Brake lights

The best suspect is the brake light switch. I do not have service information for your model, so I can only offer general suggestions. Use a test light to check for voltage on the wires at the switch. You should be able to back-probe them through the back of the connector. At least one wire must have twelve volts all the time. A different wire must have twelve volts only when the brake pedal is pressed. The clinker is there can be one or two other switches built into the brake light switch assembly, such as for the cruise control. That means there could be up to six wires in the connector. It is common for only the brake light part of the switch to have twelve volts when the ignition switch is off.

If you do find twelve volts on two wires, the signal switch becomes the next suspect. The clues are the center high-mount brake light would still work, and this applies to any car were the brake light and the signal light are the same bulb. A lot of cars today have separate bulbs for those two functions. Also, check of the hazard warning lights flash properly. If they do, and they are the same bulbs as the brake lights, that proves the bulbs and wiring are okay.

We do not get involved with costs here. There is way too many variables. We do not even know what is wrong yet. Replacing a switch is usually a real simple, inexpensive repair. Locating a corroded splice or other break in a wire can take many hours.