The Subaru Forester brake light utilizes 912 and 7443 and 1157 bulb sizes for the rear lighting system. Data for the specific components covers the range from 1998 through 2024.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Subaru Forester brake light specifications reference three distinct bulb types across its model years: the 912, 7443, and 1157. All three conform to ANSI standards recognized in both the United States and Canada.
The 7443 is a dual-filament wedge bulb in the T20 form factor, rated at 12V with filaments drawing 21W and 5W respectively. The dual-filament design allows a single bulb to serve both brake and tail light functions at different brightness levels.
The 1157 shares the same 12V, 21W/5W dual-filament electrical rating as the 7443 but uses a BAY15d bayonet base rather than a wedge base, making the two types physically incompatible despite their identical wattage ratings.
The 912 is a single-filament wedge bulb in the T15 form factor, rated at 12V and 12W. It is a variant of the 921 bulb, differing from it primarily in wattage.
For the Subaru Forester, the 7443 is the most widely specified brake bulb type, covering model years 2001-2016 across the main brake light position.
The 912 bulb serves as the specified type for the Center High Mount Stop Light across all listed model years for that position, from 1998 through 2024.
The main brake light position transitioned from the 1157 bayonet-base bulb in 1998-2000 to the 7443 wedge-base bulb starting in 2001, representing a base-type change that makes those bulbs non-interchangeable.
The main brake light position on the Subaru Forester shifted from the dual-filament 7443 to the single-filament 912 for the 2021, 2023, and 2024 model years, a change that also reflects a reduction in wattage from 21W to 12W on the primary filament.