Toyota Avalon Trunk Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Toyota Avalon trunk uses three distinct T10 wedge bulb types across its model years: the 12961, 194, and 168. All three share the same T10 form factor, which is a miniature wedge base, though they differ in wattage and origin standard.
• The 12961 is a Philips part number rather than an ANSI industry standard. It carries a W2.1x9.5d base rating and operates at 12V with a 5W output, making it the highest-wattage T10 variant listed in these specifications.
• The 194 and 168 are both ANSI-standard bulbs recognized in the US and Canada. The 194 operates at 12V and 3.78W, while the 168 operates at 12V and 4.9W. Despite sharing the T10 form factor, their wattage difference means they are not electrically identical.
• The DE3021 is a festoon-type bulb with a 31mm length and end-cap contacts, which is a fundamentally different physical format from the T10 wedge types. It is not interchangeable with any of the wedge bulbs listed in these specifications.
• The Toyota Avalon (1995-2001) used the DE3021 festoon bulb exclusively for the trunk. The 2002 model year represents a mid-year transition, with the DE3021 used in units produced through June 2002 and the 12961 used in units produced from June 2002 onward.
• Because the 2002 Avalon has a documented mid-year bulb change, the production date of a specific vehicle is a necessary factor in determining the correct trunk bulb for that year.
• The 12961 was used in the Avalon trunk from the mid-2002 production cutover through 2012, and again in 2022, spanning the largest number of model years in these specifications.
• The 194 bulb was used across the 2013-2018 and 2021 model years. Although the T10 wedge base is physically shared with the 12961 and 168, the 194 operates at a lower wattage than either of those two bulbs.
• The 168 bulb was used in the 2019-2020 model years. At 4.9W, it draws more power than the 194 (3.78W) but less than the 12961 (5W), despite all three sharing the T10 wedge form factor.
• The physical compatibility of T10 wedge bulbs does not guarantee electrical interchangeability. The 194, 168, and 12961 each carry different wattage ratings, and substituting one for another may affect circuit load and socket compatibility.