EASILY Change a Headlight on a 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Subaru Outback
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2024
- This is the best way I've found to change the headlight on a 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Subaru Outback.
Most models take the H7 bulb which is available here:
amzn.to/3AXNDLJ
This is for a pair of long life bulbs. I would recommend them over the brighter versions since the life is longer on the long life bulbs and it's such a pain to change these. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Thanks for posting this. My daughter has an ‘11 Legacy and she called me from school to tell me she had a burned-out headlight. Not realizing what would be involved, I told her to go to an auto parts store and buy the replacement bulb and ask them to pop it in for her. She got the bulb but she said they wouldn’t install it. She was then quoted $90 from a shop for installation of the bulb. I told her to just bring it home and I would take care of it. I can confidently say that I never would have figured this process out without your video! It actually was manageable once I saw your process. Thanks for the tips!
I also have an '11 legacy. Boy was it tough. Do-able yes, but my arm is kinda raw from feeling around in that tight space.
I made the mistake of taking mine to the Subaru service department to replace mine. It was $200 for them to change the one headlight. Just the one. Now, not even a year later that same one is burnt out again. I am SO HAPPY I found this video.
@@peadeux08I've replaced the headlights(at least one or the other) at least 5 times since ive had my 13 outback.is there any indication why thy burn out so fast. Not to mention the 3rd brake light and the rear brake lights go out and when tapped come back on....I honestly hope it's just my car sometimes but it looks like a trend the more I look into it.
@@liltr3390I have a ‘14 Legacy and my passenger headlight just went out today. First burned out light anywhere on the car.
Seriously, wtf was Subaru thinking when they designed this? Did they have interns designing this?
Exactly
Packing everything in a small space to save weight. Especially since manufacturers have made side and rear windows smaller to up side impact strength. Small engine compartment allows a smidge more leg room too.
I figured the liner had to come off. 20 mind in, I searched youtube wishing there was an easier way. I watched about a minute and it confirmed it. Good job with the video. Thumbs up for sure. But I'm not sure if the '89 Legacy's headlights were accessible from the engine bay or not but one would think a simple cutout/access panel in the fender liner would have been the way to go the very next year after DIY owners complained to Subaru. I sure hope this hasn't been the case over 2 decades (and counting...). I do love how good this plastic liner is made and how snugly it fits but it's plastic nonetheless. Factory machines can easily fabricate an access panel with the punch of a few buttons. Then again, dealers' service shops have to stay in business so they purposely make a $30/15 min DIY job a $30/60min job or charge you $200 to do it for u but you'll wait 3 hrs for a job that took them 15 mins. Oh and grab retainers because you're going to break 3/4 if not all (could've been mentioned in the video but, as I stated previously, I fast forwarded just to find out if I was wasting my time removing the fender liner).
Subaru hit it out of the park with this pain in the ass bulb change.
They did this just to force those who can't change themselves to have dealership charge outrageous price!
Just to add some spice to these comments, after changing my burned out headlight on outback 2012 as per this very helpful video. I was as asked to change the burned out headlight bulb on a Volvo XC90 2010. No tools required, less than five minutes, both sides, that's engineering. Thanks again for your help, cheers.
That was the most obnoxious bulb change I think I've ever done. Thank you for the video, saved me a lot of time. ✌️
No, this task is NOT easy, even after you know how to do it.
My headlight is burned out. At first, I did not recall ever replacing one on my Subaru. So, I found this how-to video. After the video showed the first view of the back of the headlight, the headlight war flashbacks came to me. I remembered fixing my headlight in the past a few years back. I am pretty sure the American Psychiatric Association lists "Subaru Headlight Repair Post-Traumatic Disorder" as a diagnosable mental illness. I am positive about that! When I am reminded of the rotten experience, I can't even say the word "headlight" without flinching and developing an eye twitch. My god, that was horrendous the last time I did it.
