1998 Limited 4R
I took both phillips out but couldn't pull the lens down. The plastic molding that goes around the whole rear tag area was in the wa it seemed? Do I need to remove it, and if so how.

 

just carefully pry out the bulb

 

Take a small flat head screwdriver and wedge it in there between the clear plastic and the rubber gasget. Just wiggle it until the two seperate. The bulbs pull straight out.

I just did this a half hour ago.

 

I can't get the lens asm out it's getting caught on the rectangular 4runner trim that goes around the tag area itself

 

Once you remove both phillips-head screws, the entire piece should drop down. You'll have to seperate the clear lens from the rubber gasget and the rest of the housing. I didn't have any problem reaching mine, but I was afraid that I would break it because it took a bit of force to pry the plastic from the gasget. Just give it a little more and it should give.

 

Cool
Thanks