For some reason on my 2018 Sonata, the driver side brake light bulb dies every 3 months or so. The one on the passenger side is still the original from the factory.

It always looks black on the inside of the bulb, and the plastic holder that connects the bulb also has a few brown stream marks running along the outside. When I replace it with a new bulb, the brightness looks very similar to the other brake light.

Any ideas what would cause this?

 

Without directly pointing fingers,

A lot depends on where the replacement bulb was manufactured.
Some are better than others.

 

I'm open minded to that idea. Do you have a recommended brand or some kind of marking to look out for?

 

The only thing I can suggest is to pay attention to where the part was made. Most domestic parts are good. It is the cheap imitations that cause us problems.

Parts made in the USA will usually proudly have the name of the manufacturer on them.

There are sellers that purchase inferior parts with no quality control and make $$. Usually American made parts cost more.