So now, I wrestle with doing this again or punting. If you have lady hands, maybe this is easy. If not, forget it. Your hands will be punished for growing into their proper manly size. Even worse, chronic pain from old injuries, surgeries, and osteoarthritis turns this task into a Stephen King horror movie. From now on, the EU and the USA should band together and require ALL foreign car manufacturers to build their vehicles to accommodate the body sizes of all grown men, not just the ones with slight, short builds. This rule should include giving access to parts of cars that may normally require repair. I knew this issue of body size would come decades ago, after Americans began buying Japanese cars built for small-framed Japanese men. Funny enough, the Japanese have been getting bigger and now they get to suffer for their country's earlier refusal to build cars that could properly accommodate taller/larger-limbed men.
Well, time to take my medication, talk to my therapist, and see if I can muster the INsanity to reach back into this hand-eating monster of a task.
Disclaimer: I may exaggerate a bit here and there, but this task DOES suck if your hands won't fit! Add in the awkward angles putting strain on backs, knees, ankles, even toes as well as wrists and fingers, and you've got a real PITA for something that should be easy.
You’re whining a lot for a tall manly man😂😂
My F-150 requires the same method for changing the headlight bulbs, sooo....casual racism aside, there goes your theory :p
How many well hung lesbians does it take to change the light bulb on their car?
Apparently 1... but she complains about it the whole time.
Just teasing you, my hand hurts after this as well and I only did one side. Next time I won't be trying to change it in the dark in an O'Reilly parking lot in my gym clothes. 😒
Mkm
Can you imagine the stories this guy could tell around the camp fire.
This little tutorial is worth it's weight in Tylenol. On a side note, over the years, I have tried to explain "seeing with your hands' to people for when you need to reach or pry or twist or whatever without being able to lay eyes on it but having to reach and manipulate it. This is the ultimate demonstration video of that technique. Now I'll go ponder the job ahead that awaits me. P.S. I will buy my parts from a local supplier/store in hopes that my/our patronage will help them remain in business and not disappear like so many others due to the Amazon advantage.
When I bring it in to get it changed, they charge $150 and keep my car all day. Thank you so much for this video! Consumer should always be able to change a bulb:
Why so much? dealerships are such rip offs. If they charged half way reasonable prices more people would bring their cars to them!
So don't go to the dealer( EVER ). Go to a local shop. My Auto Fix charged me 20 bucks.
Omg Thank you 150 times!!! Mechanics are charging $150 for Labor! I’m a simpleton and these instructions helped me do the job for $40 bucks!
Thankyou for the video, When you said "This one is a fail, they really dropped the ball with this", That was an understatement. If not for your video I'd be cussing up a storm trying to figure it out.
SPOT ON! Great tutorial that got me in and out in an hr or so. Getting the latch to the headlight on and off was a bit of a wiggle game. Then connecting to the back of the bulb was a bit tricky too. This made it VERY EASY to change it. Thanks again! Now my daughter can drive at night with no problems.
This was exceptional. I did this for the first time on my 2010 Outback. What a pain in the rear end in terms how this was set up… BUT, this video was so helpful. It took me approximately 30 minutes for the first time. It’s honestly pretty straightforward, you just have to pay a lot of attention and do a lot of it by feel - as you stated.
Just replaced on 2010 outback too. I had to take a few mental health breaks but got it done. Few scrapes. Like.shoving my arm through a cheese grater
One highly key part of this is pulling away the front panel. I had not done that. My arm was really squeezed hard by that and mobility further hindered. Also, remember when buying your bulb that you need the same brightness as the existing bulb on the other side of the car. Plus, "they" say the remaining good bulb is likely to burn out soon, so replace both. Except this is such a PITA task that you might not want to.
Why does it need to be the same brightness?
@@astrid5126 Think he's referring to make sure the wattage on the new bulb is no more than the one you are replacing.
@@astrid5126bc it's the right way to do things... You replace both sides when one goes out.
Anyone interested in a class action lawsuit against Subaru? This task took me over an hour, cut my hand in two places, and very nearly placed me in a psychiatric ward. Not only that, but the pins that hold the bumper and liner in place are destroyed. I can not emphasize how absurd this task is. It seems deliberate how difficult they made it so that we would have to pay someone to do it for us. And I won't be doing it again. I don't care if it costs $100, I'm willing to pay. They win. I've built computers, replaced smartphone batteries, and rebuilt the interior of a 1953 GMC; I'm not stupid. Subaru is simply evil for this. I can't explain how furious I am.
