Should I find a new ballast or get new headlight assembly?
 

My electric engineer friend said my ballast is likely out on my passenger side. The low beam is dim and eventually turns off after a couple minutes of driving, and I can turn it back on if I flip the lights off then on again. The fuses are good and the bulb was changed too. I don't know anything about ballasts and if I change one I should probably change the other given my car is 2013 MY so age in components is starting to show. My question is if I should buy new ballasts or new headlights in general, because even my plastic housing is showing some internal cloudiness and what looks like cracks or condensation within. Do new headlights come with new ballasts? I'd rather pay once and cry once than swap ballasts, and find out I could have bought a new kit for not much more. Would also appreciate the part number for the ballast or any suggestions if anyone has them.

Up to you if you want to swap the whole headlight or just the ballast


The only ballasts that you should use for the factory headlights are factory ballasts.

• They are a box that's screwed onto the headlight. They're pretty expensive from the dealer (~$350 each) https://parts.subaru.com/a/Subaru_20...10-840-01.html
• You can find them used, separated from the headlight for cheaper (~$50-$100 each )

If you want replacement headlights, you could get used factory HID headlights (usually ~$400 for the pair).

Aftermarket headlights vary, but there rarely as good as OEM (both in terms of build quality and light output). Only HID headlights need and come with ballasts. LED have integrated boards or COBs, and Halogen lights don't need any extra electronics.