What Happened to Our BRZ
If you love bright lighting upgrades, you probably love HID bulbs. We do too. So when we upgraded our Subaru BRZ, we installed HIDs in both the headlights and fog lights.
At first, everything looked incredible. The output was intense. The color was crisp. Visibility improved immediately.
However, within days, the fog lights started showing signs of damage.
The 35W HID bulbs produced too much heat for the factory fog light housings. First, small bubbles appeared in the lens. Soon after, the chrome reflector began to flake and melt.
We removed the HIDs immediately. Then we ordered replacement fog light housings. That mistake cost time and money.
Why HID Bulbs Cause Damage
HID bulbs produce tremendous light output. In fact, they generate three to four times the output of standard halogen bulbs. Additionally, they use less energy and can last longer.
However, they also generate significant heat.
Headlight housings usually handle that heat. Fog light housings on the BRZ cannot.
The BRZ fog assemblies simply were not designed to handle sustained HID heat levels. Therefore, installing HID bulbs in those housings leads to damage.
We strongly recommend avoiding HID fog light upgrades on the Subaru BRZ.
The Safe Alternative: LED Fog Light Upgrades
Fortunately, you don’t have to live with dim yellow halogen fog lights.
Instead, you can upgrade to LED. LEDs provide bright white output while generating far less heat.
Here are two proven options.
Option 1: 950 Lumen LED Upgrade
The first option uses a 950-lumen LED bulb from GTR Lighting.
This upgrade offers:
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Crisp white color
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Improved clarity
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Lower heat output
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Simple plug-and-play installation
Compared to stock halogen, the difference is noticeable. While it doesn’t match HID intensity, it avoids the overheating risk.
Option 2: High-Output LED Conversion Kit
The second option delivers even more output. This LED conversion kit produces up to 2,200 lumens per bulb—roughly 2.5 times brighter than standard halogen.
Unlike HID, this LED system manages heat effectively.
The bulbs feature:
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Aluminum construction for heat dissipation
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Integrated cooling fans
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6000K white color
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Plug-and-play installation
Although this kit still runs cooler than HID, it delivers strong, focused output.
Final Thoughts
We learned the hard way. HID bulbs can melt Subaru BRZ fog lights.
If you want brighter fog lights without damaging your housings, choose LED instead. LEDs provide modern color, solid output, and safe operating temperatures.
Upgrade wisely. Protect your fog lights.
Meet the people behind Better Automotive Lighting
John Tobias, Headlight Junkie and Industry Veteran
Before managing pricing and product categories for the DLG brands, John worked directly with customers in customer service and tech support, then spent several years in marketing creating content like this and the videos published online. Today he takes more than ten years of aftermarket automotive lighting experience to events all over the USA, meeting customers and talking to real people about what they care about. He is focused on understanding the market, the trends, the big players, and what matters to lighting enthusiasts. John has tested thousands of lights, works directly with lighting engineers to evaluate the technical performance behind every recommendation, and is one of the foremost experts on everything happening in the world of aftermarket automotive lighting. LinkedIn
