My buddy had this happen with his sedan last year. He was convinced the whole wiring harness was fried, but after jiggling a connector under the dash, everything lit up fine. Reminds me of what @henry_fox said about checking the simple stuff first. Tbh, it's wild how many times it's just a bad connection hiding in plain sight. He was about to list the car online for scrap before that free fix saved him.

Ever notice how the backup meat is always more reliable than the people carrying it? Sounds like those strips did more heavy lifting than your uncle, lol.