Subaru Forester Tail Lights: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
Confirmed: an official technical bulletin addresses tail light condensation as normal — plus a genuinely specific, real fix: checking for missing breather caps on the assembly's backside, which permanently resolved one documented case.
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Subaru Forester Tail Lights: OEM Part Number
Subaru Forester Tail Lights: More Wiring Behind There Than Most People Assume
Because brake light, indicator, reversing light and rear fog light are usually combined in one Subaru Forester tail light housing, a single electrical fault can knock out more than one function at once — which is why this particular complaint rarely means just one thing.
Subaru Forester Tail Lights: What It Does
Beyond basic rear visibility, tail light units on the Forester typically integrate brake lights, indicators, reversing lights and rear fog lights into a single housing. Higher trims may use LED units with a distinct light signature, which are not interchangeable with standard halogen units even if the physical mounting looks similar.
Fitment & Compatibility
Subaru Forester Tail Lights: Generations & Tail Light Type
| Standard trims | Halogen bulb-based units as standard |
|---|---|
| Higher trims, later model years | LED tail lights become available further up the range, genuinely a different assembly and connector from the halogen units on lower trims |
Tail light design changed between generations of the Forester, and facelifted versions within the same generation often use a revised light signature that isn't interchangeable with pre-facelift units. Always confirm the exact part for your specific model year before ordering. Whether you're sourcing a replacement tail lights for your Subaru Forester from a dealer, specialist, or online marketplace, always check compatibility against your registration or VIN before buying, and confirm you're ordering the correct side — driver's side (RH in the UK) or passenger side (LH in the UK) — since these are not interchangeable.
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Confirmed: A Genuine Technical Service Bulletin Worth Knowing About — Subaru Forester Tail Lights
This is genuinely worth knowing if you're seeing condensation in a tail light: a confirmed technical service bulletin addresses this exact issue, with Subaru's official position being that genuine condensation is a normal characteristic rather than something covered under warranty. Genuinely worth knowing before assuming a fault: condensation that clears relatively quickly on its own, particularly following seasonal temperature changes or after washing the car, matches this normal pattern. However, if you're finding an actual pool of standing water at the bottom of the light, rather than just fogging that clears, this is a genuinely different problem worth taking to a dealer specifically, since it points toward a real leak rather than the normal condensation the bulletin describes.
It's also genuinely worth knowing that LED tail lights run considerably cooler than traditional bulbs, meaning there's less heat available to help evaporate any moisture that does get in, making genuine leaks more likely to persist rather than simply clearing on their own. Persistent standing water in an LED unit specifically has been documented corroding the electrical components over a period of roughly two years, a considerably more expensive problem to resolve than a simple bulb replacement — worth addressing a genuine leak promptly on an LED-equipped car rather than assuming it will sort itself out.
Subaru Forester Tail Lights: Common Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice
These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Tail Lights Guide for diagnosing which circuit has failed, how easy this job is to DIY, and aftermarket advice.
More Subaru Tail Lights
The same part, covered across other Subaru models.