How to replace a brake light in a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport

Changing a brake light in your 2012 Chevy Captiva Sport is a very easy task.  All you'll need is a Phillips screwdriver and the new bulb (part #3157).  Some rags might be helpful too, to clean any dirt off the light housing.  The whole job should take under 10 minutes.

There are two screws holding the brake light assembly in place.  To get to those screws, open the rear door.  Depending on which brake light is out, you'll have to remove the brake light assembly on that side.  You'll see two screws in the plastic housing, facing the rear of the vehicle.  Remove those two screws, then you can pull the whole brake light assembly out.  Be careful not to yank it, though, because the wires are still attached.

Turn the light assembly so that you can see the connectors.  There will be three different connectors; the one for the brake light is the top one -- black connector with blue, red, and black wires.  Twist this connector counter-clockwise, and then pull it out of its housing.

Now you'll see the brake light bulb itself.  Remove the bad bulb by pulling it straight out of the connector, then install the new bulb by pushing it into place.  Reinsert the connector into the housing, and twist it clockwise until it's tight.  Then you pop the whole light assembly back into place and secure it with the two screws.

You can probably find the 3157 bulb at any local auto parts store.  It will probably cost between $5 and $10 for a set of two bulbs.  Amazon.com sells a pair right now for $5.99.