Brake lights How do you change the bulb ? I can't even get the light covers off my hatch ! HELP

There's a harness that runs from the rear body into the hatch, through a rubber tube. These wires break with age and movement.

Remove the hatch brake light and verify that the unit is getting +12v when the brake pedal is pressed. If so, connect +12v + Ground to the brake light directly, and see if it works. If not, you have a ground issue (usually corrosion) the brake light. Look for the ground connection in the hatch harness.


Repairing the hatch harness is doable, and easier than replacing the whole harness.

you will usually have 2-3 screws on light cover. Lift the hatch and look on inside. Take those out and you then will see 3 sockets with bulbs in them one is rev light, one is brake and other is running light. Depending on which one is out unscrew counter clockwise and pull out. Bulb pulls straight out

Open the back hatch and (if no screws on the outside of light cover) and look for a "door" or door panel that covers the inner side of the lights. Once this is off, find the brake light buld, twist and pull,or just pull out depending on bulb type. Put new bulb in, put door/cover back on, check brake light.

Most 3rd brake light covers are held on with 2 plastic screws located on the sides, or the cover is just a push fit, easily pried off with a thin blade such as a putty knife screw drivers sceatch it up badly

How To Install Replace Change Taillight and Bulb 2000-04 Subaru Outback

Most likely you will need to take 3 nuts off of studs that come from the lamp assembly. These should be under the trim at the back hatch. Then remove the light cover and pull the old bulb out. Put the new one in and replace the cover. Make sure it seals good.

There should be 2 screws holding the lenses on for the hatch light, remove those and cover comes off. The plate lights, access them under the rear bumper, they twist and pull out, then just pull the bulb out the connector. The running board light, under board, which will take the light assembly out, or a small flat head screwdriver, pop the lens off the top of board.

This is just a guess , so please don't give me a bad rating. to me it sounds like the switch on the brake pedal is broken ( stuck on ) so brake lights are on , but have burned up the rear bulbs. Highmount light might be LED so runs cooler and does not burn out. Try new bulbs in the tail lights.

The outside brake light bulbs are changed by removing the entire light module from the body. The module is held in place by two screws hidden by round plastic covers that pop out with a small screw driver. You will see the two round screw covers along the rubber moulding when you open the rear hatch. The outside edge of the module is plugged into the body with plastic prongs that will pop loose will you pull the module with your hands. The module will now only be attached by the slack bulb wires and you can twist the socket out of the module from the back.

Brake lights were easy... open hatch you will see 2 lil circle covers with a notch out of the bottom for removal... i used a flat head to remove these then used a phillips head screw drive to remove the two screws behind the covers... pull out unit and you will see where the bulb goes... pull that out and just put the bulb in. It was sooo very easy... thanks Kim