Master warning light
A triangle with an exclamation mark that Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai use to show that a warning has come up, usually with a message on the instrument display.
How to read it
Toyota says a buzzer sounds and the master warning light flashes to indicate that the master warning system has detected a malfunction. Nissan's 2024 Rogue manual says it comes on if a warning message appears in the vehicle information display, and the 2020 LEAF manual shows it in red or yellow. The light names no fault of its own: the message that comes up with it says what the warning is about.
Also searched as: master warning, triangle warning light, triangle with exclamation mark.
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.
What Hyundai's manuals list
Hyundai's 2024 Tucson and Elantra manuals list the faults that turn it on, among them a Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist malfunction and a Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist malfunction. The Elantra manual says the light turns off once the issue is resolved.
Toyota's master warning icon
On the 2024 RAV4 Prime, Toyota's manual describes a master warning icon on the multi-information display, shown when a warning message is displayed there.
By make
See Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai dashboard symbols for the other lights each maker names in its own way.
More dashboard warning lights
Sources
- Toyota Dashboard Symbols & Warning Lights Meaning, Toyota Motor North America (MyToyota)
- 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime Owner’s Manual, OM42F73U, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Multi-information display: icons
- 2024 Nissan Rogue Owner’s Manual, Nissan North America, Instruments and controls, p. 2-19
- 2020 Nissan LEAF Owner's Manual, Nissan North America, EV Overview: Meter
- 2024 Hyundai Tucson Owner’s Manual, Hyundai Motor America (MyHyundai), Instrument Cluster: Master warning light, p. 4-20
- 2024 Hyundai Elantra Owner’s Manual, Hyundai Motor America (copy hosted by Dealer eProcess), Instrument Cluster: Master warning light
Last reviewed September 28, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research