up you can see some red paint where blue chipped away.

From what I've read the XJ got the 3rd brake light in 94 (mines a 93). I can't seem to find any definitive answer that let's me know if it was an option in 93 to have a 3rd brake light.

Any help would be appreciated. It seems like when they saw a 21 year old vehicle with 258404 miles they just wanted to be difficult. Not finding anything else wrong with it they latched on the "missing 3rd brake light".

 

After 86 it became law for mostly every vehicle to have a 3rd brake light in the middle. If yours originally had the 3rd brake light hatch at least the wiring will still be there. You may be able to retrofit a middle brake light into the older hatch. You would have had a 84-93 hatch put on to not have the 3rd brake light. All the rear hatches 84-96 are the same fiberglass structure.

You sure the light is not just burnt out?

Edit: Cherokees did not have to have the middle light until 94.

 

There's no light there, just 2 holes on the inside of the liftgate.

 

Plus, the XJ isn't a "car", it's a "truck" which didn't have the federal mandate until 1994.

 

Correct.

I just read somewhere about the addition of the third brake light on the XJ. If I can find the link I'll post it here.

 

A truck has a bed and weights a lot more then a jeep.The xj is a suv or station wagon depending the state.And yes by the law it has to have a 3rd brake light on it.

 

Grrr. Never mind, I read it on Cherokee Talk's "Everything you need to know" which isn't really a source you can cite. Wiki makes no mention of the 3rd brake light addition and ALLPAR notes the side impact reinforcement and the switch to non-CFC refrigerant but makes no mention of the brake light.

 

Not if it was manufactured before 1994. It doesn't matter how a state classifies a vehicle, the U.S.D.O.T. classifies the Cherokee as a light-duty truck and it was therefor exempt from the [federal] 3rd brake light mandate until model year 1994. Passenger vehicles were required to have them beginning in 1986.

 

I'm not looking for a philosophical debate as to the differences between a car an SUV a station wagon and a truck.

What I'm looking for is whether a 3rd brake light was available on a 93 XJ either optional or as standard equipment.

 

Email Jeep and get the info straight from them.

 

 

My 93 xj doesn't have a third brake light

 

I have, just waiting on a reply. I was hoping there would be some hard core factory product knowledge guy around here who would know it. I used to be "that guy" for Honda/Acura stuff, I'm looking for my jeep counterpart.

 

Take it back the shop, if your jeep is a 93 then they can't fail you for not having a middle brake light. Hassle them for wasting your time. If you paid with credit card then cancel the charge.

 

Alright, I got my build sheet, no mention of a 3rd brake light.

I also spent 20 minutes on hold with Chrysler only to find out my vehicle is older than their oldest historical data. They did give me another contact at Chrysler for info regarding these older vehicles.

I think I have enough info to tell the shop to stop being pitas and give me my damn sticker.