Reading this and looking at all the cuts and scrapes on my hand and arm post bulb change
Just did this today. Thanks for the video. Easy to align bulb too. It was hard to see sometimes because of the tight spaces so I took a few minutes getting the light cover back on. I was really annoyed when my light went out because I knew these cars were supposed to be difficult, but it actually wasn't hard thanks to this vid
I rarely ever post any comments on TH-cam, but this calls for it. I just changed both bulbs and it took me about an hour from start to finish. Let me just say, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!
I have been working on cars all my life but never had the misfortune of doing headlights on a Subaru Legacy 2011. The high beams are a 5 min job and the low beams are so freaking hard to get to. The packaging sucked. There is a special place in the afterlife for the genius that designed this!
On the plus side, I managed to do it in an hour and saved a few hundred bucks. Good luck to anyone who is about to do it. You don't need any tools. Just a flat head screwdriver and boatload of patience.
Thanks for the video. It was very helpful.
This video saved me so much hassle. I would never have figured this out!!! I opened my hood which seemed to give me some different angles and more light. I also could not get the cover off the bulb housing so I used a flathead to pop it off. This is such a project!!!!
Thank you for saving me $200 for service. It took about half an hour because of the space issue but now we know how to do it.
Thank you! You saved me $50. I was able to do it (barely). So glad to to find out I did not need to remove the whole wheel well panel. Still a pain, especially on passenger side, doing it all left handed.
Thank you, bro. Yesterday I was standing in front of open car hood and thinking how to solve this puzzle. Took me a bit of time because I didn't had the tool for that plastic fixations, but overall the video explained the process very clearly.
OMG! This looks VERY challenging! Thank you for posting this video as the Auto store peeps had no clue.
Best solution so far. Pulling out the bumper panel really helped. Thank you for posting!
Thanks for a great tutorial.
After going through 3 bulbs in 1 year I now have turned my auto lights off and use DRL only unless it's dark or raining.
Whoever designed this should get a boot to the the cajones.
I've had the same problem with my 13 outback several bulbs and no real answer. Not to mention the 3rd brake light and the brake lights but when I tap the break lights they come back on.
@@liltr3390 I later had mine checked out and there was a lot of voltage drop. I ended up replacing the wiring harness for both headlights and no issues since. This is the longest I've gone w/o changing bulbs.
You make it look SOOOO Easy! Thanks for the tutorial, I'll give it a try
Great video! My local Subaru dealer was changing them for FREE on my Subaru 2010 Outback - as this was a design flaw - but since the pandemic they now are appointment only and you cannot wait inside their facility for repair work. Your video walked me through the process. My only additional comment is I had to replace some of the plastic fasteners on the inner wheel well. But I had a kit I bought from eBay with all common fasteners and the tool. You saved me a lot of time and trouble!
The Subaru replacement policy for 2011-12 vehicles is ONLY 10 years from the sale date of the vehicle. It's already 2023, so don't bank on it.
Thanks for the video! My wrists look like an edgy middle schoolers right now, but you saved me alot of time!
This is hell subaru i would never be able to change it without this video! Thnks a million.
Taking the battery out helped a lot on the drivers side change. I could not get the cover off with one hand through the wheel well, needed the 2nd grip by the battery. It was a miracle I got the bulb to fit in the wiring hub and then back into the casing. Pai. In the arse
Thanks for the video!!!! No way I would have deciphered how to change them. And you were not joking. What a pain to change - specially the driver’s side!!!!!
It is so disapointing to have to remove so much just to change a lightbulb, same thing on my Volvo s60 have to remove the whole bumper to remove the assembly and then change the lightbulb. I miss the good old days when changing a light bulb took 2 minutes.
