I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla LE...

I did not see this posted anywhere, so I wanted to add some info that could help some other folks out.

The brake light in the rear window, a.k.a. the "3rd stop light" in the manual, or a "high-mount" brake light was not coming on. It would flash briefly when the brake pedal was pressed, but would go off and not come back on. The regular brake lights on the rear fenders were functioning perfectly.

I tore it apart and tried to call Toyota Parts to see what is replaceable. They told me I could buy the bulb, the socket, or the entire wire harness. I had disconnected a little black box (about 1-inch diameter) that had 3 wires/connectors. It says "RED-ALERT" on the box. I figured this could be the source of the problem, so I was asking about this part.

I have determined that it is NOT A TOYOTA PART. It is an add-on that was designed to reduce rear-end collisions by blinking the high-mount brake light. It is unnecessary to replace this part, and I am not really sure I could find it anyway. All you have to do is unplug all three wires, and then plug in the wire coming from the harness straight into the socket adapter. You can leave the little red "wire pincher" clamp attached, as it will not affect the functioning of the light, and it will leave exposed wire covered better.

Then you can take the RED-Alert box straight to the trash-can and enjoy the soft red glow of your third brake light again!