[KYOutback11]

Thanks for posting this fix. We ran into the same issue on our 2011 Outback while traveling for Christmas. Like many others have posted, the right side nut was only threaded on about half way. Working on fixing it now.

 

[wingersince99]

I found water in my rear cargo area and on the inside of the rear windshield after a recent hard rain. A search around this site found a few other threads (like this one), but no good solutions, so I decided to make one myself.

The total time for this repair was about 30 minutes. Most of that time was spent scraping the gasket off the light. I did this yesterday, and today I sat in the cargo area while my wife attacked the 3rd tail light with the hose. I used a flashlight to look at the back of the light (trim was still removed) and I saw no leaks at all.

The silicone I used will not permanently affix the light to the car. I can still remove the light later if necessary.

The Tools:

• Flat-head screwdriver
• 1/4" ratchet with a 2"+ extension
• 5/16" socket (8mm might also work. I didn't try.)
• Razor scraper
• Black silicone adhesive sealant

1.
Remove the upper trim inside the hatch. It is held in place by just four clips. I couldn't get my fat fingers wedged behind it enough, so I used a flat head screwdriver to wedge between the trim and the glass to get things started. (Trim removal is also described in the first post here.) The upper trim is all you need to remove.

2.
Use the socket wrench to remove the two washer nuts holding the 3rd tail light in place. You have to basically look straight up into the hatch holes to see them...

^^^This picture is taken looking in the hole with the black wire running through it that you can see next to the hole with the socket in this picture vvv

Left Side:

Same on the Right:

BE CAREFUL.... Move slowly and deliberately pulling the socket out of the hole once the washer nut is off the bolt. If you drop the nut inside the door, I don't know how you'd get it back.

3.
Once the two nuts are off, the light just comes out and it can now be disconnected from the wire.

You can see the problem here...

FYI -
I took the part to my local dealership hoping they could just replace the gasket, but their only fix was to replace the entire thing for $60. No thanks.

4.
Scrape the gasket off the light with a razor scraper to get it as clean as you can. You can use goo gone to get the remnants if you're really picky, but I didn't. I also wiped away the dirt around the hole in the hatch where the light had been.

I didn't get a picture of this. Just imagine me sitting on my tailgate with a razor scraper for about 15 minutes.

5.
Once the gasket has been scraped off, replace it with a thick bead of the silicone. I had some of this around the house, but you can pick it up at any auto parts store for $6 or so.

6.
Put everything back together: Clip the wire back into the light, put the light back onto the tailgate, and put the nuts back on. Now just replace the trim and you're done.


Let me know if there's anything I missed, or if anybody has any questions.

Followed your notes and photos. Worked like a charm. Thank you!
2010 Outback Limited 93K and going strong.

 

[ACheney]

I noticed the leak on my 2013 outback today. Went to remove the upper panel on the tailgate trim and a significant amount of water came out. By the looks of it, there had been some water in the for quite a while! One of the nuts holding my light on was very loose. I'm hoping that explains the metal chatter sound I occasional get from the rear end. I used a healthy amount of silicone caulking I had sitting around the house. Hopefully this solves the leak issue!

 

[millermmail]

THANK YOU for this guide!

I had a fair bit of water in my 2012 3.6 Limited this morning after a severe thunderstorm. I didn't find your thread at first so I spent an hour fiddling puzzled how the light came out. The foam seal on mine looked good but was water-logged (dropped when I pushed it) and as I tried to dry it the foam disintegrated.

I'm putting it back together with marine silicon for sealing hatches and such, the hardware store suggested it should be watertight but also not too bad to peal off if I had to change the LED bar ever.

One recommendation, get CLEAR silicon sealant. That's all I could find but it worked out well because I put on so much it squished out around the top/bottom a bit. Fortunately it's super easy to wipe clean while wet and any residue won't show.

 

[Mr_Pacman]

I don't have a lot of experience with different types of silicone, but I do know some create a strong bond and are very difficult to remove.

For those who have done this , do you lay down the silicone bead and then let it completely dry before installing the light or are you putting on the silicone and installing the light while it's still soft?

My concern is removing the light bar after the silicone has cured. I've never had good luck removing pieces where silicone was used. One of the pieces always gets broken as the bond is so strong. Perhaps it's a different silicone?

Thanks
James

 

[millermmail]

I don't have a lot of experience with different types of silicone, but I do know some create a strong bond and are very difficult to remove.

For those who have done this , do you lay down the silicone bead and then let it completely dry before installing the light or are you putting on the silicone and installing the light while it's still soft?

My concern is removing the light bar after the silicone has cured. I've never had good luck removing pieces where silicone was used. One of the pieces always gets broken as the bond is so strong. Perhaps it's a different silicone?

Thanks
James

The guy in the store claimed the RTV silicon would peal off if I ever wanted...but in my 2012 its an LED light bar so if it ever fails I won't worry about breaking the old one taking it out as it would need complete replacing anyway.

 

[bigp]

Hey guys. I have the same problem and would like to fix it the coming weekend. Just out of curiosity, would a self-adhesive foam tape do the job in replacing the worn-out gasket? It is used as weatherstripping and is water proof, and since only one side is adhesive, there is no risk of bonding on the other side. Any thought?

MD Building Products 3/8 in. x 17 ft. Foam Weatherstrip Tape-02253 - The Home Depot

 

[RoyB0t]

Thanks for the instructions. Had a leak on inside of rear window every time after going through the car wash. Took the brake light off. Applied a thin seam of clear silicone to the gasket on the door side and all fixed now.

