The Pontiac G3 tail light requires a 1157 bulb size for proper installation and function within the rear lighting assembly. Data for the specified component covers the range from 2009 to 2010.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Pontiac G3 tail light specifications cover the 2009-2010 model years across two distinct positions: the lower tail light and the upper tail light.
The upper tail light position uses the 2357 bulb for both the 2009 and 2010 model years. The 2357 is a dual-filament bulb operating at 12V with a high filament rated at 26.9W and a low filament at 8W, fitted with a BAY15d bayonet base.
The 2357 is a brighter variant of the 1157, sharing the same BAY15d base type, which means the two bulbs are physically compatible at the socket level, though their filament wattages differ.
The lower tail light position on the 2010 Pontiac G3 uses the 1157 bulb, a dual-filament type with a BAY15d bayonet base rated at 12V, 21W on the high filament and 5W on the low filament.
The lower tail light position on the 2009 Pontiac G3 uses the 1156NA bulb, which is a single-filament bulb with a BA15s bayonet base, rated at 12V and 21W, featuring natural amber glass.
The 1156NA uses a BA15s base, which is a single-contact bayonet fitting, while the 1157 and 2357 both use a BAY15d base, a dual-contact bayonet fitting. These base types are not interchangeable.
Because the 2009 lower tail light uses a single-filament 1156NA and the 2010 lower tail light uses a dual-filament 1157, the two model years have electrically distinct lower tail light configurations despite sharing the same vehicle nameplate.
The natural amber glass of the 1156NA produces a colored output without the use of an amber-tinted lens, distinguishing it functionally from clear-glass bulbs of similar wattage.
All three bulb types listed in the specifications, the 1157, 1156NA, and 2357, conform to ANSI standards applicable in both the United States and Canada.
The shared BAY15d base between the 1157 and 2357 means a socket designed for one will physically accept the other, but the difference in filament wattages, particularly the higher 26.9W draw of the 2357, is a relevant electrical consideration.