The Hyundai Santa Fe side marker utilizes a 12961 bulb size for the lighting component located on the exterior of the vehicle. Available data covers the span from 2001 through 2023 for the specified automotive lighting application.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Hyundai Santa Fe side marker specifications reference two bulb types across front and rear positions: the 168 and the 12961. Both are miniature wedge bulbs sharing the T10 form factor, which places them in the same physical bulb family despite carrying different part designations.
The 168 is an ANSI-standardized bulb used in the United States and Canada. It operates at 12 volts and draws 4.9 watts, making it a low-wattage miniature lamp suited for marker lighting rather than primary illumination.
The 12961 is a Philips part number rather than an ANSI designation. It uses a W2.1x9.5d wedge base and operates at 12 volts with a rated output of 5 watts, placing it marginally above the 168 in power draw while sharing the same T10 body type.
Although the 168 and 12961 share the T10 form factor, the 12961 carries a manufacturer-specific part number and base designation. This distinction is relevant when sourcing replacements, as not all T10-type bulbs are cross-listed between ANSI and Philips numbering systems.
For the Hyundai Santa Fe front side marker, the 168 bulb is specified for the 2001-2012 and 2017-2018 model years, while the 12961 is specified for the 2013-2016 model years, indicating a mid-generation change in the bulb specification.
The rear side marker for the 2019-2020 Hyundai Santa Fe specifies the 12961 bulb, but only for vehicles equipped with halogen capsule headlamps. This conditional fitment means the bulb specification is tied to the headlamp configuration of the individual vehicle.
The 168 bulb appears across the majority of both front and rear side marker positions throughout the Santa Fe's model range, making it the more broadly applicable of the two bulb types in these specifications.
Because both bulb types share the T10 wedge form factor, physical installation compatibility may exist between them, but the conditional fitment note on the 2019-2020 rear marker positions indicates that vehicle configuration can determine which specific bulb is appropriate.