Remove the battery, cut a 3x3 square just behind the white cap. Same on the passenger side...now bulb replacement is easy 5 minutes on each side! No working blind, no working by feel, no getting on the ground, I've owned my outback for about five years. Put 200,000 miles on her and probably 6 sets of lamps. Best mod for outback by far
Is there a video for this?
Can you add photo of drivers side hole you cut? What did you use to cut it?
Thanks for the video . I would have never thought that I will have to take the car apart to change a light bulb :)
I got good at removing the whole bumper, remove headlight housings and do all the bulbs at the same time. Get new plastic rivets to replace the damaged ones.
Yup! They are wear items for sure. I bought a big box of them years ago and have been glad I did.
Great video! The combination of the clugy way to change the bulb and bulbs not lasting very long makes me wonder what Subaru was thinking when they made the design choice. This is not something one can do on the side of the road. Last time, I took the front bumper off and the job became easier but the it was a chore, very discouraging to say the least. These are the kind of things I will look for when buying my next car for sure.
It's the dumbest design ever. So dumb, the next generation Legacy/Outback models you can pop out and back in in about 60 seconds. Doing these basically by feel and not being able to see what you're doing is incredibly frustrating, and as you say, the cars chew through bulbs about as fast as a restaurant chews through eggs.
This was really well done and helpful. Thanks for including all the important details!!! Cheers
Wow! That is the most messed up design for changing a bulb. Changing the bulb in my moms car. I changed my entire headlight easier than that on my Toyota. Thanks for the video.
I think it's literally easier to replace the whole headlamp assembly. Which, on this car, might actually be necessary if you have the lantern / spherical lens type, because apparently the internal reflector surface gets oxidized and the headlights progressively get dimmer and dimmer as the car ages. That problem is not limited to Subaru, lots of those type headlight assemblies have the same problem on various brands of cars.
I was able to change my low beam this way myself. The passenger side was easier. The dealership wanted $100 to replace the one low beam and additional marker lights. My body doesn't contort as willfully as it did until I reached 50. In hindsight $100 was a bargain compared to how I feel today. Also there is access to the white cover from behind the battery that allows someone to use a long screw driver to tap on the cover to help remove it. Thanks for the video.
I've learned how to do this blind... Never thought to rip my bumper off a bit... That's gonna help me a lot... My biceps and forearms thank you from getting ripped up. 🤣
Thanks for this vid, helped me get it done. The bulb on mine was really difficult to get out of its socket and getting the disc cover back on was a supreme pain in the ass. Got one light replaced in 45 minutes. Not fun but done. Would’ve been lost without the vid.
Great video, and thanks. However, I found it almost impossible to insert and turn to lock the dust cap to the right to finish off the job. So I lightly lubricated the rubber 'O' ring with vaseline jelly. The cap then slipped in with ease and I was able to lock the cap with little effort.
Best idea took over an hour of extreme anger and messing with it before reading this comment then after useing the jelly took less then 3 minutes
Wheel turned to the right. Clockwise or counter clockwise; not right or left. Good video. I did this to my 2014 Outback. Very difficult with my large hands.
I followed these instructions, and needed a helper but we finally got it after awhile.
I had a headlight changed at a shop once before, and I can't for the life of me figure out how the guy did it in a few minutes without even removing anything.
Great video, PP Design by Subaru. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Once you know how to do this, it will still suck the next time, but I highly recommend delegating to a person with small hands. As a short woman, I can actually squeeze in both hands from behind. Don't torture your big man hand with this garbage configuration. Call upon a lady. Great video refresher. It helps to get visually prepared as it will be a tad aggravating working by feel.
I'm working on a better method as we speak but I might have to just take your advice on this one!
@@bruceyyyyy Are there any tips on on removing the plastic headlight cover? I swear I'm cranking on it counter-clockwise and making no progress.
@@bruceyyyyy nvm. gf's hair dryer for the win!!!
Is it cold where you are? I've had a hard time with that before.
@@bruceyyyyy Yea Minnesota. A few minutes with the hair dryer and it turned easily.
