Ford Warning Lights
Ford Models
(click your model)
Ford Bronco
Ford C-Max
Ford Crown Victoria
Ford EcoSport
Ford Edge
Ford Escape
Ford Expedition
Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Ford F-150
Ford F-250
Ford Fiesta
Ford Focus
Ford Freestar
Ford Fusion
Ford Ka (incl. Ka+)
Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Ford Puma
Ford Ranger
Ford Taurus
Ford Transit
Warning Lights Explained
Full Beams
A blue semi-circle with straight lines coming out of the side indicates that the vehicle's full-beam lights are switched on.
When you activate the main lights the full-beam will also activate and produce a much stronger beam of light pointing forward.
It is common (and law in some places) not to drive with these on when facing another road user.
To turn these on and off it's usually the backward and forwards motion of the stalk that the lights are on behind the steering wheel.
Fog Lamps
If you see a semi-circle next to a bunch of wavy lines then it would suggest that your fog lamps are turned on.
When you activate your main lights these additional lights will be visible too in an attempt to help you see in foggy conditions.
If you need to switch them off the control will most likely be near your steering wheel and lights.
Cruise Control Warning
A speedometer and car with an exclamation mark warning could be for the adaptive cruise control system reporting a fault.
This system uses radars and/or cameras to monitor the traffic in front of the car and adapt the speed to follow it.
If this warning light has appeared then try restarting the car to see if it resists and if it persists seek a trained mechanic or Ford dealership.
Trunk Ajar Warning
An outline of a car with the visual of a flap extending out from the right-hand-side would suggest that your trunk is still open.
Be sure to close the trunk on the car before driving as the warning get more severe and included audio alerts too.
If your trunk is not open then you may have a problem with the sensor.
Hood Ajar Warning
More severe than the trunk ajar warning, the hood ajar warning is extremely important not to ignore.
Check the bonnet/hood on your Ford is not open still by opening it fully and closing again with some force to ensure the mechanism locks.
Driving with a loose bonnet/hood can be very dangerous as it could fly open at speed and take out your windscreen.
Traction Control OFF
Much like the traction control warning symbol, this one features the word “OFF” underneath it to let you know that the system is turned off.
Switching the traction control off in a car is not usually as simple as pressing a button by accident, it's common that you would have to hold down a button for several seconds.
If you have not switched it off yourself then you may be experiencing a fault and need help from a trained mechanic.
Traction Control Warning
If the stability control has to kick in then you will most probably see an orange/yellow warning light showing a car with swirls below.
Most of the time when this kicks in you will also hear an audio alarm to let you know that the car has intervened to restore traction.
If you are not experiencing a lack of traction and the light is stuck on then your Ford is most likely experiencing a fault with the system.
Seek help from a trained mechanic or Ford dealership if the warning light remains on constantly.
Tire Pressure Warning
Most Ford cars sold today have a tire pressure warning light fitted in the instrument cluster on the dashboard.
As soon as the tire pressure drops this light will illuminate orange to indicate that you need to fix the problem.
If the indicator is flashing it may mean that a rapid drop in pressure is detected and it is recommended that you pull over straight away.
The drop in pressure could be caused by a leak from a puncture or wear and tear around the rim – even a rapid change in temperature can sometimes cause this too.
Driving around on tires that are not correctly pumped up can be dangerous, affecting both braking and handling. The worst-case scenario is that the tire bursts (usually at the worst time possible like at higher speeds) and your car becomes uncontrollable.
You need to either pump the tire up yourself or seek help from a trained professional from a tire shop or at Ford.
Start/Stop Warning
If you experience a circle with an arrow and the letter “A” in the center or even an exclamation mark then this would suggest the auto stop-start system has experienced a fault.
The easiest solution is to restart the car to see if the problem persists, if so seek professional help as the car may function normally just without that economy feature.
Powertrain/Drivetrain Warning
The drivetrain/powertrain of your Ford refers to mechanical parts that carry the power from the engine of your car to the wheels.
This can include the transmission/gearbox, clutch, differentials, off-road equipment and axles (as well as many other parts and driving aids).
A warning light showing here that wont disappear when you turn off then on your car is probably severe and may be dangerous to drive while illuminated.
Lane Keep Assist
If you are seeing a warning light that looks like a car straying over broken or solid lines then your car may be reporting that you are switching lanes.
An audio alert may accompany the visual one and this system can only work if it can detect the lanes using a camera or other technology.
Some Ford models can act on behalf of the driver and correct the cars steering to make sure it stays in the middle of the current lane.
Check Engine Light
The dreaded check engine light can mean a lot of things for your Ford and can range from a simple fix through to a major expense.
The symbol may appear as either an icon with text in the middle or may appear without any text and be the outline of a sort of transmission.
If you see this warning light come up then pull over and try to restart the engine, sometimes a wild fluctuation can set it off when there is no real problem.
Blind Spot Warning OFF
A warning light consisting of 2 cars side by side with a radar effect between and the word OFF above is telling you that the blind-spot-detection system is switched off.
The blind spot is commonly known as the area of vision that is missing from most drivers' field of view.
If you did not switch the blind-spot-detection system off yourself and it persists even after switching the car off then on again seek help from a mechanic.
