Subaru Forester Headlight Bulb Size

Subaru Forester headlight bulbs utilize 9005 and 9003 sizes for high beam applications, while low beam configurations employ H11, D4R, and D2R bulb sizes across different model generations. The replacement chart documents bulb specifications spanning 1998 through 2018 production years.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

High Beam Headlight

Years	US Type	EU Type	Shop
2017-2018	9005 (With Halogen Capsule Headlamps)	HB3	Check Price
2006-2016	9005	HB3	Check Price
2005	9003	H4	Check Price
2005	9005	HB3	Check Price
1998-2004	9003	H4	Check Price

Low Beam Headlight

If US Type and EU Type show the same value, a direct cross-reference for this bulb is not available or the data is insufficient.

Years	US Type	EU Type	Shop
2017-2018	H11 (With Halogen Capsule Headlamps)	H11	Check Price
2014-2016	D4R (With HID Headlamps)	D4R	Check Price
2014-2016	H11 (With Halogen Capsule Headlamps)	H11	Check Price
2009-2013	D2R (With HID Headlamps)	D2R	Check Price
2009-2013	H11 (With Halogen Capsule Headlamps)	H11	Check Price
2006-2008	D2R (With HID Headlamps)	D2R	Check Price
2006-2008	H1 (With Halogen Capsule Headlamps)	H1	Check Price
2005	9003	H4	Check Price
2005	H1	H1	Check Price
1998-2004	9003	H4	Check Price

Bulb Specifications

Description	Type	Shop
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament halogen bulb with P20d base. 12V, 65W.	9005	Check Price
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Dual-filament halogen bulb with P43t base. 12V, 60W/55W.	9003	Check Price
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Single-filament halogen bulb with PGJ19-2 base. Also approved in the US. 12V, 55W.	H11	Check Price
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Mercury-free HID (xenon) discharge bulb with P32d-6 base, for reflector-type housings. 42V, 35W.	D4R	Check Price
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). HID (xenon) discharge bulb with P32d-3 base, for reflector-type housings. Requires external ignitor. 85V, 35W.	D2R	Check Price
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Single-filament halogen bulb with P14.5s base. Also approved in the US and Japan. 12V, 55W.	H1	Check Price

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The 9005 bulb is the dominant high beam type across the Subaru Forester, covering model years 2006-2018 as a sole fitment and also appearing alongside the 9003 in 2005. It follows the ANSI standard used in the US and Canada, operates on a single filament with a P20d base, and is rated at 12V and 65W.
The 9003 bulb served as the high beam source on the Forester from 1998-2004, with a dual-filament design rated at 12V and 60W for high beam and 55W for low beam. Its P43t base and dual-filament construction distinguish it from the single-filament 9005 that replaced it.
In 2005, the Subaru Forester carried both the 9003 and the 9005 as listed high beam fitments, indicating a mid-cycle transition between bulb types across different configurations of that model year.
The 9003 bulb also served as the low beam source from 1998-2004, and again in 2005 for one configuration. Because the 9003 is a dual-filament bulb handling both beam functions in a single unit, it is not interchangeable with the single-filament H1 or H11 bulbs used in later low beam applications.
Low beam halogen fitment on the Forester shifted from H1 to H11 between the 2008 and 2009 model years. Both are single-filament halogen bulbs rated at 12V and 55W, but they use different bases, H1 with a P14.5s base and H11 with a PGJ19-2 base, making them physically incompatible with each other.
HID low beam options appeared on the Forester from 2006-2018. The D2R bulb was fitted from 2006-2013, while the D4R replaced it from 2014 onward. Both types use reflector-type housings and are rated at 35W, but the D2R operates at 85V and requires an external ignitor, whereas the D4R is mercury-free and operates at 42V, making the two types non-interchangeable.
For the 2017-2018 Forester, the halogen capsule headlamp qualifier appears on both the high beam 9005 and the low beam H11 entries, indicating that these bulb sizes apply specifically to vehicles equipped with halogen headlamp assemblies rather than HID units.
The H11 and H1 bulbs both follow the ECE standard and carry US approval, while the 9005 and 9003 follow the ANSI standard. This means the low beam halogen fitments from 2006 onward use ECE-standard bulbs, whereas the high beam fitments across all listed years use ANSI-standard bulbs.