Q. The head light bulbs don’t seem to last very long on My Subaru, Why is this?

A.  In many case bulbs that  are purchased from aftermarket parts houses are cheaper in many ways.  For example the 2005 to 2009 Legacy and Outback use an H7 bulb, but unless you buy an H7LL (long life) it will not hold up in your Subaru at all.  Many parts stores do not stock the H7LL only the H7.  In some areas you may find this only available at the Subaru Dealership.  On older Model Subaru’s  there have been issues with head lamp sockets such as the 2000 to 2004 Outback and Legacy as well as previous models using a 9003 type bulb.  on the older models its the fact that most leave the headlamps on rather than shutting them off with the switch and letting the key do all the work.

Here are a few other reasons bulbs may not last in your Subaru.

• As the suspension ages the filament in the bulb is subject to more vibration.
• If the headlamp assembly loses its weather tight seal the bulb is subject to moisture.
• Deficiencies in the electrical circuits can cause voltage spikes.
• Poor Connections can causepremature failure of a bulb.
• You bought a bulb made in China.

Here is a picture of the H7 VS the H7LL

H7 Long Life VS Standard H7 Bulb For Subaru

Here is a link to the H7 bulb on Amazon

Here is a link to the Osram Catalog