‘Try a Chevy Malibu’: Man realizes his Subaru Legacy headlight is out. Then he tries to replace it

Decades ago, it was fairly common for people to make simple repairs on their own cars.

In the modern day, however, even the seemingly smallest repairs can be a daunting task. Cars have become more technologically advanced, meaning that fixing broken parts can involve several different pieces of software and hardware.

A study by AAA found that advanced safety systems, which are now standard on new vehicles, can raise the cost of a moderate vehicle repair by an average of $3,000.

This isn't just frustrating for people getting their cars fixed, as they often end up paying exorbitant sums for apparently simple repairs. It can also be a major annoyance for the mechanics (or dedicated DIYers) tasked with repairing the vehicle. This was recently demonstrated in a video by TikTok user @metal_and_chrome, with over 267,000 views.

What’s wrong with this Subaru headlight?

In the video, the TikToker shows himself approaching what he says is a 2011 Subaru Legacy.

“I want to know what the [expletive] the engineers at Subaru were smoking when they decided that. To replace the [expletive] headlight bulb, you have to pull the trim off of the [expletive] wheel well and reach,” the TikToker says.

The video shows him doing exactly the action described: pulling the trim off of the wheel well, then looking at the headlight bulb that needs to be replaced.

“Such a pain in the [expletive] for no reason,” he writes in the caption.

Is this really how you replace the headlight bulb?

This appears to be the correct way to change out the headlight bulbs in a 2011 Subaru Legacy. But it’s not even the most difficult example of a headlight bulb change in a car on the market today.

As many commenters pointed out, several current vehicles for sale require substantially more work to access the headlight bulb. For example, one TikTok user recently explained that he had to remove the entire bumper, grill, and headlights on a Ford Fusion in order to replace the bulbs.

@metal_and_chrome Such a pain in the ass for no reason #subaru ♬ original sound - metal_and_chrome

Commenters say this car isn’t the only one

In the comments section, many users were quick to lament how difficult it is to make standard repairs on modern vehicles. Several offered examples of cars they say are a pain to work on.

“It's a scam to make people pay big money for what used to be a simple task,” wrote one user of these manufacturing practices.

“My toyota tundra makes you pull off the entire grill and front corner to change the headlight build,” claimed another.

“GMC Acadia also, and to replace the headlight assembly yo have to remove the whole front end,” stated a third.

The Daily Dot reached out to Subaru via email and @metal_and_chrome via TikTok DM and comment.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘Try a Chevy Malibu’: Man realizes his Subaru Legacy headlight is out. Then he tries to replace it appeared first on The Daily Dot.