Sometime ago I had posted a complaint about how dim the HIDs on my 2009 Touring have been for years, and the dealerships (two, unrelated) kept saying there was nothing wrong: "that's just how hybrid HIDs are" and "oh yes, they're SUPPOSED to be dimmer than the halogens in your 2004 Forester". So a month ago, the left side started flickering. I picked up a new bulb from Carquest, and between Youtube and my teenaged son, I was able to replace it. Definitely better. The right side went out three days ago, replaced it myself (with youtube help) and now my lights are just as bright as the Forester's. Not nearly as bright as my husband's 2011 RAV4 (his brights are like floodlights), but I'll take it. Advice: it is NOT necessary to remove the bumper unless you have very large hands. I removed it because I couldn't get the black cover unscrewed, but even with the whole assembly out, I still needed help to get the darned thing loose. Passenger side, I followed the advice from "how to change your prius hid in 10 min" and gently loosened the seal with a screwdriver, and got it off myself. I am not particularly handy, so if I can do it, anyone can.
