The Chevrolet Malibu tail light utilizes bulb sizes 12961, 3057, 194, and 1157 depending on the specific production period for the vehicle. Available data covers the range from 1964 to 2024.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The 12961 is a Philips part number for a T10 miniature wedge bulb with a W2.1x9.5d base, rated at 12V and 5W. It is the most frequently specified bulb across the Chevrolet Malibu tail light data, appearing in both inner and outer tail light positions across multiple model years.
The 1157 is an ANSI-standard dual-filament bulb with a BAY15d bayonet base, rated at 12V and 21W/5W. It is the second most common bulb in the specifications, covering the Chevrolet Malibu outer tail light from 1964-1967 and again from 1973-1979, as well as 1981-1982.
The BAY15d bayonet base of the 1157 is a twist-and-lock fitting, which is physically distinct from the wedge-style base found on the 12961, 7443, 3057, and 194 bulbs. These base types are not interchangeable with one another.
The 7443 is an ANSI-standard T20 dual-filament wedge bulb rated at 12V and 21W/5W. On the Chevrolet Malibu, it is specified exclusively for the outer tail light on 2016-2018 models without LED tail lights.
The 3057 is an ANSI-standard T25 dual-filament wedge bulb rated at 12V and 27W/7W. It is specified for the Chevrolet Malibu outer tail light across 1997-2007.
Although the 7443 and 3057 are both dual-filament wedge bulbs, they differ in physical size, with the T25 body of the 3057 being larger than the T20 body of the 7443. This size difference means the two bulbs are not directly interchangeable despite sharing a similar wedge base format.
The 194 is an ANSI-standard T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 3.78W. It shares the same T10 form factor as the 12961 but operates at a lower wattage. The 194 is specified for the Chevrolet Malibu outer tail light in 1980 and 1983.
For the Chevrolet Malibu inner tail light, the 12961 is specified for 2016-2018 and 2020 model years, with all of those entries carrying a condition excluding LED tail light configurations.
The outer tail light on 2016-2018 models uses two different bulb sizes depending on the position: the 12961 for the inner position and the 7443 for the outer position. Both carry the same condition of non-LED tail lights, indicating these sizes apply only to halogen-equipped variants.
For the 2019-2020 outer tail light, the 12961 is specified under the condition of halogen capsule headlamps, while the 2021, 2023, and 2024 outer tail light entries for the same bulb carry no such conditional note.