The Dodge Ram 1500 brake light components utilize 1157, 2458, 3057, and 3157 bulb sizes depending on the specific configuration of the lighting assembly. Available technical data for the specified vehicle covers a period spanning from 1994 through 2010.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The brake light specifications for the Dodge Ram 1500 span model years 1994-2010 and reference four distinct bulb types: 3157, 3057, 1157, and 921/912.
The 3157 and 3057 are both ANSI-standard dual-filament wedge bulbs in the T25 form factor, rated at 12V with a 27W high-filament and 7W low-filament output. Despite their near-identical specifications, they are distinct part numbers and are not universally interchangeable.
The 1157 is an ANSI-standard dual-filament bulb with a BAY15d bayonet base, rated at 12V, 21W/5W. Its bayonet mount distinguishes it physically from the wedge-base 3157 and 3057, making cross-substitution between these types incompatible without a socket adapter.
The Dodge Ram 1500 used the 1157 bayonet-base bulb for brake lights in model years 1994, 1995, 1997-1999, and 2001, indicating that the socket type in those years differs from the wedge-base socket used in surrounding model years.
The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 brake light fitment varies by headlamp configuration: trucks with two headlamps take a 3157, while trucks with four headlamps take a 3057. Selecting the wrong bulb for a 2009 model requires confirming the headlamp count on the specific vehicle.
For the center high mount stop light, the 921 and 912 are both ANSI-standard single-filament wedge bulbs in the T15 form factor. The 921 is rated at 12V/16W, while the 912 is rated at 12V/12W, making them wattage variants of the same base type rather than fully interchangeable replacements.
The 912 bulb is specified for the center high mount stop light across model years 2002-2008, with the exception of the 2009 two-headlamp configuration, which also uses the 912.
The 921 bulb is specified for the center high mount stop light in model years 1994-2001 and in 2010, as well as in the 2009 four-headlamp configuration.
The 2009 center high mount stop light fitment also splits by headlamp configuration, with the two-headlamp variant using the lower-wattage 912 and the four-headlamp variant using the higher-wattage 921.
Because the Ram 1500 alternates between wedge-base and bayonet-base brake bulbs across its model year range, socket compatibility is a necessary consideration when sourcing replacement bulbs for any year in the 1994-2010 span.