Houston woman’s Walmart taillight workaround fools cops, but her ‘solution’ makes no financial sense

A Houston woman with a burned-out taillight turned to Walmart for a cheap fix, but according to comments on her viral TikTok post, her solution is not the flex she thinks it is.

According to Ashlyn (@littlemiss8six), when the taillight on her Toyota GR86 quit working, she used “a pushlight from Walmart instead of replacing the taillight,” the text overlay on her post reads in part.

She captioned her post, “& guess what, I’ve gotten a ticket for everything but the taillight.”

She then pans around to the back of her car to show the pushlight in use, a small, battery‑powered LED light that you turn on or off by pressing or “pushing it.” Stick‑on, they’re often used in closets or cabinets, and at Walmart, they typically cost $5–$17.

“The actual bulbs would be cheaper”

Ashlyn’s comments, however, noted that taillight bulbs at Walmart cost about the same amount. “Mind you the bulb was probably the same price,” one comment said. Ashlyn responded, “no i swear😔😔 its an led so no bulb to replace have to replace the whole thing.”

And she’s right: Toyota GR86 has LED rear taillight housings rather than traditional bulb sockets, so you typically cannot just replace a simple bulb. If an LED element fails, you generally have to replace the entire taillight assembly, and this can cost upwards of $300.

To that point, one comment added, “Sis look on Vland website” — an automotive lighting website where you can shop for headlights. The site, the comment said, “has cute [aftermarket parts] for a good price that’s where I got mine from.”

Ashlyn is not the only driver to think of this fix. Another comment noted, “My bf replaced his broken light with a trailer light 😭😭.” Even so, one comment said Ashlyn really should get that taillight fixed, stating, “Girl on your sports car too pls replace the light 😭 🙏.”

Pushlight taillight fix: Don’t try it at home

Using a cheap Walmart pushlight as a substitute for a real automotive taillight isn’t safe or legal: Vehicle taillights must meet specific brightness, color, and regulatory standards so other drivers can see you braking or turning and so you avoid fines and liability if you crash.

Driving with non‑compliant lighting can increase the risk of a rear‑end collision and may fail state inspections or get you a ticket. Proper taillights are engineered for automotive electrical systems and visibility; a pushlight isn’t designed for that purpose. Nearly as important, pushlights are meant to adhere to walls and cabinets, not a moving vehicle.