Cheers!

 

[garyrh]

I just fixed my 2014 Subaru Outback that had the leak and I took off the old foam and replaced it with 1/4 inch foam that I got from the hardware store that is just weather seal. It formed right around just like the old one. I just started at the middle of the bottom of the light and went around and to meet up with the other end put the light back in and no leaks. I was hesitant to use silicone because if I would have to ever have to take it off I wouldn't be able to get it off.

 

[borislanger]

@mws4ua just followed your steps to fix the leak on my 2011 Premium - thanks for posting the step by step breakdown. I was blown away when I was the original gasket material - it basically looked like a sponge. No wonder it disintegrates in a few years. I hope Subaru pays attention to some of these issues, I think they can be easily avoided if they didnt try to save an extra penny. Between the heat shield rattle and this leaky sponge-seal, my trust in Subaru's ability to build reliable cars is starting to falter a little.

 

[otwer22]

Thanks for the guide. I need to replace my brake light assembly this weekend. Mine got major damage from the big hail storm in Denver last May. I will be putting some silicon gasket material on mine as that seems like a prudent way to ensure I don't have any water leakage problems.

Now I need to look for a guide to replace the tail light assembly, as that got damaged too.

I decided to fix the damage on my car that could effect the integrity of electrical systems or where water could cause other damage. Took the insurance money and payed it off, with enough extra money to fix the major stuff. Still looks terrible as the roof and hood look like Swiss cheese. :frown2:

 

[rpm92109]

Thanks for the guide

Just finished the work.

The never ending showers in Québec this summer should quickly make evidence if I did it the good way or not.

Used a straight ribbon of foam seal, so the corners where quite a challenge, but I assume it should work.

 

[stevenva]

I suspect mine has that problem.
You say that you're getting water in the cargo area and inside the rear window.
Anyone have the reverse lights getting water behind the lenses.

 

[Slaurent]

Worked like a charm. Thanks for solving a problem for us all.

 

[PilotXT]

Will try this the next day weather permits. Noticing the same issues.

Has anyone just tried tightening the one screw you guys have said is loose as opposed to taking it apart and regasketing it?

 

[Haywire Jones]

I tried just tightening them down first but still had leaks next time I washed the car. That's when I went ahead and removed and replaced the gasket. The whole job only took about 15 minutes, so it's probably worth just skipping straight to that step.

 

[PilotXT]

Permatex Ultra Black would work yes?

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...v-silicone-gasket-maker-3.35-oz-82180-82150/7160059-P?searchTerm=permatex+black

I had this "silicone black sealant" in my hands and returned it because it said that it had to be clamped for one hour? https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-black-silicone-adhesive-sealant-3-oz-81158/7160113-P?searchTerm=permatex+black

The auto store is walking distance from my house so I can easily exchange if you think the one I bought is no good.

Poke @Haywire Jones
Poke @millermmail

 

[PilotXT]

I ended up returning the ultra black and got some Clear RTV as was suggested. Glad I did - I put a little bit too much on the top and bottom parts and it oozed slightly. Nothing I couldn't take off with a shop towel. Looks good. Letting it mellow for an hour or two before I wash the car.

Thanks for the advice on being slow and deliberate with the nuts. I was using a ratchet and dropped the first nut, used my drill with a 1/4" impact adapter on my 8mm socket and it held the other nut quite well. I was able to close the trunk lid, and look inside with a flashlight, and "knock" the dropped nut into the trunk cargo area. Easy peasy.

Thanks again for the great writeup! Hopefully won't have to do this for another 6 years.

 

[millermmail]

Permatex Ultra Black would work yes?

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...v-silicone-gasket-maker-3.35-oz-82180-82150/7160059-P?searchTerm=permatex+black

I had this "silicone black sealant" in my hands and returned it because it said that it had to be clamped for one hour? https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-black-silicone-adhesive-sealant-3-oz-81158/7160113-P?searchTerm=permatex+black

The auto store is walking distance from my house so I can easily exchange if you think the one I bought is no good.

Poke @Haywire Jones
Poke @millermmail

I don't think it would matter, the light assembly is held in place by screws/nuts so "clamping" while it dries is not a concern. You just need it to get in place and dry before rain washes the new sealer stuff away.

I'm fond of clear colored stuff because if it gets on the paint its less obvious. Just be careful to not "seal up" the hole where the washer fluid tube comes out (just put it where the old foam was).

 

[millermmail]

I ended up returning the ultra black and got some Clear RTV as was suggested. Glad I did - I put a little bit too much on the top and bottom parts and it oozed slightly. Nothing I couldn't take off with a shop towel. Looks good. Letting it mellow for an hour or two before I wash the car.

Thanks for the advice on being slow and deliberate with the nuts. I was using a ratchet and dropped the first nut, used my drill with a 1/4" impact adapter on my 8mm socket and it held the other nut quite well. I was able to close the trunk lid, and look inside with a flashlight, and "knock" the dropped nut into the trunk cargo area. Easy peasy.

Thanks again for the great writeup! Hopefully won't have to do this for another 6 years.

Oops, guess I was late replying. Glad you got it fixed!

And yeah, I made the same mistake on mine having it push out onto the paint, which is why I was glad to have clear. Easy to wipe 90% of it but depending on the color of your car it may be more or less noticeable with colored goo.