Warning lights: what makers say each one means and what to do
The common dashboard lights, their usual color and whether federal rules fix it, what makers say each means and what they say to do. Your owner's manual decides for your car.
If a red light is on, or the check engine light is flashing, follow your owner's manual's instruction for that light first. Most makers say to pull over safely and stop the engine, or to reduce speed and get service right away. This table is for reading your manual, not for deciding to keep driving.
Only some colors are set by federal rule. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard on controls and displays (FMVSS 101, Table 1) makes the brake light red; the anti-lock, stability control, low tire pressure and regenerative braking lights yellow; turn signals green; and the high beam blue or green. It sets a symbol but no color for oil pressure, coolant temperature and charging, and names no color for the check engine light. Everything else is each maker's convention, and makers say their own lights can vary by model. Convention
The tags group the rows by what the makers say to do: stop now (pull over and stop, or do not drive), soon (have it inspected or serviced soon), and information. A row's tag reflects the makers we read; your manual may say otherwise for your car.
| Light | Usual color, and whether federal rules fix it | What makers say it means | What makers say to do | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake system | Red, fixed by federal rule (FMVSS 101) | Parking brake on, or a brake fault or low brake fluid (Ford, Hyundai) | Hyundai: with the parking brake released, do not drive until the fluid is filled. Chevrolet: if it stays on while driving, pull over carefully and have it towed. Ford calls driving with it on dangerous. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Ford, Hyundai, Chevrolet |
| ABS (anti-lock brakes) | Yellow, fixed by federal rule | A fault in the anti-lock system | Hyundai: regular brakes still work; with the brake light on as well, avoid high speed and sudden braking. Toyota: if it does not light at start, have the dealer inspect immediately. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Hyundai, Toyota |
| Stability control (ESC) and ESC off | Yellow, fixed by federal rule | A stability control fault, or the system switched off | Read your manual's entry; makers word it differently. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | FMVSS 101 |
| Low tire pressure (TPMS) | Yellow, fixed by federal rule | At least one tire significantly underinflated; a flash then steady light is a system fault (NHTSA) | Check all tires cold with a gauge and set them to the door placard. NHTSA: the system is not a substitute for regular checks. See Tires. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | NHTSA, FMVSS 101 |
| Oil pressure | No federal color (symbol only); red on the makers' pages read | Oil pressure too low (Volkswagen, Toyota) | Ford: stop when safe and switch off. Hyundai: stop, turn off, check the level; if it stays on after adding oil, do not drive. Chevrolet: if it stays on more than 10 seconds after a restart, turn off and do not restart. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Ford, Hyundai, Chevrolet |
| Coolant temperature | No federal color (symbol only) | The engine is overheating | Toyota: immediately stop in a safe place. Chevrolet: pull over, turn off and plan for a tow. Never open the radiator or coolant cap while hot (Oil, fluids and filters). Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford |
| Charging (battery symbol) | No federal color (symbol only) | A fault in the charging system or alternator | Ford: switch off electrical loads you do not need and see a dealer. Hyundai: have it inspected as soon as possible. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Ford, Hyundai |
| Check engine, steady | No federal color; yellow or amber on most makers' pages | A fault the onboard diagnostics found in the emissions, engine or powertrain system | Hyundai: have it inspected soon. Chevrolet: get it serviced as soon as possible. Ram: in most cases the vehicle drives normally. A lit light can fail an emissions inspection. See Warning lights and codes. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Hyundai, Chevrolet, Ram 2022 manual |
| Check engine, flashing | No federal color | A misfire that can damage the catalytic converter (Ford, Volkswagen) | Ram: immediate service is required, and a hot converter is a fire risk over dry grass. Mazda: if red or flashing, pull over, stop the engine and call for help. Ford: it may reduce power or stop the engine. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Ram 2022 manual, Ford, Mazda |
| Airbag (SRS) | No federal color in Table 1 | A fault in the airbag system | Chevrolet: if it stays on, it needs service immediately. Ford: a light that fails to come on, flashes or stays on means a malfunction. Check open airbag recalls by VIN (NHTSA Takata). Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota |
| Low fuel | Usually yellow | Fuel is low | Toyota gives it as an example of a yellow light that is not necessarily a warning. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Toyota |
| Loose fuel cap | Varies | The cap may be loose | Ford: check the cap yourself. Ram and Mazda list a loose or missing cap among the causes of a check engine light. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Ford, Ram 2022 manual |
| Regenerative braking fault | Yellow, fixed by federal rule | A fault in the regenerative brake system on a hybrid or electric car | Read your manual's entry. The friction brakes are a separate system; the brake light row above applies to them. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | FMVSS 101 |
| Propulsion system (check engine on an electric car) | Varies | Chevrolet's page covers the engine or propulsion system under one check engine light | Chevrolet: on a gasoline car, turning off for two minutes and restarting can clear some lights; electric car owners should not restart. Follow your manual. Your owner's manual decides for your car. | Chevrolet |
Most lights come on for a moment when the car starts, as a bulb check (Mazda); Toyota says an anti-lock or airbag light that does not come on at start may mean that system is not available. Write the page of your manual that lists the lights on Car facts, and any light that comes on, with the date and mileage, on the symptom log.
This table repeats what a few makers publish for their own cars. It does not tell you what a light means on yours, whether the car is safe to drive, or what is wrong. Your owner's manual decides the first; a technician's diagnosis decides the last. A code read from the diagnostic port points to a test, not to a part (Warning lights and codes).