Difference between H16 and 5202 Bulb

We receive inquiries from our customers advising that they have purchased an H16 bulb and found it doesn’t fit. Why this can be confusing?

The situation is ALL aftermarket LED manufacturers call the 5202 bulb an H16. But in Japanese vehicles the H16 bulb is part of the H9/H11 bulb family. The biggest difference between H8, H9, H11 and H16 are both the wattage levels that they run at and whether or not they have a painted on reflector cap at the top of the glass tube. H16 is most commonly used in fog lights, whereas the H11 is most commonly used in headlights. Therefore, you’ll see H11 bulbs that look almost identical to H16 bulbs but have higher wattages than H16.

From the below photos, you will find the H16 is quite different with 5202.

Simply put, if the car is a Japanese manufacturer vehicle (such as Toyota, Nissan, Lexus, Subaru) the fog light will be an H16 and you can use an H11 to replace it. (Note: the wattage of the H11 will usually be higher). If the car is an American manufacture (such as Chevrolet, GMC, Ford) then the fog light is a 5202 instead of an Japanese style H16.