I was able to access the grey plastic cover from the wheel well but I couldn't get enough torque on it with one hand to remove it. So I removed the battery and with additional fingers from the inside I was able to turn the cover off. Lubricated the O ring with some silicone grease before reassembly. What a pain.
I have a 2011 outback. How do we align the headlights left to right?
I did find that putting silicone grease on the cap seal after putting new bulb in so next time it was way easier to get it off first time i had to use a pry bar
Thank you so much for this video! It was so helpful and thorough and it saved me $$$ wish you nothing but the best!!!
Had to do this recently in the 2011 3.6r outback. What a pain honestly lol. Wish it was as easy to get to like my 02 outback.
I am working on a better solution now. Will probably have a video soon.
Thanks for posting this, a couple of things I'd like to point out or ask: 1) pulling that bumper out has me a bit sketched...is it really that easy?
2) I recently did a similar procedure on my Dodge Ram, and those little grommets will most likely be a one and done kind of deal, so I'd recommend getting a few from the dealership. That will make it a whole lot easier to button back up.
About to tackle my son's 2014 Outback so he gets some tool time. Thanks for the vid!
1) Yes
2) No the worse idea. I keep a whole box in the garage of various sizes. They're as permanent as a solo cup.
Thank you was very helpful on 2011 legacy got my light today
Thanks. I had done one several years ago so was the low familiar. Took me about half an hour. I was checking electrical connections and such as I went along. One of the pains was getting that cap back on. You have to have a position such that the teeth line up those four teeth that took a bit of the work to get it to seat right. Big pain. I wonder if I saved a whole bunch of money to make it worthwhile. Not complicated. Just a blind process. I patted myself on the back knowing u saved some tume and $50-90. Now can I buy another guitar?
The first time I changed my lightbulb on my Subaru, I unscrewed the latch instead of popping in it. It cost me 150$ at the dealership to have to replace and repair (finding the metal piece and screwing it back in place). I would love to scream at the designer/engineer who thought this was an amazing placement idea. I refuse to pay someone else to do minor work on my car. I sure wish this vide was around the first time I tried this. thanks for the video.
Thank you for that tutorial, I didn't do to well with the last headlight change it's all crooked. So thanks for showing us how to do it correctly.
Thank you sir for you video, it was very helpful. I hope you and your viewers have a good day. Good vibes
Great job and a great presentation! You have no idea how much this helped me to understand how to do this repair! It's very much appreciated!
Thanks for this video! It helped me tremendously with my son's car
Thanks for posting this! Saved us a bit of cash and time!
Thank you so much . I love my Subaru legacy 3.6L ❤️ but changing the head lamp 🔦 is a pain. The video made it easier 🙌 👏 liked and subscribed 👍
Worked nice but I jacked the one side up to get more leverage. Thanks for the great video
I just did this from the top and removing the battery. I wish I had seen this video earlier! Ty
I had the spring that holds the bulb in fall off and go down inside the headlight assembly. What a p.i.t.a.! I rigged it on with rubber bands since I can't find just the spring. Make note of that that that thing isn't connected it,x just sitting there. It wraps around tabs molded into the bulb port. Don't drop it like I did! When you swing it out of the way do it gently. I flicked it out of the way which is what caused it to bounce around and fall off. I have to take the assembly out now to get it. I imagine that's going to involve taking the whole front end off.
Yes sir ur video was the most helpful thing a person could use u tube for thanks
My driver side cap has always been gone. Passenger side stuck trying to change it in the winter so i ripped off the cap with vice grips. Now both sides can be open lol
Ah yes, the Chevy Malibu approach to headlight accessibility.
Edit: just got back from doing mine. What a pain in the ass. I wound up pulling off the bumper cover and that made it way easier.
I did it. I can't believe it. Thx. Bookmarking this video for sure. Thanks so much!!
Very helpful for me with my 2010 Legacy. Thanks!
The middle finger ends up in the hole/ kinda like how the Subaru engenders had their heads when they design the headlights…
Great video. Still took me about an hour but it was helpful.
