The Ford Taurus side marker utilizes 168, 168NA, and 194 bulb sizes for illumination. Available data for the specified components spans from 1996 through 2018 for the listed vehicle.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Ford Taurus front side marker position uses two distinct bulb sizes across its model history: the 168 for 2010-2019 models and the 194 for earlier generations spanning 1986-2009, with the exception of isolated years not present in the later range.
The 168 and 194 bulbs share the same T10 miniature wedge form factor and 12V operating voltage, yet they are not identical in wattage. The 168 draws 4.9W while the 194 draws 3.78W, meaning the two are physically interchangeable in socket type but differ in power consumption.
For the 2013-2019 Ford Taurus, the front side marker specification lists the 168 bulb under both HID and halogen capsule headlamp configurations, indicating the front side marker size does not vary with headlamp type on those model years.
The rear side marker position on the Ford Taurus shows greater variation in bulb size than the front, with the 194, 168, 916, and 3157 all appearing across different model years.
The 916 bulb, a T15 wedge rated at 12V and 18W, appears exclusively in the rear side marker position for the 2010-2012 Ford Taurus. At 18W, it operates at a significantly higher wattage than the T10 bulbs used in other positions and years.
The 3157 is a dual-filament T25 wedge bulb rated at 12V with a 27W/7W output, and it appears solely in the 1996 Ford Taurus rear side marker position. Its dual-filament design distinguishes it from all other bulbs listed in these specifications.
The 1997-1999 Ford Taurus rear side marker uses the 168 bulb, while the 1990-1992 and 2006-2009 rear side marker positions use the 194. These two T10 bulbs occupy the same socket type but are not the same part number.
The T10, T15, and T25 designations refer to the tubular envelope size of the bulb, with the numeric portion representing eighths of an inch in envelope width. A T25 bulb is physically larger than a T15, which in turn is larger than a T10, making cross-substitution between these form factors incompatible without socket modification.
All bulb sizes listed across both the front and rear side marker positions conform to ANSI standards applicable in both the United States and Canada, classifying them as standardized replacements within the North American market.
The front side marker position carries more model year entries than the rear side marker position in these specifications, with the front position documented as far back as 1986 and the rear position's earliest listed entry at 1986 as well, though the rear has fewer total entries across the full range.