Those germans and their awesome technology.

 

I think there's a big difference in longevity between the stand-alone halogen bulbs found in the 2nd gens, and the sealed beams found in the 1st gens. The sealed beams don't last very long. They burn out before they go dim.

I've had the 9005 Silverstars in my '07 Silverado for a couple years now without any issues so far ... but that truck is more of a garage queen than a daily driver. The Marquis has sealed beam headlights - and we only drive the car 7 months max. out of the year - and still, we only got 1 year out of them.