Are resistors required to avoid flickering or issues with the dash because of power difference? Asking because I ran into that problem putting leds in my wife's 2004 forrester.
the hard part is getting the bulb inserted, all by feel, with the correct orientation, then getting the plug in, the spring back on, and the cover back on without crossthreading the grooves. a PITA.
So what are the 4 bulbs that are accessible straight under the hood? I’m very confused. Lol
Saved me a lot of time and hassle, thanks!!
I did not take away the front panel, it took me about an hour to do the first and 45 mins to do the other side. Why did they make it so difficult to reach? Thanks for the vid
Wow - this isn’t easy. I changed my 2012 Liberty (Aus) which is the same as a legacy. It was so hard to get my hand in there, but after an hour I manage to successfully get it changed and back together. I have been changed $200 + by mechanics to change these globes. Such a design failure on Subarus behalf! Thanks for posting.
Now we all know that the mechanics are NOT overcharging. If I had to change light bulbs like this, I would charge that much, too.
This is to all the customers throwing a fit over having to pay for installation. FU sorry I feel better.
Love the video. I have a 2011 Outback , I had to replace the headlights 4 times already. Do you know are there any LED bulbs for the model? Thanks for any advice.
I have saved this video. Just now.I have never done this before, but this video is more than helpful.
Will be putting on new head lights on 2013 legacy 3.6 l .
Trying to find a video also to change the mini bulb light low beam I believe, any suggestions?
This is the low beam bulb.
Do you have to take off the battery terminals before doing this?
Hey bruceyyy. Thanks for the tip!
and I have a new playlist of off road videos on my channel. it is called can we make it to the top of the mountain?
It was so hard. I got my hand up there but i couldn't twist it.
will have to give it a try.. beats taking the whole bumper off and saves time
Can you do a video adjusting the projector height and angle?
Done this once already. I might just take it in to get done this time.
Thank you! I may have had to watch the video three times to get it but I got it! (It would have helped to tell me to unplug the headlight, because I definitely missed that step lol.)
My mechanic was so reluctant to do this for my fog light he passed my WOF test without changing it.
Excellent guide, and appreciate the constant shade at Subaru. I curse their name having to replace these bulbs for how they designed this garbage
It's almost easier to pop the front bumper and retaining brace, pull the headlight assembly and just replace the bulb in the loose assembly.
The hardest part for me now is getting the bumper all lined up
How does one adjust headlights afterwards?!!!
Thanks for the help! Holy shit I wish I paid someone else to do it though, because Subaru did not make that eazy in the slightest.
If anybody had to purchase new clips, where did you guys find them?
I’ve done this 5-6 times now. First time took me 2 hours and left mental scarring … this time it took me about 10 minutes. We’ll see if I still have the car next time a headlight burns out.
Hey, would this be the same process for replacing the headlight assembly on a 2011 Subaru Impreza 2.5i? No fancy turbo here but I can't seem to find anything specific to my model of car. Please advise. Thank you!
Thank you so much!! It took work and had to feel it like you said but I did it!!!
Not to happy about having to do this again… Thanks for the refresher…
*note to the editor… there’s a lot of “seconds” here and there, that you could clip, few extra words… maybe play parts of video at double speed… I think you could shorten it up a couple min, and keep the speed up… That’s how the pros do it…
Appreciate the feedback. Editing isn't my strong point and it's also something I personally don't enjoy.
Do you know of someone who is good?
@@bruceyyyyy no I don’t. I only know what I said, because I was thinking about making my own and I watched some stuff on here from editors… I’m a writer and other ppl have asked me to, but I can’t get used to the camera… All the ppl I know do very minimal editing, but they’re writing out scripts…
One thing I’ve discovered is “ppl read t-shirts, not books.” If I keep that in mind, I can shorten up stuff. Ppl have chit for attention span.
A professional editor would be adding graphics and music, but I don’t think you need that…
I got my headlight changed 😉
Thanks a lot for posting
3 horus and I cannot get that cap back on, the little ends dont align and there is barely a mm of clearance
Your amazing bro!
Do you know how to adjust them by any chance? Mine seem to point low on the ground. Thanks for any advice in advance!
Very helpful. Thanks for posting.