ABS Warning
This warning light is very obvious and will feature the letters “ABS” surrounded by a circle and some crudely drawn brake pads.
The warning is to let you know that the ABS braking-assist system has malfunctioned yet the brakes could very well still work normally without the assistance.
Its recommended that you seek the help of a trained mechanic or Ford dealership as soon as possible.
Air Bag Warning
A side-on passenger with a large circle in front which is illuminated red displayed in the dashboard is your Ford trying to tell you that there is an issue with one or all of the air-bags.
As soon as this comes on it is advised that you take the car to a trained mechanic or a dealership.
Brake Warning
This Ford warning light may appear different depending upon the region that you have bought your car.
In most territories, the brake warning light will appear simply as the text BRAKE, though in Canada it will appear as an exclamation point with brake pads surrounding a circle.
The Canadian version is a bit confusing as that symbol also looks like a handbrake symbol for a lot of cars.
In any case whatever region you are in and you see a red icon (especially the red brake warning) you need to pull over the car immediately.
There could be all sorts of things wrong with the brakes including fluid pressure or even technological like brake assistance programs that may be faulty.
Seek the assistance of an independent garage or Ford dealership if you see this icon.
Charging System Warning
This warning light is shaped like a battery (or a Lego brick) with a positive and negative symbol on each side and is a solid red color.
If this light appears on your dashboard then it means that the battery is no longer being charged by the engine.
As it is a red light this means you should pull over and stop driving the car as quickly as possible.
A common cause for this problem is that the alternator has stopped working or the wires connecting it to your battery have come loose.
Continuing to drive with a battery that may be near empty could lead to a serious accident as you may lose vital systems at any time.
Seek the help of an independent mechanic or go to your local Ford dealer/garage.
Electronic Parking Brake Warning
The electronic parking brake replaces the handbrake in modern Ford models and is usually operated with a button rather than a stick near the gear shifter.
If a fault is detected with the system a warning that looks like brake pads around a circle featuring a lightning symbol inside will appear in red.
As the driver feels less feedback from a digital system in comparison to the traditional handbrake system this warning is very important.
Driving with this warning illuminated could be dangerous, seek help from your local Ford dealership.
Engine Coolant Warning
If you see a collection of waves with a thermometer floating above displayed with a red backing light then your car is telling you the engine is too hot.
The waves represent the coolant in the engine which is usually what is measured in terms of temperature.
The cause behind this can vary from the engine being pushed too hard to a leak or malfunction.
You must pull over and allow the engine to cool down, if the problem persists seek professional help from Ford or a trained mechanic.
Heads Up Display Warning
A warning light that appears on your Ford's dashboard that looks like a caterpillar or long tube with flashing lines coming from it could be related to the heads-up-display.
If you are not seeing an error also come up on your separate heads-up-display as well as this then there may be an issue with the system
Check with a Ford mechanic or dealership to have them run diagnostics on your car and diagnose the problem.
Oil Pressure Warning
An Aladdin’s lamp style icon in red with nothing around it on it’s own represents that the oil pressure in the engine is low.
This can be caused by a leak leading to a rapid loss in oil from underneath your engine or the oil being burnt within your engine and pushed out of the exhaust.
As this is a red warning light it is not advised that you continue to drive the vehicle until it goes out.
Driving with a low oil pressure light on can cause serious damage to the engine as it will not be properly lubricated and could overheat and/or cause extensive wear.
Seat Belt Warning
A picture of a passenger with a band across them displayed in front of a red light indicates that a passenger has not correctly attached their seat-belt.
This system works by detecting a passenger based on the weight on a seat so if you have any shopping or luggage on a seat then that may be what's setting it off.
An audio alert usually comes on too once the car is in motion.
About Ford
The Ford Motor Corporation is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. The company was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903.
In addition to the Ford brand, it also has luxury car brands Aston Martin and Lincoln as well as a motorcycle brand named Harley-Davidson.
You can find the Ford warning lights for many of the popular models that the company has sold during this century on this website.
In 2017 alone, Ford sold 2 million vehicles with total revenue of $145 billion USD.
Ford’s History
Ford’s history begins in 1903 with Henry Ford, who at the time also was an employee of the Edison Illuminating Company.
At this point, he began working on a car that would have enough speed to climb hills and move heavy loads up steep inclines while still being affordable for ordinary Americans.
His first attempt resulted in what is now known as Model A.
Although we don’t have the Model A on this website we do have many other Ford dashboard symbols catering to lines such as the Explorer and the Edge.
We explain the meanings of these Ford symbols along with an icon demonstration to help you find the one you are looking for quickly.
How the Company is Doing Today
Ford Motor Corporation, the second-largest US automaker behind General Motors Company “GM”, produced 11.53 million vehicles in 2016 compared to 12 million for GM and almost nine million for Toyota.
The company is planning on increasing its production of more profitable SUVs and trucks while phasing out most car models except Mustang and the Focus.
What are the Popular Ford Models?
Ford has a wide range of vehicles that serve just about every kind of need.
Their cars come in many different styles, sizes and body configurations for both commercial purposes as well as personal driving needs.
Some examples include the Edge which is designed to be an all-in-one crossover vehicle with luxury styling at an affordable price point
- Models: 22