Volkswagen Beetle Back Up Light Bulb Size

The Volkswagen Beetle back up light utilizes bulb sizes 921, H21W, P21W, 1156, and 1073 depending on the specific production version. Available data for the lighting components spans from 1967 through 2019.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

Bulb Size by Year Range

Years	Bulb Size
2012-2019	921
2006-2010	H21W
1998-2005	1156
1968-1979	1156
1967	1073

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Wedge bulb (T15). 12V, 16W.	921
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Single-filament signalling bulb with BAY9s base. 12V, 21W.	H21W
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. 12V, 21W.	1156
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Lower wattage variant of 1156. 12V, 13W.	1073

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Volkswagen Beetle back up light specifications span model years 1967 through 2019, with three distinct bulb types used across that range: the 921, H21W, and 1156, plus a single year using the 1073.
The 1156 is the most frequently specified bulb across the Volkswagen Beetle back up light fitment data, covering model years 1968-1979 and 1998-2005, as well as 1967-adjacent years, making it the dominant bulb type across the vehicle's production history.
The 1156 operates at 12V and 21W, uses a BA15s single-contact bayonet base, and follows the ANSI standard applicable to the US and Canadian markets.
The 921 is a wedge-style T15 bulb rated at 12V and 16W, and it serves as the back up light bulb for the Volkswagen Beetle across model years 2012-2019.
The 921 and 1156 are not interchangeable despite sharing the same 12V operating voltage, as the 921 uses a wedge base while the 1156 uses a BA15s bayonet base, making the socket type incompatible between the two.
The H21W is specified for the Volkswagen Beetle from 2006-2010 and follows the ECE standard used in European and worldwide markets rather than the ANSI standard used in North America.
The H21W uses a BAY9s base, which is physically distinct from the BA15s base of the 1156, meaning these two bulbs are not interchangeable even though both are rated at 12V and 21W.
The 1073 is specified exclusively for the 1967 Volkswagen Beetle back up light. It shares the BA15s bayonet base with the 1156 but operates at a lower wattage of 13W compared to the 1156's 21W.
Although the 1073 and 1156 share the same BA15s base type, the wattage difference between the two means substituting one for the other may not conform to the original factory specification for the 1967 model year.
The transition from the H21W to the 921 between the 2010 and 2012 model years represents a shift from an ECE-standard bayonet-base bulb to an ANSI-standard wedge-base bulb, reflecting a change in socket design within the Beetle's back up light assembly.