Exterior light fault warning light
An amber warning that an outside light has failed: a burned-out bulb, or a fault in an LED headlight.
Easily confused with
How to read it
The symbol is a light bulb with an exclamation mark inside it and short rays around it, used by Volkswagen for burned-out driving lights and by Hyundai for its LED headlight warning light. Volkswagen’s guide shows it amber and says it lights up when one or more driving lights have burned out, and flashes for a driving light system or cornering light malfunction.
Also searched as: bulb failure warning light, bulb out light, headlight malfunction light, lamp failure light, LED headlight warning light.
Dashboard symbols vary by manufacturer. The vehicle's owner's manual or a qualified mechanic can say what a light means for a particular vehicle.
Differences by maker
Volkswagen has separate amber lights for burned-out brake lights and license plate lights. Hyundai’s 2024 Tucson LED headlight warning light comes on for about 3 seconds when the ignition is switched on, stays on for a malfunction with an LED headlight, and blinks for a malfunction with a related part. Nissan’s 2020 LEAF shows a message instead, “Headlight System Error: See Owner’s Manual”, when its LED headlights aren’t working properly.
A turn signal that flashes fast
A failed turn signal bulb shows on the turn signal indicator instead. FMVSS No. 108 requires a failed turn signal lamp to show as the indicator staying on, staying off or flashing at a noticeably different rate, and Ford’s F-150 manual says faster flashing warns of a failed indicator bulb.
What the manual says to do
Hyundai’s manual says to have the vehicle inspected by a Hyundai dealer if the light stays on while driving, and that driving with it on or blinking may shorten LED headlight life. Nissan’s says to have the system checked.
Look-alikes
Toyota’s US headlight indicator is a round lamp with rays and no exclamation mark, and it means the lights are on.
Read next
- Next in Dashboard warning lightsHazard warning lights symbol (red triangle)The hazard warning lights button: two triangles, one inside the other. It makes all the turn signals flash at once.
- The same shape in African flagsFlag of EthiopiaEthiopia’s flag is green, yellow and red in equal horizontal stripes with a blue disc in the centre holding a yellow star of equal lines with yellow rays. Ethiopia’s Flag Proclamation makes the green labour, fertility and development, the yellow hope, justice and equality, and the red sacrifice and heroism for freedom and equality; the blue disc is peace and the star the unity of Ethiopia’s nations, nationalities and peoples.
More dashboard warning lights
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with circles or lines.
Sources
- Volkswagen: Dashboard Warning and Indicator Lights, Volkswagen of America, Amber warning lights
- 2024 Hyundai Tucson Owner’s Manual, Hyundai Motor America (MyHyundai), Instrument Cluster: LED headlight warning light, p. 4-16
- 2020 Nissan LEAF Owner's Manual, Nissan North America, Instruments and controls: vehicle information display warnings
- 2020 F-150 Owner's Manual, Ford Motor Company, Instrument Cluster: Warning Lamps and Indicators
- Standard No. 108; Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment, 49 CFR 571.108 (FMVSS 108), U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations), S9.3.6
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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